View allAll Photos Tagged sky_capture
This was the first time I’d ever seen—let alone photographed—such extraordinary clouds. They’re officially known as Mammatus clouds. The perspective in the photo is accurate; the image wasn’t tilted. It was a massive formation spanning much of the sky. Captured in Panciu, Romania, on June 5th, 2025.
This was taken from the window of an airplane as we were flying to Atlanta. I used my little Fujifilm camera, but manually set the exposure to match what I was seeing. Using Automatic would have made it way too light. I did use the "sunset" setting, but lowered the exposure time.
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Duffus Castle, near Elgin, Moray, Scotland, was a motte-and-bailey castle and was in use from c.1140 to 1705. During its occupation it underwent many alterations. The most fundamental was the destruction of the original wooden structure and its replacement with one of stone. At the time of its establishment, it was one of the most secure fortifications in Scotland. At the death of the 2nd Lord Duffus in 1705, the castle had become totally unsuitable as a dwelling and so was abandoned.
Kinloss Abbey is a Cistercian abbey at Kinloss in the county of Moray, Scotland.
The abbey was founded in 1150 by King David I and was first colonised by monks from Melrose Abbey. It received its Papal Bull from Pope Alexander III in 1174, and later came under the protection of the Bishop of Moray in 1187. The abbey went on to become one of the largest and wealthiest religious houses in Scotland, receiving the valuable salmon fishing rights on the River Findhorn from Robert the Bruce in 1312, subsequently renewed by James I and James IV.
During its history the abbey has received many royal visitors, including Edward I in 1303, Edward III in 1336 and Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1562. The most renowned of the 24 abbots the monastery had was Robert Reid. Reid introduced organised education, erecting a new library and other buildings at the abbey. He became Bishop of Orkney in 1541 and, following his death, became the founder and benefactor of the University of Edinburgh with funds from his estate. The abbey and it's lands were part of the Barony of Muirton and the Lordship of Kinloss at various times.
Few of the monastic buildings remain standing today. The remains of the abbey are now situated within a graveyard owned by the local authority, and are therefore accessible at all times. They are designated a scheduled ancient monument.
Purchased a new ultra-wide prime lens (the Rokinon 14mm f2.8) and was putting it to some tests. Gives quite the field of view here under this large tree. This is one tree that has three trunks coming off one large base. Impressive to walk under. Wanted to test the lens here at f/16 to see how crisp things are and DOF. Overall very impressive.
Hoping to use this 14mm lens for some night sky captures this summer out west ... and in some of the slot canyons. Thinking the extra wide field of view will come in handy there, and the f/2.8 will give an extra stop of light for the nighttime captures.
The sharpness to the edges here is quite impressive.
As this is a manual lens, the aperture and focal length data do not come over in the EXIF.
The path to the storm, the different gradient of the sky captures the beginnings of a storm brewing.
During our evening escapade to indulge in the delights of Teppanyaki, my attention was abruptly seized by a mesmerizing sight, compelling me to pause in awe. Above the Fuji Broadcasting Center, known as FCG Building, the sky transformed into a magnificent canvas, ablaze with a breathtaking palette of colors, showcasing nature's artistic prowess.
Setting out from our hotel, my senses immediately stirred as I became aware of the vibrant hues adorning the heavens. Time seemed to suspend as I retraced my steps, hastening to retrieve my camera, determined to seize the fleeting brilliance that gracefully danced across the city skyline. These vivid hues, painting the sky in an enchanting fusion of oranges, purples, and blues, held sway for a precious few minutes before transitioning into muted tones.
Designed by the visionary architect Kenzo Tange, FCG Building stands as an architectural marvel. Its iconic "HACHITAMA" Spherical Observation Room offers panoramic vistas of Tokyo's waterfront, a revered spot to behold the sprawling beauty of the city. Yet, on this extraordinary occasion, bathed in ethereal light and radiant colors, FCG Building assumed an even greater honor—it became an inspired muse, a testament to architectural brilliance amidst nature's celestial spectacle.
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Ancient limestone pillars rise from wind‑sculpted golden sand at Nambung National Park’s Pinnacles Desert. Long shadows stretch across rippled dunes as scrubby native vegetation frames a surreal landscape forged over millennia. The stark contrast of ochre rock and brilliant blue sky captures both the remoteness and fragile beauty of Western Australia’s outback, inviting slow exploration and quiet wonder.
Venus can be seen here rising in the early evening skies above Blydenburgh Park. Our sister planet was at its brightest this year on December 6th, and has recently been a fixture (around sunset) in our southwestern skies.
Captured in Blydenburgh Park, Smithtown, NY.
HDR image constructed from 3 bracketed shots - 2 stop differential between each image.
Images processed w/ Photomatix, and finished in Photoshop -- including the use of Topaz lab plugins and filters.
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This captivating image showcases the enchanting interplay of light and shadow during the golden hour in Los Gatos. The photograph is dominated by a dramatic cloudscape, with billowing cumulus clouds illuminated in warm, golden hues against a serene blue sky. In the foreground, the silhouettes of diverse vegetation create a striking contrast, adding depth and local character to the scene. A lone palm tree stands tall on the left, its fronds clearly defined against the luminous sky. Pine trees and other foliage frame the right side and bottom of the image, their dark outlines emphasizing the radiant backdrop. This stunning juxtaposition of California's iconic palm trees with the cloud-kissed sky captures the unique beauty of Los Gatos' natural landscape, inviting viewers to pause and appreciate the ephemeral magic of sunset in this charming Bay Area town.
