Monday, January 12, 2009

All the Night's Magic

"And all the night's magic seems to whisper and hush. And all the soft moonlight seems to shine in your blush"

The above lyrics are from the song Moondance by Van Morrison. It ran through my head the other night as I walked around the lake, full moon up above. The sky was cloudy, but there were clear patches and every so often the moon would come into focus. Below are a few photos taken around the nearby park paths and pond. Please remember to click to enlarge the photos.




The fresh-fallen snow helped to reflect the light. This light source is a nearby lamp post. I just like this tree and photograph it fairly often. (please click to enlarge)




Moon and clouds worked together to tease and delight. (please click to enlarge)




High above the pond, the moon made a brief appearance before disappearing to await the approaching blue sky. (please click to enlarge)




As the wispy clouds threaded their way across the sky, the misty moon peeked through the branches of the trees below. (please click to enlarge)




A lovely golden orb balanced on delicate tree fingers. (please click to enlarge)




There were times I felt that I could reach out and touch it. (please click to enlarge)




Along the tree-lined path, I was interested in capturing the moon's light, but discovered that lights from the homes across the pond were perfectly lined up to appear at the left of each tree. (please click to enlarge)




As my walk neared to a finish, I paused to watch the geese swimming in the amber light of the lamp post. (please click to enlarge)


It was a marvelous night for a moondance.

75 comments:

Shravan RN said...

i loved the first and fifth pic.and you are given a blog roll on obnoxious mind.

www.obnoxiousmind.blogspot.com

Jo said...

Hilary, I love coming to your blog and looking at your wonderful photographs. I always feel as if I could step right into them. I don't know how you do it, but you take the best photographs in the blogosphere. Love that moon!

Nancy said...

Beautiful, just beautiful! Thank you. I love "Moondance" by Van Morrison, too.

Dave said...

What wonderful mystic evening photos Hilary! Looks like you caught the perigee moon. Well done. I never as it was cloudy and raining Saturday and Sunday nights. Grr! - Dave

Eaton Bennett aka Berenice Albrecht said...

I keep coming back to check and see what delightful photos you have posted. These do not disappoint, just the opposite. I like #2,#6 and #8 very much. #8 I love the orange light shimmering on the water...beautiful. :)

NJ said...

Hilary, the moon has been so spectaular the last few nights. I noticed it even lit up the floor in my house where it spilled through the skylights. You've encouraged me to try taking my own night photographs next time the moon is so fantastic.

Zuzana said...

Aaah, Hilary, you have SNOW! How wonderful; it is just the right amount. Just enough to make the whole landscape fairytale like, without making it impossible to walk and drive.
I love the photographs with the moon behind the trees, it is inspiring me to paint, actually. Very intriguing to a moon lover, such as myself. The moon was full a few days ago, and the Danes that were up in the early hours of the morning, could gaze at the "fat full moon", as it is called here. A full moon, enlarged by the atmosphere, as it was lying so low in the horizon.

steviewren said...

You've taken beautiful pictures of the moon. I've tried. My camera won't cooperate.

Andrea said...

You captured the moon so beautifully! I felt like I was walking along with you. :) I'm still trying to master night photography. Thank you so much for sharing. :)

Jinksy said...

I wish I could gather all your beautiful images and paste them inside my mind like in an album, so's I could revel in them again and again, along with their explanations, of course. Sheer magic.

Mental P Mama said...

That last shot takes my breath away. Actually, they all do, but that last one....

wenndee said...

Hello Hilary =) I just love the pictures that you have taken. Though there aren't such place in my country. It seems like l can enjoy the peace if I am able to go there =)

the Bag Lady said...

Excellent, as always, Hilary! I love the last one - it's simply gorgeous. (and how come the moon cooperates so well with you?)

Leah J. Utas said...

Full moon through the trees. Beautiful.

Phyllis E said...

Hi Cuzzie!

Such a treat to be able to see you pics in "real time"

Warm hugs,

Cuzzie P

Frank Baron said...

