Meteors. Sunrises. And changing plans.

The Lyrid Meteor showers are in town everyone. Ever since I was a teenager I have loved watching the sky and seeing the meteors. My favorite time of year is during the Perseids in August. This year they peak on August 11th and 12th. But here in April we have the Lyrids. They peak tonight. I have to go work at my day job tomorrow so I decided to go out last night and try to capture one.

There were several problems with going out last night. First was my daughter's prom. It was last night and she and her friends had asked me to take photos. They weren't scheduled to get home until 12:30. That worked out okay. The moon was the next problem. It was up and bright and scheduled to set at 3:00 AM. That made 3:00 AM to 4:00 AM the best time to view the meteor shower. So my plan was to go to Lake Pleasant and find a high spot for meteors, then go to the lake shore for the sunrise.

For the meteors I chose my 24mm lens. I also decided that the Milky Way galaxy was close enough to the source of the meteors that I wanted to try and capture it with a meteor. So I concentrated on long exposures centered on the Milky Way. I saw probably 12 or 15 meteors last night. Only one of them was in my view finder. Luckily it was while the shutter was open. My family is especially happy with this photo because they didn't have to endure the night with me.

 Once the sun began to come up enough to make the stars appear less bright I packed everything up and set out for the lake. Without any clouds in the sky I decided to look for an alternative photo. The sky promised to be orange in the east as the sun rose. I have been waiting for the right opportunity to get a saguaro cactus in silhouette with a sunrise or sunset. So I rushed out to a nearby saguaro forest that I know is fairly open facing east. I grabbed the camera and tripod and went into the forest to find the right giant.

I had a plan when I left the house last night. Plans don't always work out. Sometimes you have to be flexible and take what the earth is willing to give you. I think it was a pretty successful morning.

You can see the full sized photos on flickr at: M. Chris Brandt's Photography.

You may also follow me on Facebook at: M. Chris Brandt's Photography

Filling the bag.

I recently wrote on my Facebook page that I had read a book in which the author had been told to always have something to want. I wish I could find the book now and give him proper credit. But I haven't been able to locate it. Odd since I still own almost every book I have bought over the past 30 years. On Facebook I asked what it was that my friends wanted. I received some very good answers. Most were much more broad than I had expected. Maybe that's because I know exactly what I want.

I have spent a lot of time getting my photography kit set up just the way I want it. There are currently three things left to acquire to make the kit perfect in my mind. I hope to have them all before the end of the year. After that I am not sure what to do. It's possible that my subconscious made me ask the question of my friends so that I could use some of their ideas. I need something else to want. For now, this is my list. In order of importance to me.

1. Travel tripod.

My every day tripod is too big to take on a trip with me. I use an Induro tripod that I like very much. It's just doesn't fit in a normal sized suitcase. So now when I travel it stays home. Loving landscapes and night photography I just can't work without a tripod. After about two years of research I have finally decided what I had to have in a travel tripod. First it has to be small. I don't care if it is light. I just want small. But I also want strong. In today's market tripods typically come with either carbon fiber legs, or magnesium allow. Carbon fiber is lighter but magnesium alloy is stronger. I ended up deciding on a fairly new British company called 3 Legged Thing. They name their systems after rock stars and I chose Dave. It will hold up to 26 pounds (the included ball head is rated for 88 pounds) and folds up to about 16.7 inches. I was warned about British engineering. But I am taking a gamble on them anyway. You can find Dave here...

3 Legged Thing's Dave

2. One more lens.

Really, just one more. At least that is what I tell my wife every time I ask for another lens. I shoot almost exclusively prime lenses. I tend to see the world in that focal length when I do that. But I have a big gap between 85mm and 300mm. I have friends with 105mm and 135mm lenses which I have intermittently drooled over. But there is still a gap. And I don't want to carry 27 lenses. So I decided to change it up a little and add a telephoto zoom lens to the kit. Nikon has been making a 80-200mm F/2.8 for, well, forever. This version currently sell since 1997. It's a professional lens without the benefit of vibration reduction (VR). The most recent version is still built like it was in 1997 and it is a tank. Metal, large and heavy. But by all accounts it is sharp. And for now, the last lens I need. You can check it out here...

Nikon's AF-Zoom 80-200mm F/2.8D ED

3. Ball head.

I mentioned earlier that I use an Induro tripod for my daily photography. A friend of mine recommended Induro after he had received one as a gift. I believe from his sister. Anyway, I bought Induro's Adventure Series AKB2 tripod. The tripod comes with a ball head and a nice carry case to protect it. I have used and abused it. I love the legs, but as my talent and camera have grown I find I need a little more precision in the ball head. What else would I put on an Induro tripod but an Induro head? The BHD2 head was made to fit my legs. It was also made to handle almost 40 pounds of camera/lens. More than I can currently put on it. And the price is great. If I am going back to Induro that should tell you something. I expect the same quality that I have seen in my current system. Check out the Induro line-up here...

Induro Tripods

So what is the next thing to want? I don't know yet. Maybe what I will want is something to want. What do you think?

You can see some of my photos on Facebook at M. Chris Brandt's Photography or on flickr at M. Chris Brandt