A flying bird at the backdrop of dramatic sky. Captured from 3rd floor roof. It was flying quite low.
he castle is situated on the Laich of Moray, a fertile plain that was once the swampy foreshore of Spynie Loch. This was originally a more defensive position than it appears today, long after the loch was drained.
The motte is a huge man-made mound, with steep sides and a wide ditch separating it from the bailey. The whole site is enclosed by a water-filled ditch, which is more a mark of its boundary than it is a serious defensive measure.
Duffus Castle was built by a Flemish man named Freskin, who came to Scotland in the first half of the 1100s. After an uprising by the ‘men of Moray’ against David I in 1130, the king sent Freskin north as a representative of royal authority.
He was given the estate of Duffus, and here he built an earthwork-and-timber castle. Freskin’s son William adopted the title of ‘de Moravia’ – of Moray. By 1200, the family had become the most influential noble family in northern Scotland, giving rise to the earls of Sutherland and Clan Murray.
In about 1270, the castle passed to Sir Reginald Cheyne the Elder, Lord of Inverugie. He probably built the square stone keep on top of the motte, and the curtain wall encircling the bailey. In 1305, the invading King Edward I of England gave him a grant of 200 oaks from the royal forests of Darnaway and Longmorn, which were probably used for the castle’s floors and roofs.
By 1350, the castle had passed to a younger son of the Earl of Sutherland through marriage. It may have been then that the keep was abandoned, possibly because it was beginning to slip down the mound, and a new residence established at the north of the bailey.
Viscount Dundee, leader of the first Jacobite Rising, dined in the castle as a guest of James, Lord Duffus in 1689, prior to his victory against King William II’s government forces at Killiecrankie. Soon after, Lord Duffus moved to the nearby Duffus House. The castle quickly fell into decay.
Pink flowers growing from a tree arc towards the sky in front of decorative eaves and a blue sky. Captured March 2023 in Bremen, Germany in front of Meierei restaurant in Bürgerpark.
Duffus Castle, near Elgin, Moray, Scotland, was a motte-and-bailey castle and was in use from c.1140 to 1705. During its occupation it underwent many alterations. The most fundamental was the destruction of the original wooden structure and its replacement with one of stone. At the time of its establishment, it was one of the most secure fortifications in Scotland. At the death of the 2nd Lord Duffus in 1705, the castle had become totally unsuitable as a dwelling and so was abandoned.
The eider is the UK's heaviest duck and its fastest flying. It is a true seaduck, rarely found away from coasts where its dependence on coastal molluscs for food has brought it into conflict with mussel farmers. Eiders are highly gregarious and usually stay close inshore, riding the swell in a sandy bay or strung out in long lines out beyond the breaking waves. It is an Amber List species because of its winter concentrations. These pictured are annual visitors to Burghead harbour, Moray.
So after taking the landscape plunge last summer with the low cost $299 Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 lens mainly for night sky images, I was really struck how nice the wider view worked for many of the scenes out west. Also enjoyed it recently with the night sky captures in West Virginia.
I did have issues though with the quality of the 14mm lens. While sharp in the center, even at f/8 the corners and edges (about 1/6 of the frame) was not sharp at all. So I have been researching other 14mm primes to upgrade. I was really close to getting the Canon 14mm f/2.8, even had it ordered and shipped, but decided to cancel and research a little more (that Canon lens is not cheap).
I looked closely at the reviews of the Sigma 14mm f/1.8, and found that many felt it was as sharp as the Canon … though slightly less than a true 14mm (more like 14.8mm). Costing nearly half as much as the Canon, and 1.3 stops more of light, I ended up getting the Sigma Lens. I arrived yesterday, and after a long day at work I was still excited to play and test it into the evening for about three hours. Really checked it for sharpness at all aperture settings. The results really blew me away.
At f/8 to f/16, I found no flaws in sharpness anywhere in the frame (sharp to the corners and edges). In fact, the results even at f/4 at the corners was hands down 10 times better than the corners with my Canon 17/40mm lens at f/8 and 17mm.
As you get it down to f/1.8 though, the sharpness in the corners at infinity focus gets pretty bokehed (I think I made that word up). But playing with the live view and focusing minor adjustments, I was able to get a slight modification to the focus point at f/1.8 where the sharpness to the corners was nearly as good as in the center … SO VERY IMPRESSIVE. For night time captures where I will be using it at f/1.8, I think it will be super results.
Thinking this may soon by my staple landscape lens (getting the 150mm filters and adapter ring as well) so I can be as creative with it as I have been with the 17/40. Having both of these landscape lenses will really be nice … the 17/40 will be real handy when in the rain, and also at the beach with ocean spray. Finding a way to keep falling rain off of the open curved 14mm lens will be hard I think … unless I can make an umbrella adapter or get Mrs. Krach to hold an umbrella for me ;)
The image here was taken today while at lunch at work … 101 degrees F Summer Day … really liking the f/16 sun burst / star created with the new lens to. It is really pretty I think.