There's a Moon Out Tonight, a photo from District of Columbia, South

Photographer's Note

This is the front of the National Cathedral in Washington, DC. This was taken during the blue hour and with a little patience I was able to utilize the moon exactly where I wanted to. I believe the top of the building is the highest point in the city because it𠏋 so tall combined with the fact that it𠏋 on a hill. I took this about two months ago on a nice early spring day. It took a lot of patience in waiting for the perfect night to go down there. I kept having snow or rain or wind. This is my second post from there and here's some info about the National Cathedral from before:

This is the National Cathedral in Washington, DC. This is the sixth largest cathedral and second largest in the United States after Saint John's in NYC. Of course St. Peter's Basilica in Rome is the largest in the world. Its architecture is a sweeping gothic style. It was under construction from 1907 to 1990. I again used my wide-angle to help fit this massive cathedral in.

This was taken at 7pm two months ago.

Happy Memorial Day to my US TE friends!

rigoletto, sleon, mvdisco, sabyasachi1212, ramesh_lalwani, danielswalsh, papagolf21, lilimih33, Tue, Partha_c, maphoto, alford, plimrn, batalay, Emile, coco, cessy, feather, john_c, alainh, MikiM, edytungkal, aloyho, chanteuse has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

carper (96) 2007-05-28 13:50

ah Stephen,
a nice nightshot here, good photo,
the light is good and the pov is very nice, good photojob here, well done.
have a nice day.
gr. jaap

dkeus31 (27739) 2007-05-28 13:51

hello Stephen.
A nice shot, well eposed especially if made of only one exposure.
the trees and moon well balance the church.
regards
didier

sleon (9402) 2007-05-28 14:21

HI Stephen
Your patience has paid off - what a stunner! The lighting on this church gives a haunted, 3D feel and the blue hour moment is just right, with the natural and artificial lights perfectly balanced. The bare branch adds a further eerie and dramatic element.
Regards
Susanna

mvdisco (17798) 2007-05-28 15:17

Bonjour Stephen,
Beautiful night shot of the cathedrale in Washington, excellent point of view, well exposed and beautiful colors, picture taken at the good moment, this is a great portrait..tr鋊 jolie photo..
well done..
Michel

quetzal (3665) 2007-05-28 15:47

Hello Stephen,
Excellent composition by night. The lighting is very beautiful and the building was frozen at the right moment.
Regards
Jean-Louis

Cormac (26565) 2007-05-28 17:56

Great timing to get this at the blue hour, with the little bit of light in the sky that makes it interesting. The lighting on the cathedral is great too, much more interesting than a daylight shot would be. The presence of the moon is a nice bonus - well done!

nwoehnl (122) 2007-05-28 20:16

Hi Steve. Very nice photo of the Cathedral on the perfect evening, well-exposed and with a fine rendition of all the ornate architectural details. Good inclusion of the barren tree at the right to balance the composition and to hide the moon in an original way. You know me, I'd like to see some people in front, but this is pretty good as is. Greetings from Tokyo.

sabyasachi1212 (19779) 2007-05-29 2:18

Hi Stephen,
Absolutely fabulous blue hour shot, the deatils are amazing, good combination of the natural and artificial light. The clincher however is the moon shining through the leafless branches, which could itself have merited a separate image. Excellent work.
With Greetings from India
Sabyasachi

danyy (0) 2007-05-29 3:30

Bonjour Stephen,
la cath嶮rale dans ses teintes oranges se d彋ache bien de ce ciel en heure bleue, deux couleurs qui s'accordent en parfaite harmonie.

Cadrage d嶰entr� qui permet d'inclure le Lune et un arbre.
Bien vu.
Best regards.
Daniel.

rigoletto (34279) 2007-05-29 3:44

Hi Stephen,
This is indeed a gothic photo, not omly in terms of architecture, but also concerning the naked tree and the warewolf moon. Exposure is perfectly set, and all the details are prescribed line by line. Wonderful posing. Congrats,
Deniz

jhm (211738) 2007-05-29 8:17

Hello Stephen,

This picture must have more than these twenty points, this simple top class.
You taken during the blue period this wonderful picture, this gives a wonderful result, the enlightenment of the National Cathedral facade is extraordinarily, my compliments for this night picture. TFS.

