I took a few shots of the lunar eclipse of January 31, 2018 and put them together as a flip-book. When photographing the eclipse, I had to adjust the camera position in between to still be able to capture the Moon and there were also way too many clouds… And I do prefer lunar eclipses in summer ❄, but I enjoyed photographing it anyways. Hope you’ll enjoy the flip-book, too.
At the dawn of day, the latest lunar eclipse slowly says good-bye. I am glad that after getting up rather early, the clouds allowed me at least a few shots! This one is my favorite so far. During the partial phase of the eclipse, morning gradually breaks and sets a blue background for the spectacle.
During a lunar eclipse, a full moon travels through the Earth’s shadow so that Earth blocks any direct sunlight from illuminating the Moon. As there is still enough refracted sunlight to dimly illuminate the Moon and as small molecules present in Earth’s atmosphere scattered this light, the Moon appears reddish to us. Which is why a lunar eclipse is also called a Blood Moon. While lunar eclipses can be enjoyed more often than solar eclipses at any individual point on Earth, they do not happen every full moon.
This particular lunar eclipse occurred during the second full moon of January 2018 and a second full moon in one month is called Blue Moon. A Blue Moon is rare and only occurs every two to three years. In 2018, there will be another Blue Moon in March, which only happens about three to five times a century.
And this full moon was also almost a Supermoon. As the Moon’s orbit around Earth is slightly elliptical, the Moon is sometimes closer to Earth and sometimes farther away. When it is closer to Earth, is seems bigger and brighter and is called a Supermoon. January’s first full moon was a Supermoon and this full moon still looked bigger than an average full moon.
“… shops on either side, can human industry or ingenuity go farther? Ah, human felicity! to have at once so many wants suggested and supplied! Wretched Grecian daughters! miserable Roman matrons! to whom shopping was an unknown pleasure, what did, what could employ them? Harm, no doubt; for ‘Satan finds mischief still for idle hands to do.’ But, without that grand resource, how they got through the four-and-twenty hours, like the man with the iron mask, remains a mystery.”
Letitia Elizabeth Landon, Romance and Reality, 1831, Volume 1, Chapter X
Proudly announcing that phase one of the by GG – Fine Art Photography Shop is now online: At Artsies by GG you find your favorite Skies by Gabriele Golissa™ photograph as an accessory or a keepsake. So far you can choose between greeting cards, Galaxy and iPhone cases, and tote bags with some of my most cherished Skies. For open edition photographs you will also find various print options in different sizes; for limited edition photographs I offer small prints (8 x 6 in) on different surfaces. Should you prefer your prints framed, you can also choose between different framing alternatives. So take a look right here!
I am planning on selling limited edition prints from my website again some time soon. Check back later for that, before any mischief happens 🙂
“Some call me nature, others call me Mother Nature. (…) How you choose to live each day, whether you regard or disregard me, doesn’t really matter to me. One way or the other, your actions will determine your fate, not mine. I am Nature. I will go on. I am prepared to evolve. Are you?”
Julia Roberts, Nature is Speaking: Mother Nature, Conservation International
The above short clip shows wildfire smoke obscuring the sky and making nearby hills disappear. While this year’s wildfire season in the western US is not over yet, a lot of people have already had to breathe very bad air. Itching eyes, difficulty breathing, a sore throat, or coughing were some of the short-term effects many usually healthy people felt. It was harder on children, the elderly, or on people who already suffered from other diseases like asthma or heart disease. And what will be the long-term effects?
And there are more questions. What will be next year? Will there be another bad wildfire season? Should we just move away? Where to? Tornado alley? The flooded South? And maybe most importantly: Now that more and more people experience the effects of climate change and global warming first hand, will we be willing to change some of our habits and also push for a change in policies?
Unfortunately, whatever we do will not immediately change the situation. We will probably have to suffer from our past and present sins some time into the future. But I would like to believe it is not too late yet to change for the better. Not too late for us as a species I mean, not for Nature.
The Midwest Book Review (MBR), established in 1976, just published a review for Skies/Himmel. They very highly recommend it! But read for yourselves:
“Comprised from cover to cover of wonderful photographs of skies in almost every color, ”Skies/Himmel” reveals where the colors of the skies come from. Of special note is how “Skies/Himmel” will inspire interior design ideas for the home or apartment. (…) A unique and original volume of inherently fascinating visuals, “Skies/Himmel” is very highly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Contemporary Photography collections.”
—Midwest Book Review
I feel honored. And my hearty thanks to the people at MBR!
