Danna Cruzan Sexsmith

Icicle Holiday Card

2011-11-27T00:11:00.000-08:00

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Icicle Holiday Greeting Cards from Zazzle.com

2011-11-27T00:05:00.000-08:00

Icicle Holiday Greeting Cards from Zazzle.com

2011-09-09T19:07:00.001-07:00

Save up to 80% on custom printed products at Vistaprint. Order today!

Project 365 - #28- February 21, 2011

2011-02-25T00:58:00.000-08:00

This is my carpet at night. I love my BIG dogs!

Project 365 - #27 - February 20, 2011

2011-02-25T00:56:00.000-08:00

Gorgeous icicles off our deck....

Project 365 - #26 - February 19, 2011

2011-02-25T00:43:00.000-08:00

This is Kara, our year old puppy. This was her first DEEP snow to experience. Boy, she did not want to be inside at all, even though it was FREEZING!

Project 365 - #25 - February 18, 2011

2011-02-25T00:39:00.000-08:00

It's Snowing!

Project 365 - #24 - February 17, 2011

2011-02-25T00:35:00.000-08:00

Where the birds drink . . .

Project 365 - #23 - February 16, 2011

2011-02-25T00:14:00.000-08:00

This is a piece of art in my home. It's a puzzle that is framed. It has hidden wolves in it.

Project 365 - #22 - February 15, 2011

2011-02-25T00:11:00.000-08:00

Taken from Phelan Road, Phelan, CA - Wrightwood are the mountains in the background.

Lion IPhone 4 Case from Zazzle.com

2011-02-22T20:11:00.000-08:00

Lion IPhone 4 Case from Zazzle.com

Alpha and Omega: The Real Story

2011-02-17T20:11:00.000-08:00

Alpha and Omega: The Real Story - Click link for full story

Steve Moore, a former journalist who is now a successfulsyndicated cartoonist, created the charming concept and story for the recent animated feature film Alpha and Omega. Alpha and Omega features the tale of two young wolves who are relocated from Canada to Idaho to help repopulate a wilderness area bereft of wolves. It’s no coincidence that this story parallels the real reintroduction of wolves into the United States back in 1995 – the start of one of the biggest wildlife success stories in America’s history. That real-life relocation gave Moore the idea that ultimately became Alpha and Omega, he told Defenders in an interview from Boise, Idaho, this week:

Steve Moore and his son Chris at Red Fish Lake in Idaho

How did you come up with the idea that became Alpha and Omega?

“A few years after my family and I moved to Idaho from Los Angeles, I read a newspaper article commemorating the 10^thanniversary of the wolf program. There was a story about one of the first wolves in the program, Wolf B1 or Wolf B2, one of those. The story was showing the tracking of the wolf’s radio collar, showing where the wolf went when it was first dropped off in Idaho. It kept heading north, then turning around and coming back, heading north and turning around again, over and over.

“It kind of got my imagination going – maybe he was trying to get back to Canada! So I just imagined what would have happened if the biologists had tried to trap a mated pair, and they messed up and got two wolves that hated each other instead. Alpha and Omega is like the flip side of that old movie The African Queen: instead of two humans who hate each other trying to get through the wilderness back to civilization, this was two wolves who hated each other trying to get through civilization and back to the wilderness.

10 Uses for Wood Ashes | Fireplace | This Old House - 1

2011-02-16T15:31:00.000-08:00

10 Uses for Wood Ashes | Fireplace | This Old House - 1

10 Uses for Wood Ashes

By: Mark Feirer

A cord of firewood can produce 50 pounds of ashes—a formidable heap of soot but also a great source for mineral-rich dust that has practical uses. Just be careful to store them in a fireproof container with the lid shut to choke any embers. Unlike ashes, you can't use flames any place except in the fireplace.
Use wood ashes to:
1. De-skunk pets. A handful rubbed on Fido's coat neutralizes the lingering odor.
2. Hide stains on paving. This Old House technical editor Mark Powers absorbs wet paint spatters on cement by sprinkling ash directly on the spot; it blends in with a scuff of his boot,
3. Enrich compost. Before the organic compound get applied to soil, enhance its nutrients by sprinkling in a few ashes, says the host of radio's You Bet Your Garden, Mike McGrath. Adding too much, though, ruins the mix.
4. Block garden pests. Spread evenly around garden beds, ash repels slugs and snails.
5. Melt ice. TOH building editor Tom Baker finds it adds traction and de-ices without hurting soil or concrete underneath.
6. Control pond algae. One tablespoon per 1,000 gallons adds enough potassiumm to strengthen other aquatic plants that compete with algae, slowing its growth,
7. Pump up tomatoes. For the calcium-loving plants, McGrath places 1/4 cup right in the hole when planting,
8. Clean glass fireplace doors. A damp sponge dipped in the dust scrubs away sooty residue.
9. Make soap. Soaking ashes in water makes lye, which can be mixed with animal fat and then boiled to produce soap. Salt makes it harden as it cools.
10. Shine silver. A paste of ash and water makes a dandy nontoxic metal polisher