And a fantabulous time to make romance, I'll betcha. (Once indoors again, of course.)

Lovely shots Hil. I'm smitten with 'em. :)

Indrani said...

A walk in the night... how romantic!
Lovely night shots, all the shots are clear and very pleasing.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful shots! I would think I had a favorite and then scroll down to the next one to find it replaced with a new favorite. I could hear the snow crunching beneath our feet as we walked along. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Keep the pics coming and I'll be on a plane back to Canada in no time. :) It's beautiful there. We definitely don't get much snow here in Texas- I'm jealous. Your blog is a break from reality- thank you.

Daryl said...

what a marvelous night for a moon dance ... and those photos .. superb!

TheDaughterOfTyr said...

Amazing images as always!

mansuetude said...

Listening to Van Morisson right now, and love the mood you set... we've been gazing at the moon all our lives...humanity, i mean.

Tink said...

I love night pictures. There's something magical about them. I can never get them to come out clearly like yours though. Beautifully done!

Happy Delurking Day!

lime said...

those are gorgeous images. it's amazing how bright it is on a full moon night when there is snow on the ground! i love the one where the moon is on the trees fingertips.

Gary's third pottery blog said...

Oh I know! Full moon this week on a clear night, yeow!

Clowncar said...

Lovely pictures. Lovely full moon this weekend. I took some pictures but couldn't do it justice. So I came here because I new you would.

carmilevy said...

I kept looking for the moon this weekend. The headlines said it was the brightest full moon of the year because the moon was at its closest to Earth. Every time I went out, I was disappointed because of the thick cloud.

Thank you for making sure I didn't miss the show. These are magical.

Andrea said...

Thanks for you lovely comment! Yes...Elora is named for the gorge and the town...it's a favorite stomping ground in the summer. :)

Michele said...

Oh wow... such magical scenes.. I am in awe of these beautiful photos!.. The ambiance and lighting is just amazing!
So delightful!
~Michele~
Mountain Retreat

Hilary said...

• Thanks Shravan. I'm glad you liked the photos. Thanks for dropping by.

• Thanks very kindly, Jo. You make me blush.. but do continue... ;) Truly, I'm very flattered. And I'm thrilled for you that you've been listed on Blogs of Note the other day too. I know I'm in great company! :)

• Thank you, Lover of Life. I'm glad you enjoyed the photos and my song choice. :)

• Thanks very much, Dave. I wished it hadn't been so cloudy, but maybe that added to the "mystic" and I also wished I hadn't had a Jack Russell Terrier yanking me around from the other end of his leash but maybe that added to the challenge. It's too bad you weren't able to get clear skies in NZ. I know that frustration. It seems it's always cloudy here when there are meteor showers. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Thanks very kindly, Eaton. I don't post as often as others.. usually about once every five days, so I thank you for coming back to check on my blog and I totally appreciate your kind words. :)

• Thanks very much, NJ. Night shots are tricky and I often get more frustrated than pleased. But every now and then... Keep working at it. And please do share what you capture. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Thank you, Protege. A "fat, full moon" sounds just lovely. Those are sights that can take your breath away. I'd love to see your paintings some time. Maybe you'll be posting some on your blog... Thanks so much for your always-kind words. :)

• Thanks, Steviewren. It will cooperate if you mess with aperture, shutter speed and ISO. And if you have a very steady hand or better still a tripod. I wasn't able to get ANY moon shots the first few times I tried but then started to read about how. That was last year for the lunar eclipse actually and I managed a few decent shots at various stages. It's still tricky.. but doable. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Thanks, Andrea. I'm still trying to master it too.. it's going to take a while, but I'm having fun with it in the meantime. Thanks very much for your kind words. :)

• Thanks very much, Jinsky. That's a lovely thing to say. Very much appreciated. :)

• Thanks so much, MPM. I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for the visit. :)

• Thank you, Wenndee. I'm glad you like the photos and that they can bring you peace. That's a lovely compliment. Much appreciated. :)

