PLANET PARADES 2022 - Four Planets aligned in the Morning Sky

[Robert Watcher]

I’ve been waiting for this morning of April 18’th between 5:40 and 6:02 AM, for the last month. We have not had a clear sky in the morning forever - so was so please that this morning it was good enough to be able to see this view of the 4 planets not only in a line beside each other, but this morning was the morning when they would be as perfectly spaced as they would ever be.

The window of opportunity was so short that Anne and I had to be at the location, set up and ready to capture what was there. I had no idea how far apart they would be in the sky, so fortunately brought along my wide angle lens to get them all in. The short timing was because of the closeness of the sunrise in the same area of the sky ( E S/E )

All the poles sticking up with lights on top, are spinning wind turbines during 15 to 20 second exposures.

There is nothing better than having the Time Date website (https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/night/) to be able to previsualize exactly where in the sky and at what time the planets would rise above the horizon as well when certain one (like Mars and Saturn) would disappear from view

 

[Robert Watcher]

Waiting for the sun to rise, and then it did.

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[Robert Watcher]

It looks like the propeller blades are stationary in the pics above, but were rotating quite quickly.

Once I moved my car back and forth on the country road to get the wind turbine lined up in the centre of the tree divide, I anticipated the timing of when the blade would in a vertical position at the top - and fired. While I could have used a motor drive and possibly had a better chance, I preferred honing my timing skills like I used to have pre-digital, pre-motodrive.

This tree was way out in a field and so I shot with my 600mm lens. When I first noticed it, and saw the potential - I saw the turbine off in the distance to one side. I drove back 1/4 mile until it lined up in the crotch. The tree ended up being a weird illusion though. Once I drove up the road to capture the shot of the sun rising, I could no longer find it from that angle. There was just what looked like a clump of isolated brush out in the field.

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The sunrise was a real challenge. First off, where I anticipated the sun would come up so that one of the windmills would be centered in front, was nowhere close. I raced 3/4 mile to find another turbine that provided blades facing me - as the super bright sun quickly rose above the horizon. Initially that spot was right in the middle of an intersection. I had to abandon that position, and try another turbine a little up the hill. Then I realized that I had to keep adjusting the car back and forth to try and keep the centering. Sometimes it appeared like the sun was bobbing back and forth in my frame. I‘d hop out and grab a shot and the next seconds I’d have to move the car to align things up.

While the shot worked out well, it wasn’t what I was envisioning in my mind as I waited for the sun to rise on the bitter cold morning. I was picturing a huge sun encompassing the wind turbine. That didn‘t happen even though I was shooting with a 600mm lens. That would take more practice or Photoshop LOL.

BTW - this picture could not have been taken easily with a camera with optical viewfinder like all cameras in the old days. I was able to safely view the sun through the electronic viewfinder of my Olympus camera. Even though my eye was firmly pressed against it, and the other eye closed all the time, I still ended up with bright spots in my eyes as I drove away just from the exposure on the peripheries of my eyes while getting in position.

This sequence was between 6:45 and 6:51 am

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THIS IS WHERE I WAS ORIGINALLY PREPARED FOR THE SUN TO RISE BEHIND THIS WIND TURBINE
Anne noticed some bright streaks that were signs the sun was coming up to the right, and so we abandoned and drove quickly down the road to find a better location for what I was wanting to capture, The bright cloud streak can be used to identify the difference in location for the final shots where sun was rising. Fortunately there were other turbines to use farther up the road.

 

[Asher Kelman]

An amazing idea, plan, preparation and execution and rewards far beyond the initial inciting single driving idea!

I am so impressed.

Asher

 

[Maggie Terlecki]

Oh, how lucky to have a clear sky! Holy Moly! We often get aurora alerts, that normally we should see but have cloudy skies. So find you fortunate to have taken your photo even with the narrow window you had. Love the tree photo with the sunrise; spectacular!

 

[Asher Kelman]

Getting the moving windmill blades to line up so, is an accomplishment.

Such a lot of things going on, but you got your shot.

Stepping back, in spite of this well-imagined and technical technical achievement, I would personally treasure the shot with the blades removed as, to me, at least, it represents “Heaven on Earth”!

What given to us is so beautiful already it’s hard to improve on nature. Sunsets are so beautiful but hard to have one stand out and not be merely nostalgic.

Sunrises are far less our choices, unless we wish to impress teenagers who “know everything”!

But here, the composition with the two bare leafless trees sharing the space of one larger tree, is outstanding and mesmerizing.

It could be the best of this series!

Asher

 

[Robert Watcher]

Stepping back, in spite of this well-imagined and technical technical achievement, I would personally treasure the shot with the blades removed as, to me, at least, it represents “Heaven on Earth”!

Asher

I took one just for you Asher LOL.
(with help from 10 seconds with the Inpainting Tool)

 

[Asher Kelman]

I took one just for you Asher LOL.
(with help from 10 seconds with the Inpainting Tool)


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With the trees being empty and the ground being dark, we have to imagine what is about to stir from the shadows and bushes and undergrowth. Whenever the artist allows our arrival to such possibilities we can each be engaged according to our disposition, fears and fantasies!

Asher