Project 365 #21- February 14, 2011

2011-02-14T21:19:00.000-08:00

Big Horn Sheep at Forest Falls, CA. Went on a drive and amazingly saw this couple on the side of the mountain. This shot was challenging as they totally blend into the background. I had to play with the contrast and saturation to make them stand out from the background. The darker one, the male, was totally watching me, protecting his mate as she walked up the mountain. I stayed in the vehicle, turned the music off and stayed as quiet as possible to not disturb them but he kept his beautiful eyes on me the whole time! Good job protecting your lady Mr. Sheep!

Project 365 #20- February 13, 2011

2011-02-14T21:11:00.000-08:00

Koko attacking Cruzer. These two love each other but they were totally getting into it when I took this pic.

Project 365 #20- February 12, 2011

2011-02-12T19:56:00.000-08:00

Please don't take anymore pictures....

This is Yawto acting shy.... :)

Project 365 #19 - February 11, 2011

2011-02-11T21:16:00.000-08:00

The tile in my bathroom. I liked the shapes and lines.

Project 365 #18 - February 10, 2011

2011-02-11T21:12:00.000-08:00

A photo of a horse and her baby in Phelan. This was taken with my phone so it is not that sharp. I definitely have to go back with my good camera to capture this beautiful baby and it's momma.

Project 365 #17 - February 9, 2011

2011-02-11T20:36:00.000-08:00

Cruzer laying with all of Mogli's toys in front of the fire.

Project 365 #16 - February 8, 2011

2011-02-08T19:54:00.000-08:00

Our house.

Project 365 #15 - February 7, 2011

2011-02-08T19:41:00.000-08:00

Koko stretching on the couch. Look at how HUGE his paws are?

Project 365 #14 - February 6, 2011

2011-02-08T19:22:00.000-08:00

Balloons at a Baby Shower. I diffused the light a bit in PS Elements.

Project 365 #13 - February 5, 2011

2011-02-08T19:13:00.000-08:00

Beautiful sunset colors behind the tree in our front yard....

Internet Marketing Newsletter Archive

2011-02-07T22:32:00.000-08:00

Internet Marketing Newsletter Archive

Project 365 #12 - February 4, 2011

2011-02-04T21:33:00.000-08:00

One of our many windchimes....

Project 365 #11 - February 3, 2011

2011-02-04T21:03:00.000-08:00

Home Made Manicure.... I can't wait to get a job so I can go back to getting my main-pedis from someone else!!!

Project 365 - Photo #10 - February 2, 2011

2011-02-03T00:55:00.000-08:00

Two crosses on February 2nd!!!

Project 365 - Photo #8 - February 1, 2011

2011-02-01T21:04:00.000-08:00

Day One - Real Estate Course!!!

Real Estate Outlook: Home Prices Decline

2011-02-01T19:20:00.000-08:00

Real Estate Outlook: Home Prices Decline

by Carla Hill

The latest S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price index reveals that home prices, unfortunately, are still down and weakening.

According to Standard & Poor's, "The 10-City Composite was down 0.4% and the 20-City Composite fell 1.6% from their November 2009 levels. Home prices fell in 19 of 20 MSAs and both Composites in November from their October levels."

Click on this for the full story.

Project 365 - Photo #8 - January 31, 2011

2011-01-31T23:48:00.000-08:00

This is over my front door. Tonya Littlewolf (my spiritual mother) blessed my home and created this to protect it and all that enter..... I love it. It was made with special sweet grass, blessed sage, leather and other special things she put into it.....

Spay Day 2011 Online Pet Photo Contest

2011-01-31T00:14:00.000-08:00

Spay Day 2011 Online Pet Photo Contest

Project 365 - Photo #7 - January 30, 2011

2011-01-30T20:37:00.000-08:00

Winter is back!!! YAY!! 30 degrees and snowing in the Southern California mountains!!! This image is perfect for this kind of night!!!

Mogli - from photo to drawing

2011-01-29T18:11:00.000-08:00

Had fun editing this, it started out as a photo and now it looks like a drawing... What do you think?

Project 365 - Photo #6 - January 29, 2011

2011-01-29T16:10:00.000-08:00

Here are the three musketeers.... Mogli and Kara are mine and Spirit the blue eyed shepard husky is my neighbors. We leave our common gate open and they run back and forth between the two yards. They have fun and get great exercise.