• Thanks very much, Baggie. It cooperates because it knows that I can outmoon it. ;)

• Thanks very much, Leah. :)

• Thanks, Cuzzie Phyl. I'm glad you have a faster loading time in the South. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Thanks, Frank. One would think you're a tad familiar with Van's lyrics. And yes, it was. ;) Thanks muchly. :)

• Thanks very much, Indrani. I'm glad you like them. :)

• Thank you, Sizzie. Your kind words are very much appreciated. And you're right about the crunch. It's about to get even crunchier as the temperatures are supposed to drop over the next few days. Thanks for the visit. :)

• Thanks very kindly, E. I'm sure that Texas offers much that you can't find here. And whatever you can find here, it's still bigger there. ;) Thanks for stopping by with your very kind words. :)

• Thank you, Daryl. I'm glad you enjoyed the shots and the music. :)

• Thanks Meagan. Much appreciated. :)

• Thanks very much, Masuetude. You're right about moon-gazing. It's an old reliable. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Thanks so much, Tink. They are tricky, and you need the right conditions.. or at least I do. They're fun when they do turn out. Thanks for delurking.. as if you lurk. ;)

• Thanks very much, Lime. The snow absolutely helps to bring more light into the photos. Thanks so much for the kind words. :)

• Gary, I'll bet Penny taught you to howl like that.. "Yeow!" ;)

• Thanks so much, Clowncar. That's an awfully kind vote of confidence. I'm glad I didn't let you down. :)

• Thanks very much, Carmi. I'm glad you could enjoy the full moon through my photos. I got very lucky. There weren't many patches of clear sky but I think I was out there at just the right time. Thanks for stopping by with your always-kind words. :)

• Thanks for letting me know, Andrea. I guessed right! :)

• Thanks so kindly, Michele. That means so much to me coming from you. :)

Russell said...

Very, very nice images. I love the little lights and the tree lined path a lot.

You did a great job of photographing the moon. It is very hard to do. I have learned that taking any image at night - even with a light source - is pretty tricky business.

I always like nights like this when there is a full moon and some clouds. Makes me think of Halloween....

Take care.

Anonymous said...

Loved the lyrics! Perfect for your magical place pictures!

Anonymous said...

Moonlight and snow just make a perfect picture pair. Wonderful captures! :)

Unknown said...

Wonderful Pictures thanks for sharing I'm glad I stopped by

photowannabe said...

You have done it again! Magical Moondance artistry Hilary. The pictures make me feel like I should tiptoe around them.

Unknown said...

these are beautiful. they are so haunting. I love the grain.

Eaton Bennett aka Berenice Albrecht said...

Hilary, glad you liked the pics of the Red Gum flowers...that blog is supposed to be purely a tester, but somehow I must have missed the click that makes it private. I got a surprise and a chuckle to find your comment. :)

Tabor said...

Since you are a blogger of note I decided to stop by and was greeted by such lovely photos that I will visit again. I love the cold of the moon in winter.

Sergei Kolobashkin said...

That's some great shots!

david mcmahon said...

Van Morrison would have been so proud.

Sid said...

Great Pictures!

Shammickite said...

I haven't tried taking many shots at night, will have to give it a go. But perhaps my little point'n'shoot Nikon may not be suitable for the job.
Love those walking in the park at night pictures.
Michael Buble recorded that song too... in fact we sang it in our annual variety show a couple of years ago.
Snowing again today.... get the shovel ready!

Suldog said...

Even your pictures of cold places have their own internal warmth. Very lovely.

Reb said...

Stunning as always Hilary! I love the moon through the trees.

HeatherPride said...

Van Morrison is great - I love the pics to go with the song!

Travis Erwin said...

Beautiful shots as always, but what is really beautiful is the way all of my blog friends, yourself included came together on mine and my family's behalf this past week. I want to thank you for your part in making what has been a tough ordeal much easier. Without friends such as yourself this past week would have been twice as hard.

