Organic Light Pan

I hate to “toot my own horn” but I am featured in an online interview at Examiner.com.   Check it out and let me know what you think.

Space is still available in this month’s Maples and Redwoods workshop set in the Santa Cruz Mountains.  Visit lesser frequented canyons and old growth redwood groves and capture Autumn like you may never have seen it before.

'Why?' - Big Leaf Maple in Fall Color

Redwoods Glowing in Afternoon Light

Glowing Maple Leaves on Alpine Creek

For more information and to register visit the Workshop Page on the Organic Light Photography Website.

Congratulations on Eid Al-Fitr! The moon was seen this evening, September 20th 2009, marking Shawwal 1, 1430 and the beginning of Eid Al-Fitr.

Shawwal Crescent, 1430

Eid, as the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him said,  is a day of Eating and Drinking and Remembering God.  So lets!

Congratulations to all who have fasted the Blessed month of Ramadan.  May you all be rewarded to the level of your efforts.

Where The Moon Would Have Been

The crescent moon of Shawwal 1430 was not seen this evening Saturday September 19th.  With that Eid will commence on Monday September 21st. The photo above is the portion of the sky where the crescent would have been had it been visible.

I extend my wishes for a wonderful Eid Al-Fitr to all.  May it be a day of eating and drinking and Remembering your Lord.

Venus and the old crescent moon.

When I was young I would sit out on the front porch of our house at night with my mother, God rest her soul and have mercy on her, which faced east and some times we would see the moon very close to a star.  I would ask my mother about it and she would tell me that that star was the moon’s mother and when the moon was close to it, the moon was visiting its mother.  That story always made me feel close to my mother.  I still recall those days whenever I see the moon close to a prominent star in the sky.

Two mornings ago, I stepped out of my front door, which faces south, and I looked towards the east to estimate how many more days we had left in Ramadan by gauging the size of the crescent moon.  To my surprise it was very close to Venus, the start shown above.  The sky was getting light and I was moved to photograph this pair as they visited each other in the morning sky.

I happend to look to the south and also saw the constellaton Orion, or Musa according to the Muslim Astronomers naming, and its distinctive belt of three stars that I grew up know as The Three Sisters, again named by my mother.

Three Sisters

It has always amazed me how universal the stars are and at the same time how ‘culturalized’ they are at the same time.  Growing up I knew Venus as the Mother of the Moon, and the Belt of Orion as the Three Sisters.  Every cultural or civilization has named the stars by different names and some have crossed over to other cultures.  Of the 57 navigational stars some 18 of them still have Arab names give by the Muslim Astronomers during the Golden Age of Islam.  The list of these stars can be found on Wikipedia at this link.

In a few days the month of Ramadan will have passed and the new crescent moon will make its appearance in the western sky after sunset.  And even though time keeps moving on, the stars, moon and sun will still be there to help us keep track of time and grow richer as they bridge the gaps of culture and the ages.

Did you have any special names for the stars when you were growing up?  I’d love to hear what they were.

Blood From A Stone (Artistic Rendition)

I don’t like complaining.  It never really brings about any change and it only tends to bring negativity to all involved.  However, sometimes things need to be said to wake everyone up.  I don’t think what I am saying is new, as we are all feeling the effects of the current state of the economy.  Everyone is spending less, and overall I think that is a prudent course.  Spending irresponsibly is partly to blame for our current state.  Being frugal is always prudent.

At the same time, we do not want to become stingy, Continue Reading »

Now available from Organic Light Press – Custom Fine Art Posters.  These posters are printed to the same exacting quality as the Fine Art Photographs using archival Epson K3 pigments and printed on a high quality satin finish poster paper.  These custom posters offer quality, longevity, resolution, and cost that is unrivaled by ordinary offset printed posters.  They are 18 x 24″ or 20 x 24″ in size depending on the image format and are shipped rolled in a sturdy tube and arrive ready for framing or hanging.  The are $25 each.  Visit the Organic Light Photography website’s Press page to order your set of 4 today!

After The Rain

Another Time

Autumn Meadow

Last Light