Greg Molyneux Photography

Tag: hdr

  • Rolling On

    Rolling On

    14mm sunset photograph over Cedar Run Dock Road salt marsh in mid May. The sky and clouds light up in pink pastel tones as storm clouds roll across the marsh from the western horizon.
    Rolling On — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures

    Folks, it’s been a while. I’d like to send a shoutout to whatever or whomever helped float a mote of motivation across my frontal lobe. However it happened something triggered the following series of seemingly unrelated events: a five mile evening run soundtracked by Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy (Book III: Lesser Evil); followed by mom’s chicken tender face stuffing immediately nullifying said run; followed by a wholly unplanned and long overdue drive out to Dock Road—camera in tow. This moment of spontaneous inspiration proved useful as those storm clouds were rolling and the light show was doing that whole sunset drama thing. It was all happening.

    I have to be honest, though, part of me wondered if I still knew how to do this whole landscape photograph thing. I am happy to report it was like old hat and all that. It felt good to be back. Good to be rolling on. Oh, and the motivation is still going strong as I even edited and posted my shot same day! And yes, as if it wasn’t already painfully obvious, I am a total Star Wars nerd.

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  • Past Glory

    Past Glory

    14mm portrait orientation photograph of a fiery late November sunset over the Cedar Run Dock Road salt marsh. Yellow, orange, and red hues paint the clouds, marsh grass, and still waters, marking a sublime tableau.
    Past Glory — 14mm | f/9 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures

    Here we are, or here I am, anyway, whiling away an unremarkable Friday night in mid-February, cracking a beer or three, looking through old photographs. Overthinking my overthinking. Trying to unwind after another week on the grind. I’ve been sitting on this photograph since November. It’s from the last batch of pictures I made in 2021, and it’s sat in the digital dustbins since. Somehow processed and ready, but sitting on ice. The Lightroom equivalent of all dressed up with nowhere to go, I suppose.

    Somehow this high powered sunset sat on indefinite hold. In a way I am glad. It’s given me something to do this night. I’ve been itching to make photographs these past few weeks, but there’s been a bit of a lull in the natural light show. To wit: hooray for the unposted backlog. All this has me thinking—what other hidden or forgotten gems remain lingering in my hoard? For the longest time I enjoyed the process of making photos and immediately moving on to this next round. A real never look back approach—something entirely anathema to my typical modus operandi. Yet now I’m questioning the current validity to this application. Does it still serve me? What of all the other past glory I’ve let slip through the five hole? Should I revisit the thousands upon thousands of photographs to see what’s hiding in not so plain sight? I honestly do not know, but for tonight I’m sure glad I did.

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  • Winter Turn

    Winter Turn

    14mm winter salt marsh photograph at blue hour. Snow and ice dominate the dormant marsh grasses and tide pools as restorative pastels of pink, blue, and purple paint the whole scene.
    Winter Turn — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures

    Short and quick post this evening. It’s late, been a long day, and I’ve got some maximum couch relaxation to do before calling it Wednesday. First week back at the grind and all that after a much needed end of year break.

    South Jersey saw its first snow Monday. A true South Jersey express. The type of event where the bulk of New Jersey—geographic and raw population—goes about its day without so much as a flake. The southern third of the state saw anywhere from four to 12 inches, with my hometown Manahawkin coming in at about six. It was the perfect end to my two weeks off. I am, if nothing else, a certifiable snow lover, and therefor I am pleased.

    Fast forward to yesterday evening (Tuesday), and I made my way out to see what was doing on the Dock Road salt marsh. I lucked out. The snow and ice formations spanned out to the horizon, with even the tide pools icing over. It’s been a few years since I had this look. As sunset moved into blue hour, the colors painted over pure relaxation atop the wintry scene. It was a long slow burner, too, with this set of seven brackets coming some 25 minutes after sundown. The lesson, folks: Don’t pack up and leave immediately after sunset. More often than not the real goods take time.

    Lucky me, more snow is in the forecast for Thursday overnight into Friday. Another quick hitter event with South Jersey set in the cross hairs. It’s January and that means little more to do than sit back and take in the winter turn in stride.

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  • Be Here Now

    Be Here Now

    14mm wide angle sunset photo made over a browning late fall salt marsh. Cotton candy pastel clouds stretch across the sky in all directions, mirrored in tide pool reflections.
    Be Here Now — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures

    Here’s a little break from the motion blur pan shot motif I’ve been running with of late. A return to the familiar if you will. Tack sharp sunset shots from the salt marsh with loads of unwanted alliteration. The old familiar. Like putting on a well worn pair of jeans everything feels as it should. Comfortable. Familiar. Ready.

    I made this photo on November 7, and as this image suggests the first sunset of daylight standard time was, in a word, lit. 360 degrees of pastel wonder. Cotton candy gossamer stretched across the sky. A big warm blanket ready to welcome you home. The kind of bed canopy you wish you had.

    This is like couch time after a long day of work. And seeing how there’s been long work days a plenty, and I finally got myself a couch, well, you’re stuck with similes like this. But don’t worry, fans of said motion blur pan shots, I made some of those on November 7, too. I will look to have them up and on this here blog in the coming days. In the meantime I do hope you enjoy this precursor to the powerhouse sunset season that is winter.

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  • All I See

    All I See

    14mm wide angle sunset photo made in winter over the dormant Cedar Run Dock Road salt marsh.
    All I See — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures

    All I see is the flat horizon. A flattened span of unfettered possibility. An openness to explore. It is within this expanse infinite paths lie hidden underfoot, below our gaze and in our hearts. How do we find them? Where do we first look? Sure footed confidence will keep us steady and stable atop firm ground, the knowing. While the wayward step finds us mired in muck, faltered and bound, the unknowing. Here we get up, set our eyes upon fired horizons and fan the flame of becoming within. We step up. We step out. The infinite becomes finite and the finite becomes one; and this is all I see.

