Sunrise Flame

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Sunrise Flame by Chip Bunnell Photography

Warmth on a cold day. Light to show us the way. The transformation of raw ingredients into a life giving meal.  Our ancestors, several millennium ago, discovered how a simple fire had almost magical properties.

Fast forwarding to modern days, do we not have a special feeling as we gather around a campfire on a chilly night? Do we not feel security in a well lit path through dark woods? Do we not love the taste of a warm meal after a long day? Even with our modern understanding, fire still has these same magical properties in our lives.

Several hundred years ago, people far smart that most discovered yet another use for fire. By heating air within a lightweight container, it became lighter than the surrounding air. Through the properties of physics, that container of hot air would rise into the sky. Not only did fire help save our human ancestors on the ground, but it also allowed yet others to take flight!

Today, many of our friends and neighbors still use this very same principle, with a few more modern twists, to fill a balloon full of hot air and rise into the sky for a nearly silent flight. Carried only by the wind and powered by heat, entire festivals across our nations celebrate what simple humans discovered more than a few years ago.

This image is a single moment in time showing the flight-giving fire preparing to launch this simple, silent aircraft into the heavens.

Photo Stuff: Single frame, Processed in LR, Topaz Clarity and Topaz Adjust 5

www.ChipBunnell.com
©2015 All Rights Reserved

Full Moon During Sunset

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Full Moon During Sunset by Chip Bunnell Photography

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Once a month, there is one day that is my favorite for capturing interesting moon images.  Normally, everyone flocks outdoors to watch the full moon rise.  Don’t get me wrong, that is spectacular for sure.  I, however, am always looking for the moment others do not see.  For me, I rather enjoy the night before the “official” full moon.

“The night before the full moon”, you may ask?  Absolutely!  First, there are far less crowds which makes it easier to work the scene for the best image.  But even greater, it is the one night a month that you can see both the rich, golden colors of the sunset while, at the same time, watch the moon quietly rise with a stealth-like entrance.  But be warned, even with an eye trained on the exact right point of the horizon at the exact right time, you must look closely or you may miss the beginning of its rise.

I captured this moment just minutes after the moon was barely visible.  A single seagull flying over head, searching for its dinner, added the perfect element as it passed through the upper profile of the star of this evening’s show.  People on the pier, already well engaged on their weekend fun, added the human bond to this magical moment in nature.

Photo Stuff:  Single frame, processed in LR, Topaz Clarity and Nik Analog Efex Pro 2.

www.ChipBunnell.com
©2015 All Rights Reserved