Tell me how amazing it was that I got all three of them to sit and stay for a picture????

Project 365 - Photo #5 - January 28, 2011

2011-01-28T16:35:00.000-08:00

This is Missy. I removed the color except for the eyes and the mouth.

Project 365 - Photo #4 - January 27, 2011

2011-01-28T13:43:00.000-08:00

My not so little puppy Kara, she is 11 months old...... Kara is an Anatolian Shepard. I saved her from a kill shelter when she was four months old. She is now 77 pounds and Mogli's girl. Kara has motivated Mogli to get up and walk and even to run! She is a handful but a sweet girl.

Project 365 - Photo #3 - January 26, 2011

2011-01-27T23:25:00.001-08:00

My precious Mogli.

Project 365 - Photo #2 - January 25, 2011

2011-01-27T15:34:00.001-08:00

Wacipi of Wolf Mountain Sanctuary, isn't she gorgeous?

Wolf Mountain Sanctuary

Keep on shooting (with a camera)

Danna

My Website
My Zazzle Store

Project 365 - Photo #1 - January 24, 2011

2011-01-27T00:54:00.001-08:00

My favorite place, Inspiration Point, Wrightwood, CA

Comments are welcome and appreciated!

Project 365

2011-01-27T00:50:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year!

I am starting Project 365 which is taking a picture a day for 365 days.

I did this last year and only made it to 60 so I 've started again and hopefully I make it further!

Keep on shooting (with a camera)

Danna

http://www.digitalsbydanna.com

NYIP - Lunar Eclipse Photos | Eclipse Photo | Full Moon Photos | NYIP

2010-12-16T12:19:00.000-08:00

NYIP - Lunar Eclipse Photos Eclipse Photo Full Moon Photos NYIP

Lunar Eclipse Photos
How to Photograph the Lunar Eclipse

Weather permitting, a total eclipse of the Moon will be visible in most of North America on December 20 and 21. The eclipse will start in the early morning of December 21st for observers in the Eastern United States, and late the evening of Monday December 20 in the West. This total lunar eclipse will also be visible in western parts of South America, and northern Scandinavia. Most of Asia and Europe will see part of the eclipse as well.For the path of totality and local dates and times, consult this handy summary. This is an exciting event for astronomers and it can provide great opportunities for photographers to take some stunning lunar eclipse photos as well. Photographing the moon is relatively easy compared to other celestial bodies, because it's relatively close to the earth.

We've waited almost three years for a total lunar eclipse — the last one was in February, 2008. We'll see two in 2011 — June 15 for South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia, and December 10 for the eastern part of Africa, Asia, Australia and the Pacific. After that, we'll have to wait until April 15, 2014, when there will be another total eclipse for Australia, the Pacific, and the Americas, and U.S. citizens will be paying their 2013 income taxes. Details of eclipses — both lunar and solar - from 2001 to 2020 can be found at the enchanting mreclipse.com, a site apparently run by one Fred Espenak, who seems to have made eclipses a big part of his life. The next total solar eclipse visible in the United States won't take place until August 21, 2017, as we learned poking around on mreclipse.

The tips that follow will show you how to photograph the moon under normal circumstances, or under eclipse conditions.

We'll start with how to photograph the full moon itself, and then give you specific tips for photographing a lunar eclipse. Hopefully the weather will cooperate.

Photographing the Full Moon
Let's start with the basics. The moon appears full when its orbit puts it in a position where the side of the moon facing us on earth is fully lit by the sun. Therefore, photographing the full moon on a clear night isn't much different than photographing any other sun-lit object — except that it's pretty far away — a little under 240,000 miles.

Because it is so far away, the moon is one subject where you'll get the best results with an SLR (single lens reflex) camera with a long lens rather than using a point-and-shoot or a single-use "disposable" film camera. In fact, with a point-and-shoot or single-use camera, you can get an image of the moon but it will likely be a tiny white point rather than anything that looks like the moon.

It is true that in many aspects of astrophotography, digital cameras face a host of different challenges than their film-based counterparts, including issues with the long exposure times necessary to photograph at night and noise issues in black areas of the sky. But, since the moon is a bright sunlit object, if it fills a good part of the frame, using a digital SLR will be easy. So, you can use either a digital SLR or a film SLR.

Exposure

Since the moon is a sunlit object, the "sunny 16" rule applies. (This is an easy-to-remember trick for photographing any sunlit subject that photographers relied upon prior to the days of autoexposure.) Simply put, the correct exposure for an object lit by bright sun can be a shutter speed of 1/the ISO setting you're using, with an aperture of f/16. For example, if you're using an ISO of 400 (or an ISO 400 speed film), a good starting point for a correct exposure of the moon would be f/16 at 1/400. Since most cameras don't have a shutter speed setting of 1/400, we would suggest bracketing the exposure and making one at 1/250 at f/16, and one at 1/500 at f/16.

