Greg Molyneux Photography

Tag: weather

  • Today some snow happened

    Light snow falls on an empty roadway marked only by a lone set of tire tracks. Flanking the road are guardrails and pine trees to either side of this black and white photograph.
    Today some snow happened — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 800 | EXP 1/30

    Up until about 4 hours it was hardly the season for snow lovers. Not for those of us living in New Jersey, anyway. But with today’s Clipper and the threat of this weekend’s Nor’easter, times they are a changing. Being a photographer and a snow lover, stopping to take pictures on my way to dinner seemed the only sensible thing to do.

    I went toward my usual Dock Road jaunt but turned off onto Mayetta Landing Road just before things open up onto the marsh. There lie one single pair of tire tracks perfectly marking the road ahead. I quickly parked in the shoulder, threw on the hazards, and jogged off into position. With ISO set to auto and snow messing up my lens, I fired off a single handheld exposure and produced what would become the picture above.

    Here’s to more (and better!) snow photos coming in the days and weeks ahead.

  • The purpling storm

    The purpling storm

    Long exposure lightning photography taken from Cedar Run Dock Road. Cloud to cloud lightning ignites the sky in an electrified purple glow.
    The purpling storm — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 800 | EXP 30 sec

    With Summer winding down last night offered what may turn out to be a last chance storm chasing session for the season—not that I’ve had any storm chasing sessions this season, but I digress…

    As the clock passed 10 with a line of thunderstorms approaching, I had the opportunity to head out to Dock Road to take some photographs. I went out with a buddy (storm chasing is much better with a friend) and set up ye olde trusty tripod facing toward the south. With lightning firing 360 degrees around us it didn’t take long for the spookiness to set in. Maybe it’s just me, but it’s a bit scary holding a metal object in the middle of a marsh plain surrounded by storms.

    As we were out of the car shooting from the road’s shoulder, nervous about all the electricity, we began negotiating how minutes we had before we absolutely had to bail and get back in the car. As we were down to about two minutes left, with cloud to cloud lightning crackling all around, we heard the loud drone of what sounded like a boat. Get the hell out of here, we thought. But sure enough, there it was, a small outboard motoring down the marsh, racing to get back to dock. As bugged out as we were, I can’t imagine what those steaming in on the water were thinking. Oh, and the boat had no light’s either, so there’s that.

  • Watching the sky unfold

    An HDR photograph taken at sunset from Rand's on Great Bay Boulevard featuring an imposing cloud deck backing in off the ocean awash in pinks and purples from the just departed sun.
    Watching the sky unfold — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | 7 Bracketed Exposures

    It’s not my wish to distract too much attention from this photograph with words, but wow. Just when tonight’s sunset seemed it would fizzle a light show exploded upon the imposing cloud deck that was back-building off the ocean. I had an entirely different shot dialed in—one facing toward the setting sun. And as much as I liked said composition it became impossible to ignore the drama happening off to the south and east. Knowing I’d be short on light, I composed a frame from the same spot and began bracketing.

    Considering there was such a sky show, I’d have liked to be over the flat marsh without any obstruction, bringing all the focus to the intricate pastel washed cloud patterns. But I had to work with what I had. I’m still pretty pleased for working in a pinch, and I’m very pleased I was out shooting tonight and able to bear witness.

  • And Suddenly you Find Yourself

    And Suddenly you Find Yourself

    A photograph of late day sunlight pierces a snow covered wooded trail meandering through the thicket.
    And Suddenly you Find Yourself — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/160

    I love snow—there’s just no other way to say it. Now that photography has emerged as my latest passion I’ll look to bring together snow and shooting as often as nature allows.

    Two weeks ago, while exploring the trail at the Ballanger Creek Habitat Enhancement Site with friends, the unsullied trail was coming alive with the fading of the afternoon sun. As I came around one final bend, I stopped short, crouched down, and knew I found my shot.

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  • South-facing

    South-facing

    Storm clouds roll in over southern New Jersey marshland
    South-facing — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/100

    Taken back in late June 2013, thunderstorms rolled across the coastal plain that flank Dock Road on its north and south side. The light play interacting with heavy rainfall underneath the granite etched clouds had my heart running with excitement. I knew I was coming home with something good.