Best regards,
John.

ramesh_lalwani (3213) 2007-05-29 11:22

Hi Steve
Lovely night shot.I like well lit arches of cathedral.Moon is welcome addition .Nice informative note.
Ramesh

cunejo200 (7281) 2007-05-29 14:20

Hello Stephen,
Brilliant. I have not seen a more beautiful photo of the National Cathedral at night. Lighting is striking and with good sharpness. And of course, the moon is the icing on the cake. TFS and best regards, Danilo

Didi (61589) 2007-05-29 14:37

Hi Stephen
Very nice composition and very good shot in the twilight.
I appreciate well this magnificient cathedral.
I suggest a WS just for fun.
Cheers.

[workshop] [compare]

danielswalsh (13597) 2007-05-30 0:19

Cool shot Steve!

Excellent tonal range here, I especially like the silhouetted tree against the evening sky and the inclusion of the moon.
I might have been tempted to try and approach the church straight on as it does seem to be at a slight angle. Then again- that might have resulted in not being able to encorporate the tree.
I've noticed you've slowed down on your postings... been busy?

All the best Steve-o!
- Dan

CliffW (2381) 2007-05-30 0:30

Nice. I can see why you put the moon in the crook of the tree as you did. Good golden glow from the arches of the church and still sharp. That was a long exposure! So the sky I guess is probably a little bluer than I'd think was exactly natural, but it has a nice effect with the gold. Good one

devimeuxbe (58557) 2007-05-30 1:58

Hi Stephen
beautifull light and colors on the church. You give an elegant composition with the tree on the right.
Well done
Bertrand

papagolf21 (152607) 2007-05-30 4:08

Cher Stephen,
Le premier mot qui vient � l'esprit est : SUPERBE !
Heure bleue baign嶪 d'une superbe lumi鋨e mettant en valeur cette cath嶮rale.
Un grand merci du partage, mon ami Stephen.
Admiration.
Amiti廥.
Philippe

lilimih33 (9918) 2007-05-30 7:43

Hello Stephen!
The night pictures are my favorite!
Nice colours and light in your composition!
Great clarity and beautiful perspective!
Excellent done!
Lili

Tue (93412) 2007-05-30 12:33

Hej Stephen,
The cathedral is lit up beautifully and the warm lights contrast well with the wonderfully blue sky. The moon shining through the branches of the tree is an excellent addition. Very well captured!
Regards,
Lars

capthaddock (28790) 2007-05-30 19:41

Yes the moon is nicely positioned, and the church is tastefully lit, been at least 10 days since I've seen the sun go down, I've been in the arctic in nonstop daylight and left London in daylight, it still hasn't gotten dark in California, I'm chasing the sun until my stinky laundry is done!

jjbach (9326) 2007-05-30 19:58

Hi Steve,
Excellent night composition with great light management and colours. I like very much how the branches entering in the frame. Splendid work!

Regards John

Partha_c (2029) 2007-05-31 0:31

Hi Stephen. When I visited this cathedral site ten years back I was awestruck. But your shot with such nice details -- the soft illumination, the moon on the top right in the sky behind the twigs reinforced my liking and memory. TFS.Regards.
Partha

toto (0) 2007-05-31 5:17

Belle photo de cette cath嶮ralle,superbe lueurs dans ce b漮iment,belles couleurs, les tons sont si doux,l嶲鋨ement orang廥, cela est parfait. Amiti廥 Thomas

maphoto (8082) 2007-05-31 5:52

Wow Stephen, beautiful shot, the light on the church, the moon through the tree...everything perfectly placed ! 12mm for this kind of shot is simply amazing, great blue sky to complete, well done.

alford (4063) 2007-05-31 21:27

Great shot Stephen! Blue hour...use of the tree as an added element with the moon slightly covered...a very nice composition! Rich in colors and very sharp, exposure was well controlled. rgds.

