Round Robin Challenge: In The Dark

"Life isn't just about darkness or light, rather it's about finding light within the darkness."

~Landon Parham, First Night Of Summer

RRC: In The Dark

Karen came up with a really challenging challenge this week... In The Dark. I love a good challenge. If it isn't challenging, then it isn't a challenge... right? LOL. But while I love a good challenge, this time it proved to be more of a challenge, then other challenges have! LOL. And that is a good thing! What I came up with is darkness at varying stages, for comparison. In most cases I tried to take the photos at the very last moment of available light, but in some photos you will see plenty of light on the horizon, but very little light where I am standing. Does that make sense? Anyway, here is my gallery for this challenge, hope you enjoy my take on it!

In The Dark...

"The Dot." San Mateo Bridge. I just love that little dot. I don't know why there is just one dot lit, but it is there constantly. When I have the chance to cross that bridge, from the San Francisco Peninsula to the East Bay, that little dot is always there to greet me. It's kinda like a friend of sorts. It's something that I count on seeing, and it makes me smile.



"Stormy Trees." About a week ago, a gully washer of a storm came through the Bay Area, and in the 24 hours leading up to it, there were some amazing clouds in the sky, that, at times, made everything dark. It was pretty and quite unique! I waited until very late in the day, grabbed my camera, and photographed this tree against the waxing and waning light in the sky. I thought it came out pretty nice. You can see the fine lines on the tree, but you can also tell that the light in the sky wouldn't last much longer. It was pretty much what I was going for.



"The End Of The Day." The title pretty much says it all. I actually took this photo back in January, well before this challenge was announced, because I was interested in working with low light situations. It seems I have an easier time when I create the environment, such as with candles, but I have a much more difficult time with low light in nature. So, practice makes perfect... right? I wasn't completely happy with this shot, but when I reviewed it for the challenge, I learned a little about angles I hadn't noticed before. It's good that I can take that from the experience.



"The Dark Sunset." I love taking sunset shots in winter, because the sun sets so early, I don't have to worry about being out so late. I took this shot from here in the Berkeley hills, on Grizzly Peak Boulevard. From this vantage point you can see all around the bay. Directly across is San Francisco, and the Golden Gate Bridge. The Marin Headlands, Mount Tamalpais, Angel Island, Alcatraz and Treasure Island. Also visible is Oakland and the long San Francisco Peninsula. The sunsets from up here are stunning, and this one was no exception. Again, I waited until the last possible moment, at least as far as my camera's capabilities, leaving just enough light to make the point of the coming darkness.



"Conservatory Of Flowers At Night." Okay, this one is from the archives. I took this photo several years ago, after attending a nighttime safari at the conservatory, in search of night moths. Among them was the gorgeous Luna Moth, which is a stunning green glow at night. It was so beautiful! When I got outside, and looked back at the gorgeous building, with all the colored glass lit up, I couldn't help but think of the beautiful butterflies and moths inside. Snap. :)



"Buckeye Butterfly By Flashlight And Uncooperative Luna Moth." Here is one of those butterflies that I photographed using only a flashlight, and beside it is the Luna Moth. The Luna Moth decided it didn't want to hide in the dark, as most moths don't, and so it insisted on sitting on a window sill, directly under a small light. I can't show you how it glows, but you get the idea. LOL.



Okay, that's my take on the subject of "In The Dark." Now, go see what the other Robin's have posted for the challenge! Simply click the link at the top of this post, to be redirected to the official Round Robin blog, where you will find the list of participants and all the information you need to play along!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)