About Bracketing
While we're on the subject, let's discuss "bracketing" of your lunar eclipse photos for a moment.

When you bracket your exposure, it simply means that you take a photograph at the setting you think is correct, but you also photograph the same subject several more times, making slight changes in either the shutter speed setting or aperture. For most situations, we suggest that you make one or two images giving the image less exposure, and one or two that give the image more exposure.

You can't bracket fast-moving subjects — a breaking news photo or sports action shot won't wait long enough for you to make multiple exposures. But the moon (or a landscape or scenic subject for that matter) isn't moving so fast relative to your camera. Therefore, it's always a good idea to bracket your exposure. For our full moon shot, in addition to 1/250 and 1/500 at f/16, you could give a little less exposure by making a photo at 1/1000 at f/16, and a little more by shooting at 1/125 at f/16. You can achieve the same bracket of exposure by keeping your shutter speed at 1/250 but using different aperture openings, such as one exposure each at f/16, f/22, f/11 and f/8.

Use Manual Exposure
There are several reasons for turning off your auto exposure and setting your exposure manually when you photograph the moon. The main reason is that when you point your camera at the full moon, the moon is a little bright spot in a sea of darkness. In lunar eclipse photos, therefore, chances are that your automatic metering system will give too much emphasis to the vast area of dark sky surrounding the moon and therefore call for too much exposure — the result is that the moon will be overexposed. All you'll get is a clear, white circle.

Another reason to expose manually and to bracket your exposure is that the exact amount of light coming from the moon will depend in part on how clear the sky is when you make your photograph. Water vapor is a factor if humidity is high, and there might be dust in the air if it is windy. If you're at a high altitude, such as Denver, you'll likely need a little less exposure than if you're at sea level in New York or San Francisco. These factors will require small exposure changes. By using the manual exposure settings we suggest a little later in this article and by bracketing your exposure you'll guarantee that one of your exposures will give the best possible image.

Choice of Lens

We've established that you should treat the moon as a sunlit object and bracket your exposures.

Your next key question is what lens to use for capturing lunar eclipse photos? When the moon is low in the horizon, it will be much smaller in a photo than it may appear to your eye. The simple rule of thumb is to use the longest lens you have, and join it with a tele-extender if you have one. Shooting the moon with a 50mm lens will produce an image that looks like a dot. You'll be a little better at 200mm, but a 500mm lens will do a good job. If you have a small telescope, you can make a close-up photo of the moon with great detail.

Here's one place where the smaller sensors in the less expensive DSLRs give a real benefit. That 300mm lens will act more like a 400+mm lens if it's mounted on a digital SLR with a smaller-than-full-size chip.

The full moon occupies about 1/2 of 1 degree of our field of view as you look up into the heavens. A rough guide is that if you divide the length of your lens by 100, you'll get an approximate idea of how big the image of the moon you record. That means if you use a 50mm lens, you'll record the full moon as 1/2-millimeter in diameter. However, if you use a 300mm lens you'll get a 3mm moon, and if you add a 2x tele-extender to your 300mm lens the moon will be 6mm in diameter. If you can get your hands on an 8-inch telescope, you can have a moon that's about 20mm in diameter, which will nicely fill the frame. These calculations presume that you're using a 35mm film camera or a full-size sensor that is equivalent to a 35mm film frame.

If you're unfamiliar with tele-extenders (also sometimes called teleconverters), they're worthy of an article unto themselves. In short, a tele-extender is a device that effectively increases the focal length of your lens, usually by a factor of 1.4 or 2. A 1.4x tele-extender increases a 100mm lens to 140mm, a 2x extender increases the 100mm lens to 200mm. This boost comes with a price — the effective f-stop decreases and you may need to use manual focus. However, buying a good 300mm lens and a 2x tele-extender can be lot cheaper and more practical than buying a 600mm lens.

Whatever lens you use when taking lunar eclipse photos, it's probably a good idea to use your tripod to steady your camera. Even with a short lens, if you're holding your camera pointed toward the sky it is easy to sway a bit and that will cause camera shake and a soft image. With a long lens, a tripod is essential.

ISO Settings.
ISO 400 or 800 is a good choice. If you're using a film-based camera, color negative, or, since your subject is primarily black-and-white, 400 speed black-and-white film will be fine as well. If you bracket a lot, you could even use slide film, but there's a greater danger of losing detail because of overexposure if you do.