Kate said...

I like your blog! Please check mine out, it's a funny look at the life of a teacher who is also a first time, stressed out mom to a growing boy. A unique look into friends, family, and parenting.

http://hankehouse.blogspot.com/

Hilary said...

• Thanks, Russell. It is tricky business, and I continue to struggle with getting a shot that isn't too blurry. I had decent conditions that night with the full moon reflecting off of the snow. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Thanks very kindly, MT. :)

• Thanks very much, Seamus. I'm glad you liked it. :)

• Thanks you, April. I'm glad you did too. Please come back soon. :)

• Thanks so much, Sue. That means a lot to me. :)

• Thanks kindly, Chessa. Much appreciated. :)

• Eaton, I kind of thought it was meant to go unseen, but it popped into my reader and I figured I'd let you know how pretty those pics were. I'm glad it gave you a laugh. :)

• Welcome, Tabor. And thanks for the very kind words. I'm glad you dropped by and look forward to seeing you here again. :)

• Thank you, Entourage. Much appreciated. :)

• Thanks, David. Good to see you back in circulation. :)

• Thanks very much, Sid. :)

• Thanks, Shammie. I'll bet you had great fun singing it for your show. I did my share of shoveling today, It was mild at the time (at freezing) but now I'm watching the temperature drop to real nasty numbers. Hurry spring!

• Thanks very kindly, Sully. You always say the nicest things. :)

• Thanks very much, Reb. Much appreciated. :)

• Thanks, Heather. It seemed like a natural pairing. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Thanks, Travis. And it was our pleasure to be able to help a friend in a time of need. I'm glad the support of this great community was a help to you. Wishing you nothing but good things from here on in.

• Thanks, Kate. I did... I guess you know that by now. :)

Jenn Jilks said...

I have a favourite tree, too!
Moon shots are tricky - nice work! This one took me several goes and a tripod!

Rain Blanken said...

Hey Hilary.

You just managed to make me feel very very very *cold* on my couch under a blanket. Loving the moonlit trees!

Ancient said...

I really love all of your photo's, they are all just amazing. When I first came to your page, I was really amazed at the quality of them and the beauty that was captured in the photo's. I loved the 3rd, 5th and sixth photo's the most!

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous, Hilary, as always.

Ed said...

Very nice images, I liked the Last one with the table and reflecting light the best.
Stay warm up there...

Angie Ledbetter said...

3 & 5 are my favs. These are great!

Anonymous said...

Hilary, I love it when you combine lyrics and poetry with your photographs. Wonderfully beautiful as always. :)

Country Girl said...

Oh, I love so many of these, especially the shots of the moon. I hummed Van the Man's song all the way through reading. And life was good.

JC said...

Beautiful series of pictures. Thanks.

Amanda said...

I absolutely loved these imaged, espeically the ones of the moon shining from between the branches of the tree. There are few things more haunting and beautiful than a winter night. And that song by Van Morrison is one of my favorites!

~Amanda
http://onehappypanda.blogspot.com

RiverPoet said...

Aye, Aye, Aye! I've been trying to stop and leave a comment all day!

Love the pictures, love Van Morrison, love your blog :-)

Peace - D

Megan Coyle said...

what lovely photos :) the word imagery of using the phrase "tree fingers" was fantastic. I really enjoyed the beautiful combination of moon pictures and lovely words.

Sandi McBride said...

You know Hilary, I'd love to see these same spots in Spring, same time of day..then Summer..then Fall..I think it would be lovely
Sandi

Tessa said...

I do agree with Sandi! What fun it would be to see the same shots in all seasons. You are a marvellous photographer with a perfect 'eye' for your art.

Group blogger & Seerat Basir said...

great post , intrasting photos and kind words.

Sandi McBride said...

Congratulations on the Post of the Day mention, Hilary! Well earned!
Sandi

Hilary said...