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  • Sky Floor

    Sky Floor

    14mm wide angle photo of a golden hour mackerel sky reflected over still waters of Stafford Forge Wildlife Management Area.
    Sky Floor — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures

    Motes
    dance upon the sky floor
    shimmering scales of light glittering iridescence
    Lithe as the fish to water gliding gracious

    Essence
    turning she bends the light
    prismatic luster scintillate all senses
    Now you see how time does pass

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  • Let’s Go

    Let’s Go

    14mm wide angle photograph of a fiery sunset burning intense reds, yellows, and orange across the whole of the sky. All reflected by the calm mirror reflection of the Stafford Forge lake.
    Let’s Go — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures

    Two Zero Two One, let’s go. You’ve a very low bar to surpass your predecessor’s legacy of pandemics and problems. We’re counting on you for life and health this year.

    Last year I was well into April before I shared my first photo on this website. A lapse I hope not to soon repeat. This evening’s banger of a sunset made for a smoldering debut and guaranteed such a slump would not happen this year. It was pure fire over the mirror still waters of Stafford Forge’s front lake. Absolute time well spent; 10 out of 10, would do it again. Skies Like This, let’s go.

    What have I been doing lately? Let’s go:

    • Watching: Bridgerton was a fun time; cool spin on a not so rigid period piece. Finished my second Star Wars Rebels rewatch last night. At its best the show is absolute peak Star Wars. It’s an animated series but do not let that fool you—it’s deep and worthwhile with characters you care about. World War II in Colour because my interests are all over the place.
    • Reading (audible-ing?): I finished Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere on my walk today. Having read Good Omens, American Gods, Norse Mythology, and The Sandman before it, I must say Neil sits atop my favorite authors list at this point.
    • Playing: Hades. This rougelite is an outright masterpiece. Easily the best thing I’ve played last year, and that’s saying a lot considering Ori and the Will of the Wisps was phenomenal. I’m over 70 hours into Hades and have made it out of hell 11 times. I cannot get enough. Play Hades!
    • Listening: the Who is getting an absolute workout right now, and I am properly wearing out Quadrophenia front to back, over and over sans jacket cut slim and checked. In fact I am listening as I edited this photograph and wrote this post.

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  • The Gift of Winter

    The Gift of Winter

    14mm wide angle winter sunset photograph reflected over the derelict of Rand's Marina along Great Bay Boulevard Wildlife Management Area. A powerful December sunset smolders with flaming clouds cast in deep orange and red colors making first rate winter sunset intensity.
    The Gift of Winter — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures

    No two sunsets are the same. This we know to be true. Return to the same place over and over again and you’ll be chasing unicorns to hunt down a pure facsimile. It’s best to take each unique moment and capture its joyful light as best you can, while you can. It’s a welcome lesson in the natural function of impermanence. This doppelgänger is impossible to find.

    Tonight, however, I came close. In what I can only describe as the spiritual successor to Ruinous Splendor—changed only by time. Made just over five years apart at near the same exact track of bulkhead I give you the best sunset photograph I have made in five years. Recognizing the subjectivity of such claims I defer gracefully if you disagree in preference to another sunset photograph I have made. These decisions belong to us.

    Winter sunsets, man. In particular winter sunsets heralding oncoming winter weather near always produce. While tomorrow looks to be a nuisance event with rain in southern Ocean County, winter weather will hit New Jersey tomorrow in the form of a weak coastal low. This, of course, is merely an appetizer for a far larger and more powerful system poised to wreak havoc on the entire region Wednesday into Thursday. Jackpot zones will be measuring in feet. Buried cars, bread and milk in short supply. Still over 72 hours out, where the rain/snow line and axis of heaviest precipitation set up remains up in the air. Stay close to Weather NJ’s Facebook page to keep up with the latest. You can bet I’ll be back out shooting Tuesday to see the big storm’s harbinger sunset.

    Shout out to the universe today for giving me exactly what I asked for. This morning, while thinking about my photographs this year, I envisioned how great it would be to have at least one more clear cut entry into my annual best of series for 2020. My output has been solid enough this year, though real standouts have been lacking. Well, my Christmas gift came early. Thank you.

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  • The Winter Look

    The Winter Look

    14mm wide angle HDR sunset photo of a winter sky glowing with deep pastel colored clouds reflected above Cedar Run Dock Road salt marsh.
    The Winter Look — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures

    Tonight burned. Fast and white hot she torched across the whole of the sky. Racing Apollo to his chariot home above the clouds. Phoebus, she calls in pastel tones heard in angelic beauty, our pantheon awaits. A show of pure passion, glowing heat, and lithe quickness. A holy ember blazing light white hot enough to stop time itself, and humble enough to give it all back. Restraint wrapped around the power, a subtle mastery masked only in its wisdom.

    Tonight’s sunset above the salt marsh held the classic winter look. Brooding and intense cloud striations colored in deep, fiery pastels. The cold fans the flames. The furnace burns brighter, truer. The cold clean air of winter sets a crystalline stage producing light shows in nature’s peculiar brand of high definition. Buy this you will never at a big box store. There’s really nothing like it and no Amazon box to ship it in if there were. A unique species unto her own. She’s the afternoon sky fall cloaked in the rainbowed robes of winter. Breathless you watch her leave, eyes transfixed as though you’re only seeing her singular beauty for the first ever time.

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