A lunar eclipse and the desire for clear skies with minimal light pollution motivated me to take my first trip to Crater Lake, Oregon. The day started with a long early drive. Upon arrival, I was only able to find the energy to do some quick scouting. After a quick nap, I made these images. They were all taken by moonlight with exposures of 2.5 seconds to 5 seconds. I absolutely love the tone of the light. Now that I know the technique, I hope to shoot more images using only the moon's light.

This is the main reason we made the trip. This was my third attempt at shooting a lunar eclipse and probably the most uncomfortable shooting conditions. The wind was strong making it quite chilly. I resorted to using my truck as a wind break. The images are not perfectly sharp, but I managed a good web image. However, large prints are not possible.

This set of images were taken the next morning. Crater Lake has amazingly blue water due to its source being only rain and snow. The crater also makes a great wind break leaving the water fairly calm adding detail to the reflections. It's truly a great subject. I hope to return when there's still snow on the ground, but then again I really hate the cold.

28 Vertical Frame Panorama

14 Vertical Frame Panorama

Crater Lake had quite a few hungry chipmunks. We braved the possible $100 fine to encourage them to pose for a few quick shots.

On the way home we stopped by Newberry Crater just south of Bend, OR. Paulina Creek Falls is one of the highlights of the park. However, I prefer to shoot waterfalls during over cast skies to help eliminate the harsh shadows and allow for slower shutter speeds. I'm not too happy with the shots, but the location has potential.

4 Frame Blended Pano