Most of today's digital cameras do well at ISO speeds even higher than 800, while other models have either too much noise or overly aggressive noise-reduction that reduces detail.

What should you look for in the test shots? Look at any area with deep shadow, and if you see specks of red, blue and green color you are seeing "chrominance noise." Compare a shot of the same subject at ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400 and ISO 800 and decide what is an acceptable level of noise for your personal tastes. If your camera performs well enough at ISO 400 or ISO 800, those will work very well. Since you're going to have your camera mounted on a tripod, the slower shutter speed required by a lower ISO won't be a problem.

If you follow these simple tips, you'll have no problem if you attempt to "Shoot the Moon!"

Now, let's turn to photographing a lunar eclipse.

The Lure of a Total Eclipse

Eclipses of the sun and the moon have been a fascination to earthlings since the dawn of our time. The upcoming lunar eclipse, which, weather permitting, will be visible throughout the North America, may not receive much advance publicity, but as it lends an opportunity for great lunar eclipse photos it deserves considering.

Astrologers have always gotten riled up about eclipses. Having a bad hair day? Consider this as a source for excuses taken from a Web astrology site: "During a lunar eclipse the light of the Full Moon is temporarily hidden to our view, blocking our self-awareness, crashing our emotional-defense systems, and over-sensitizing our emotional reactions. The effects of a Lunar Eclipse usually last for about 6 months or until the next Lunar Eclipse." No wonder after the February 2008 total eclipse the market tanked, Lehman Brothers went under and we suffered the Great Recession!

Forget about "The dog ate my homework." Try this: "I did it because my emotional defense system crashed during the 2008 Lunar Eclipse." Or, "I'm sorry I said that, but the Eclipse blocked my self-awareness and over-sensitized my emotional reactions." And now there's another one on the way. What next?

What is a Lunar Eclipse?

A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon is covered by the shadow of the earth — that is, the earth comes between the sun and the moon, casting the earth's shadow on the surface of the moon. A partial eclipse happens when only a portion of the moon is obscured by shadow. When the entire moon is covered for a period of time, we call that a "total eclipse."

Any cast shadow has a partial area called a penumbra and completely dark area called an umbra. The penumbra has some illumination and some shade, the umbra is complete full shading of an object from a source of illumination.

Where can you see this eclipse?
As we've noted, the December 21st total lunar eclipse will be visible in virtually all of the Americas as well as portions of Europe, Australia and eastern Asia, so many of our readers will be able to try their hand at lunar eclipse photos. The moon will remain in total eclipse for almost in an hour in those areas lucky enough to see all of the eclipse.

When is it going to happen?
Since this is a total eclipse, the moon will enter the penumbra, which is not visible to the naked eye, then the umbra, then there will be a period of totality, followed by the moon leaving the umbra back to the penumbra, and finally exiting the penumbra, ending the event. So you don't miss your opportunity to take lunar eclipse photos, here are the times of the event in the U.S.

Eastern
Standard Time Central
Standard Time Mountain
Standard Time Pacific
Standard Time
Partial eclipse begins 1:33am 12:33 11:33pm 10:33
Total eclipse begins 2:41am 1:41 12:41 11:41pm
Middle of eclipse 3:17am 2:17 1:17 12:17
Total eclipse ends 3:53am 2:53 1:53 12:53
Partial eclipse ends 5:01am 4:01 3:01 2:01

You can use the above listed times to calculate the approximate duration of the eclipse depending on where you live in the United States. NASA's online Lunar Eclipse Explorer Program will calculate what you will see based on where you live. Realize that the times vary not only with regard to location, but also the relative latitude and longitude of your location. The timing and duration of the event also vary because while the eclipse takes place everything continues to move: the earth around the sun, the moon around the earth, and things continue to rotate.

Chances are your local newspaper will give the times for your location. However, if you want to check it out for yourself, there's a really cool site maintained by the US Naval Observatory that lists these times (and for you techies, the moon's Azimuth and Altitude) for thousands of places in the US and for foreign locations based on latitude and longitude. By the way, there is a lot of other interesting stuff on the US Naval Observatory site regarding data for moon phases, sunrise and sunset and the like.

Lens, tripod and exposure:
Unlike photographing the full moon, when the moon enters the earth's shadow you will need a longer exposure, because it will no longer be a sun-lit object. That means you'll want to use a fast ISO (400, 800 or higher) and definitely have your camera mounted on a tripod.

Some serious astrophotographers still use film-based cameras, and for many of those the film of choice is Fuji's 800 speed color negative, although any fast color-negative film will do. Unlike the full moon, where we suggested that black-and-white film would work, one of the characteristics of a total lunar eclipse is that the moon appears to be reddish in color during totality. This is an illusion caused by atmosphere having a different effect on the longer waves of red and infrared light than the shorter waves of blue light. You'll want to capture that color.