* Thanks for stopping by, Jennifer. You have some very lovely photos on that page, from a very beautiful part of Ontario. Thanks for dropping by and sharing. :)

* Try to warm up, rain. We're in a deep freeze here at the moment. Perhaps my next photos will require an extra blankie. Thanks for coming by. :)

* Thanks very much for the kind words, Ancient. I'm glad you liked them and hope you'll be back again soon. :)

* Thanks kindly, Sandra. :)

* Thank you, Ed. I'm glad you enjoyed these shots. Your kind words do a lot to help me keep warm during this deep freeze. :

* Thanks, Angie. Much appreciated. :)

* Thank you, KC. I tend to do that when I have nothing much to say.. so pretty often. ;) Thanks for the kind words. :)

* Thanks so much, Kate. I figured I'd better chose a good song/singer if it's going to running through people's heads. Thanks for the visit. :)

* Thank you, JC. Much appreciated. :)

* Thanks so much, Amanda. I'm glad the photo/song combination worked for you. Thanks very much for your kind words. :)

* Aye, Aye, Doris. I'm always glad when you stop by. Thanks always for your kind words. :)

* Thanks very much, Megan. I'm glad you enjoyed the photos and song choice. I'm glad you stopped by and hope you'll be back again soon. :)

* Thanks, Sandi. I do photograph this same area throughout the seasons, many of which I've posted and will continue to post. I'm glad you enjoyed them. Thanks for stopping by with your kind words. :)

Thanks very kindly, Tessa. Rest assured I'll be continuing to post similar shots in all seasons. I very much appreciate you kind words. Thanks for stopping by. :)

* Thanks very much My Rights. I appreciate the kind words. I've visited your sight and believe that your blog should display a "Graphics content" warning. Those heart-wrenching images are indeed striking and disturbing, and folks should be clearly warned before entering your site, the nature of what lies ahead. I hope you'll consider that. Thanks for stopping by. :)

Oh thanks, Sandi. It sounds like it's time to head over to David's eh? :)

Pat - Arkansas said...

Lovely scenes wonderfully captured. Although I am a lover of creature comforts (such as being warm), I would brave the cold and snow to go on a walk with you, Hilary.

Missicat said...

How beautiful! I love the pics of the path through the trees and how the snow is tinged a little with pink.
I did of course enjoy them all!

MamaGeek @ Works For Us said...

Oh these were so mystical and beautiful Hilary! It makes me want to do the same here. ALMOST. :)

Cheffie-Mom said...

Wow, these pictures go perfectly with the song. I love coming to your blog -- the photos are always so uplifting!

Louise said...

I've missed visiting you, and you are one of the last I'm catching up on because your posts are so wonderful, and this one might be one of my favorite to date. (I'm a "save the best for last" kind of girl.)

I was going to say I liked the shots of the moon behind the trees best, but the water ones are great, too. This is one fantastic post!

Dianne said...

oh to be able to capture the moon as you do!

Chica, Cienna, and Cali said...

oh that last image is precious.....your ode to the moon reminds me of Van gogh's quote "I often think the night is more alive and richly colored than the day "

hope you have been keeping warm,Hilary :)

Hilary said...

• Thanks kindly, Pat. You'd be welcomed along in a heartbeat. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Thanks very much, Missicat. I'm glad you enjoyed them. Thanks for the visit. :)

• Thank you, Mama Geek. Much appreciated. :)

• Thanks very kindly, Cheffie. I'm glad you liked the post. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Thank so much for those kind words, Louise. I've missed you too and I like that I'm among the last, if those are what you deem the best. Thanks very much for visiting. :)

• Thanks kindly, Dianne. :)

• Thanks very much, Moi. I have been keeping warm. Your kind words sure help in that regard. Thanks for stopping by. :)

Anonymous said...

Wonderful pictures. I enjoyed looking at them all.

Anonymous said...

Thank you and Mjhodgk Alria I am very happy to read these codes, which the reader to enjoy

And these are one of my notes

I had the honor of knowledge