plimrn (21344) 2007-05-31 22:26

Hi Steve,
Moon shots not olny require patience; they are also a real challege. You have managed this challenge wonderfully well. Then you add both the golden cathedral in the blue hour and the perfectly positioned graceful branch to complete the magic. HLJ, Pat

PixelTerror (0) 2007-06-01 2:23

Hi Steve,
A superb and spectacular excellent blue hour shot, it looks very european in style, sort of renovated Paris Notre Dame. The moon is a bonus.
@++ JY

jemaflor (148214) 2007-06-01 6:59

Hi Stephen,
Superb night shot, perfect light capture, lovely church and also beautiful blue night sky.

batalay (41261) 2007-06-05 11:50

Hello Stephen,

This is one of the finest night shots of the National Cathedral I've seen anywhere. Indeed, having lived on 34th St and Woodleigh Rd during its construction (at fifteen I felt as if I were supervising its construction) I know the Cathedral well. Your composition is impecable, the exposure flawless. I will point this photo out to Lindy Hart, the widow of Frederick Hart, the sculptor who carved the three typanum entrance. Thanks for including the time for the shot.

Warm regards,
Bulent

robiuk (10807) 2007-06-05 18:48

Smashing one, Stephen!
What I instantly notice here are colour
contrasts that always work (orange & blue,
and blue & black).
Utterly romantic and somehow spooky at the
same time, and mystic and magic.
Very creative,
Robi

Emile (20352) 2007-06-10 0:36

Hola Stephen.
Excellent night shot captured during the blue hour with the impressive National Cathedral in Washington, beautiful architecture. Light and compo are very good, your POV is also very good and the presence of the moon behind the branches add a lot to your shot. Very well done. TFS.
Best regards.

coco (30439) 2007-06-10 10:54

Hi Stephen.

The exposure, these 6 seconds, mark the difference. Also the branch of the tree is useful for the photo.
It's a good work with a good composition and exposure.

Well done.

Kenny10pin (19301) 2007-06-16 4:54

great colours and good lighting here, I like the tree here, very natural

cessy (13647) 2007-07-11 10:35

hei, I missed this picture
very nice night shot of the place, stephen
beautiful moment with the moon and tree, giving romantic touch to the picture. the light on the building also great
very nice work

feather (51130) 2007-07-14 2:51

I've just seen this one Steve. You posted it while I was in Greece.
This is a real beauty and your patience paid off big time. To have the moon in the right place during the blue hour probably doesn't happen very often, plus it had to be while the trees were still bare. The quality is first rate with perfect exposure, sharpness and clarity. Very well done.
Kath

alainh (33209) 2007-08-09 23:19

hello Stephen
not easy to be full present in TE !! but it's always a pleasure to discouver your new posts !!
this one is a true pleasure of composition.
have a nice day Stephen
alain

MikiM (1924) 2007-08-29 4:27

HI Stephen,
Excellent shot wiht the best color of the blue hour.
I feel that you combines two images into one. The sihoultte of the tree and the moon can be first and the Cathedral is the sconed. Both picture is nice and perfect. But the combintaion is far better.

Thanks for sharing!
Mikl鏀

PS:I may suggest some dark frame in order to extend the narrow cropped picture.

edytungkal (4551) 2007-09-23 19:08

Hello Stephen,
A wonderful night shot with beautiful architecture of Cathedral and the moon between the branches is really a nice bonus on this picture. I like the warm colours created from the low light and the blue sky is a very nice BG. Thanks

daniel

aloyho (6798) 2007-09-30 23:17

Hi Stephen,
The arrival of darkness always spring surprises and I can really see a very good one here. The blue sky and the bare branches together with the moon evoke that magical feeling. Excellent lighting which brought out the beauty of the architecture which is not possible with daylight. The wait is well rewarded and most satisfying. Brilliant shot!!
Have a nice day.

chanteuse (210) 2011-12-27 11:01

A marvelous reward for your patience!
I have stayed in the cathedral guesthouse twice and seen it at all hours but despaired of having a wonderful photo of this time of day. Beautifully done and thank you!