One great thing about lunar eclipses (as opposed to solar events) is that you can look at most of the entire event with your naked eye. You don't need filters for your camera — just some preparation, patience, and luck.

What if I don't have a telephoto lens?
If your camera has just a regular zoom lens, let's say an 18-55mm or 18-70mm, you can try one other type of eclipse photo by recording the stages of the eclipse on a single frame. Set your camera on a tripod, and watch how the moon is moving relative to your location during the period from moon rise to the start of the penumbra. Set your camera so that the moon, as it starts into the penumbra, is on one side of your frame so you can anticipate the moon moving through the frame. (If you have a technical mind, this is where the Altitude and Azimuth information will come in handy.) You just lock your shutter open (setting it on "B" or "T") and record the different phases of the eclipse all on one frame. When you're not making an exposure, just cover your lens with your lens cap. Warning: This sounds easy, but it's not. However, unless you buy or rent a long lens, it will give you an excuse to be outdoors and observe the entire event and use your camera.

Exposure:
Everything listed above with regard to bracketing is true here. In fact, plan to shoot lots of pictures and bracket all over the place. After all, there's a full moon every month, but total lunar eclipses in good weather are rare. In addition, when the moon is in the earth's shadow, there will be less light over all, so the degree to which atmospheric haze and humidity affect your exposure will be greater.

Your exposure will vary as the moon enters the penumbra and then continues into the umbra and totality. At each step, as it grows darker, you will need to give your image more exposure. By shooting lots of images and bracketing, you can be sure of two things: You'll have lots of images to throw away, and you'll greatly increase your odds of getting a good photograph.

When the moon is in the penumbra, you won't see much difference between that illumination and the regular full moon. When the discernable shadow line of the umbra is visible on the moon, that's when the subject gets interesting and it's time to start photographing.

Here are some rough departure points for exposure, but don't forget to bracket:

Eclipse event ISO 100 ISO 200 ISO 400 ISO 800
Full Moon in clear sky 1/250 ƒ/11 1/250 ƒ/16 1/250 ƒ/22 or 1/500 ƒ/16 1/500 ƒ/22 or 1/1000 ƒ/16
Moon in penumbra, and Shadow line of umbra visible On moon's surface 1/60 ƒ/5.6 1/60 ƒ/8 1/125 ƒ/8 1/250 ƒ/8
Moon completely in umbra (totality) 4 seconds at ƒ/2.8 2 seconds at ƒ/2.8 1 second at ƒ/2.8 1/2 second at ƒ/2.8

We've included exposure figures for ISO 100 speed because that's the true effective speed for most digital camera chips. However, you should bear in mind that if you use exposures longer than two seconds for your lunar eclipse photos, you start to run up against problems of blurring because of the rotation of the earth, unless you use a telescope with a tracking mount. If you have tracking equipment, you can try using longer exposures that may allow you to capture other, more distant and therefore dimmer celestial objects in your frame. However if you don't have that type of equipment, in addition to making a 4-second exposure we suggest that — if your digital SLR offers that option — you select a faster ISO, 200, 400 or 800. This may increase noise somewhat, but it will enable you to avoid any blur.

Total eclipses that are visible in many areas of the world don't happen very often. If you're lucky enough to be in an area where it will be visible, then you won't want to miss the opportunity to photograph this eclipse!

Two final tips and we know you'll thank us for if them you don't do a lot of photography at night — first, bring along a flashlight to check your camera's settings as you proceed. When the moonlight disappears, it gets very dim out there! Second, after a while you'll start to feel the night chill, so bring along a jacket or windbreaker of some sort.

For further reading:

The astronomy buffs at NYI love Sky and Telescope Magazine and fortunately they have a very informative Web site at www.skyandtelescope.com.

If you are interested in learning more about using digital cameras with telescopes, read Sky and Telescope Magazine's article, "Astro Imaging with Digital Cameras."

If you are curious about what a total lunar eclipse looks like, there are some great videos on YouTube. Just do a search for "Lunar Eclipse."

Read more at NYIP - Lunar Eclipse Photos | Eclipse Photo | Full Moon Photos | NYIP http://www.nyip.com/ezine/outdoors/eclipse.html?code=D280#ixzz18JA05X9B

Sorry for not keeping this updated..

2010-12-13T12:33:00.001-08:00

Sorry I have not been around much lately. I got a new job and have been busy with that....

I hope that you all have a wonderful holiday. May you wish for everything you want and receive everything you need.

Please consider donating to the wolves this holiday, they are always in need. You can send a donation to:

http://www.paypal.com - to the address wolfmtnsanctuary@yahoo.com OR you can diretly mail a check to WMS, POB 385, Lucerne Valley, CA 92356.

Remember all donations are tax-deductible - get in your end of the year donations before it's too late.

Adopting a wolf for a loved one is a great gift that gives all year long!!! Visit the adoption page www.wolfmountain.com/adoptions

If you need holiday gifts please check out my zazzle page for mugs, tshirts, mouse pads, etc www.zazzle.com/dannacruzan

Take care and keep on shooting (with your camera),
Danna

www.digitalsbydanna.com

Quote of the Day

2010-12-13T12:32:00.000-08:00

What is required for effective change is continuity of sincere effort to release and let go of inefficient thought patterns from the past.

-- Doc Childre

Quote By Doc Childre - Quotemountain.com

2010-12-13T12:29:00.000-08:00

Quote By Doc Childre - Quotemountain.com

Day 2 - Gratitude Challenge

2010-11-04T10:05:00.000-07:00

Use the alphabet as a fun and quick format for making a list of things for which you feel grateful. Share this list with your social network through email, a blog post or a Facebook or MySpace page. My list is listed below, did you do yours? It really makes you think about what is good in your life.

My List:

Things I’m Grateful For:
A – Autumn Air
B – Blue Sky & Bryan
C – Cherice & Cruzer & Cydne
D – David
E – Earth
F – Fall Leaves
G – Grandchildren
H – Hunter
I – Imagination
J – Joseph & Jodi & Jacob
K – Kara & Koko
L – Love
M – Mogli & Missy
N – Nieces & Nightime
O – Outdoors
P – Parents
Q – Quiet
R – Rain
S – Sister (DeeDee) & Samantha & Sydney
T – Tomorrow
U – Utilities
V – Vehicle (having a car that works)
W – Wrightwood
Y – Yesterday
Z – Zazzle (my store sold something!)

Keep on Shooting (with a camera)

Danna

November is here, WOW

2010-11-03T21:37:00.000-07:00

This evening I read my Daily Motivational page at Facebook and found out about the "Gratitude Pledge". I signed the pledge and am excited to do this 21 day project.

Being unemployed and searching for a job each day is something that saps the motivation and good feelings out of you. So as you all may have noticed I post motivational sayings every few days. This keeps my spirits up and keeps me going....

So I am sharing this with all of you. Take the pledge if you so choose and let me know what happens....

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The Gratitude Challenge

See what happens when 30 people pledged to be grateful for 21 consecutive days. We encourage you to visit http://www.gratitudechallenge.com - discover and share what you feel grateful for. Are you up to the challenge?

Keep on Shooting (with your camera)

Danna

http://www.digitalsbydanna.com

Greetings....

2010-10-30T20:41:00.000-07:00

Went for a nice drive up here in the mountains and got some nice shots..... It is freezing but the trees seem to think Fall is not here yet. Typically the trees are red at this time of year. Here are a shot Jackson Lake, near my home.

Simple Pleasure Daisy Mouse Pad from Zazzle.com

2010-10-25T21:44:00.000-07:00

New mouse pad uploaded.

It's titled "Simple Pleasure Daisy Mousepad"

Simple Pleasure Daisy Mouse Pad from Zazzle.com

Inspiration Point Commuter Cup Coffee Mug from Zazzle.com

2010-10-24T20:08:00.000-07:00

New Product uploaded to my Zazzle store...

Great panoramic view from Inspiration Point, Wrightwood, CA on this commuter mug.

Please check out my zazzle store http://www.zazzle.com/dannacruzan

I have many many products, mugs, mouse pads, greeting cards, posters, etc.

Thanks!

Keep on shooting (with your camera)

Danna

http://www.digitalsbydanna.com

Inspiration Point Commuter Cup Coffee Mug from Zazzle.com

2010-10-24T20:00:00.000-07:00

Inspiration Point Commuter Cup Coffee Mug from Zazzle.com

New Product uploaded to my Zazzle store...

Great panoramic view from Inspiration Point, Wrightwood, CA on this commuter mug.

Please check out my zazzle store http://www.zazzle.com/dannacruzan

I have many many products, mugs, mouse pads, greeting cards, posters, etc.

Thanks!

Keep on shooting (with your camera)

Danna

http://www.digitalsbydanna.com

Items from my Zazzle Store, check it out

2010-10-23T15:55:00.000-07:00

make custom gifts at Zazzle

Wolf Mountain Sanctuary in Nine O Nine Magazine

2010-10-23T00:19:00.001-07:00

Check out this article on Wolf Mountain Sanctuary.

All of these images were created by me, except the one I am in.

No Photo credits!!! %*$#(%*#)(

I specified we wanted them.. Oh well, the pics look GREAT!!!

Open publication - Free publishing - More fun

Wolf Mountain Sanctuary in Nine O Nine Magazine

2010-10-23T00:19:00.000-07:00

Check out this article on Wolf Mountain Sanctuary.

All of these images were created by me, except the one I am in.
No Photo credits!!! %*$#(%*#)(

I specified we wanted them.. Oh well, the pics look GREAT!!!

Open publication - Free publishing - More fun

NYIP - Halloween Pictures | Holloween Photos | Holloween Photography | NYIP

2010-10-22T00:03:00.001-07:00

Here's some tips on taking those important photos of your little trick or treaters from New York Institute of Photography:

How to Take Great Halloween Pictures

Halloween Editor's Note
Since Halloween is a holiday that presents terrific photo possibilities, it's no surprise that "How to Take Great Halloween Photographs" is one of our most popular "How To" features. Because we've received so many requests to run it again, we're happy to oblige. If you've never read this article on Halloween photos, we promise you'll take better pictures of the goblins and ghouls that you meet on All Hallows Eve after reading our Halloween photo tips. If you have read it in the past, why not review it as a brush up? And, for more merriment, don't forget to check out the NYIP Project Redeye Halloween Photo Challenge video on YouTube." After all, like Christmas, Halloween comes but once a year! If you see a ghost, don't forget to say "Boo!"

NYIP - Halloween Pictures | Holloween Photos | Holloween Photography | NYIP

2010-10-22T00:03:00.000-07:00

Here's some tips on taking those important photos of your little trick or treaters from New York Institute of Photography:

How to Take Great Halloween Pictures

Trying to dry out in Wrightwood

2010-10-21T13:42:00.002-07:00

This week has been very wet here in Wrightwood... Thunder and lightning for the last three days have kept my household inside. We had a foot of water in the back yard as well.

We are ready for it to dry up though! Need to wash dogs beds, rake up leaves, etc!!

Haven't been out shooting much but did get two pics of the hail....

Keep on Shooting - with a camera!

Danna
http://www.digitalsbydanna.com

Trying to dry out in Wrightwood

2010-10-21T13:42:00.001-07:00

Meet Up Group - Riverside SmugMug

2010-10-19T02:46:00.001-07:00

Attended a meet up last week and met Matthew Saville and listened to some great tips from him. It was very informative!

Camera Talk - The three most important things people need to understand on their DSLR.

Matthew Saville is a camera geek, but not a fanboy. Obsessed with camera control and image quality, he has shot with every Nikon and Canon DSLR produced since the Nikon D1X and the Canon 10D. Matt is a full-time wedding photographer who shoots both Nikon and Canon, RAW and JPG, as well as using both Mac and PC, and shooting landscapes and portraits on 35mm film in his spare time.

The subject of this discussion will be autofocus, exposure, and in-camera processing. We'll talk about how to increase your percentage of in-focus shots, (even with a beginner DSLR) how to meter a scene and get the right exposure, and how to get your colors near-perfect in camera to avoid Photoshop as much as possible. Bring your cameras and technical questions!

Keep on Shooting - with a camera :)

Danna
http://www.digitalsbydanna.com

Meet Up Group - Riverside SmugMug

2010-10-19T02:46:00.000-07:00

Durango Eye's (RIP) Coffee Mugs from Zazzle.com

2010-10-19T00:59:00.001-07:00

Here is a new product with Durango's Eyes. Durango left us earlier in the year so this is a special treat for those of you that loved him so!!!

Durango Eye's (RIP) Coffee Mugs from Zazzle.com

More products can be found at http://www.digtalsbydanna.com.

Keep on Shooting - with your cameras :)

Danna
http://www.digitalsbydanna.com

Durango Eye's (RIP) Coffee Mugs from Zazzle.com

2010-10-19T00:59:00.000-07:00

Wolves

2010-10-19T00:49:00.002-07:00

Check out some of my latest wolf pics!!!

Wolves

2010-10-19T00:49:00.000-07:00

Check out some of my latest wolf pics!!!

Hello Everyone!

2010-10-19T00:39:00.001-07:00

Getting my blog updated!!!!

Just set up my zazzle store, check it out:

http://www.zazzle.com/dannacruzan

Offering some great motivational products, holiday and greeting cards with high resolution images of many things including the wolves from Wolf Mountain Sanctuary! All wolf products sold will give 50% of the proceeds to WMS!

Have a wonderful week!!!

Keep on Shooting! - with your camera that is :)

Danna
http://www.digitalsbydanna.com