Archive
Varying Techniques used to Photograph Supermoons Over the Years
A supermoon is a full moon (opposite Earth from the sun) that closely coincides with perigee – the moon’s closest point to Earth in its monthly elliptic orbit. When the moon always swings farthest away from Earth once each month; that point is called apogee. These perigee, or
Nuclear Supermoon
supermoons, result in what seems like a larger-than-usual apparent size as viewed from Earth. There are 4-6 supermoons a year on average and can cause real physical effects, such as
Supermoon Reflected
larger-than-usual tides. From a photographic standpoint, supermoons also take on a deep reddish tint as they rise from the horizon, lightening in color to yellow and/or tan and then, eventually
Supermoon and Cruise Ship
to the regular, although a bit brighter, white. Due to the unique nature of this phenomenon, I have tried to capture supermoons in various ways over the years. In order of presentation here:
Supermoon and Distant Bird
(1.) has an effect similar to a nuclear explosion as the moon seems to be exploding from the horizon, (2.) within a second or two after that, the moon has risen above the horizon and
Birds Eye View
leaves a glint of reflection underneath, (3.) a cruise ship’s embarkation timed to pass the supermoonrise, (4.) a dusk supermoon also has a very distant bird silhouetted against the
Clouded Supermoon at Dusk
bottom, left corner,(5.) several birds silhouetted against a blurred, high rising moon offers another take on how to capture the scene. Finally (6.) a clouded moon framed as it rises between the silhouette of two trees at dusk.
Clearly, the phenomenon offers countless possibilities to capture a…super image.
After a Long Slow Burn, Time to Cool Down and for Dawn of a New Day
After a slow burn, no matter how long it takes, there must come a time to cool off and start a new cycle. It’ never easy, it’s not inevitable but it is necessary to avoid the alternative.
Tequila Sunset, 2014
So, whether actually physically ready or not, at least we must try to power the mind through… toward a new beginning. For if you don’t, you will only continue on, like the recent past, and reach a dead end…..and at least for me, I have never been good at dead ends, there’s nothing to see, nothing to photograph, nothing to create…only death and end, both too finite for my tastes.
So here it goes toward pushing through, to realizing, at least first mentally, that all bad must come to an end at some time and a new day must soon begin. …Here’s hope.
To that end, sometimes starting over, an image does not have to involve alot in order to evoke emotion. Sometimes going back to simple positioning, if not pure contrast and searing color, and nothing else, can get your point across. You don’t have to over do it…just do it right.
Feeling the Heat / Good Days, Bad Days
River of Grass, Florida Everglades, 2009
Towering Inferno, Florida Everglades 2007
“In the days of my youth, I was told what it means to be a man.
Now I’ve reached that age, I’ve tried to do all those things the best I can.
No matter how I try, I find my way into the same old jam”..
Good Days Bad Days,
Led Zeppelin
Says it all…I got nothin’ else.
Reign O’r Me (The WHO, Quadrophenia)
Slanted Rain, Florida Everglades 2012
With the remnants of Erika, we are seeing a great deal of rain in South Florida. It’s better than a Hurricane.
Often, we can see the storms as they approach. This one was out in the Florida Everglades a.k.a. the “River of Grass.”
Somewhere Over the Rainbow… Way Up High
Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Florida Everglades, 2013
E.Y. Harburg wrote the lyrics sung by Judy Garland in the Wizard of Oz.”Somewhere over the rainbow..Way up high. And the dreams that you dreamed of…Once in a lullaby”
I wonder if this is what he was writing about. (Graduated Neutral Density Filter/Tripod for the photographers).
Now, if I could only get out there and catch some more of them…or at least find that Pot of Gold at the end of it.
Trying Saatchi Art / Approaching Storm
Approaching Storm, Florida Everglades, FL 2012
The slanted rain of an approaching storm signals Mother Nature’s nearing onslaught. Storms move very quickly in the Florida Everglades and can be seen from great distances due to the lay of the land. I, for one, have been caught in more than my share of downpours when I waited too long to get the best image, and she punished me for it.
Recently I have tried showing some of my select Fine Art Prints for sale on the Saatchi Art Collection at http://www.saatol.us/1K9YK3d
Hopefully, there will be an approaching storm…of new collectors.
Birds Eye View
Bird in Sawgrass, Florida Everglades, 2012
Having been out of sorts for a long while, seemingly with the weight of the world upon you, tends to manifest the feeling of isolation. This image captures that feeling wherein the weight of a common South Florida black bird known as a Grackle is supported by a thin reed of Sawgrass in the Florida Everglades.
Although isolated at that very moment, shortly thereafter he flew away, joining other members of his flock and then finding strength in numbers. Until then…
Bringing the Heat
Wildfire, Florida Everglades 2007
Summer brings lightning strikes to the Florida Everglades. Combined with dry Sawgrass, the resulting wildfires can be seen for miles. The electric power line towers at the bottom of the image show the scale of the towering inferno.
This is also a metaphor for our Miami Basketball team going for their third straight Championship, and how I’ve been feeling lately…not in a good way.
Earth Day 2014
Mother Earth
In 2011, I decided to create a 3 minute montage of some of my images to commemorate Earth Day (April 22nd each year). My goal was to celebrate the planet’s natural beauty and put forth the message of conservation and preservation.
Initially, I planned on making a new video each year, but life got in the way. So, until such time as I can create a new one, I re-post the original around Earth Day each year.
I added natural sound to the finished piece and the haunting musical soundtrack is Willow and the Light by Kevin MacLeod. (A good pair of stereo headphones can enhance the experience).
If you haven’t seen it before, I hope you enjoy it and when it comes to Mother Earth…choose wisely.
Best of 2013 / 10 Favorites from the Past Year
Waterfall, Milton, OH 2013
Lower Falls, Hocking Hills, OH 2013
Ebb and Flow, Deerfield Beach FL 2013
Thunder Road, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 2013
Gray Cat, Green Eyes, 2013
Caracara, 2013
Flamingo Fire, 2013
July 4th Fireworks, 2013
Moon and Stars, 2013
Never Forget, 911 Memorial, 2013
Before it gets too much further into the new year, here are some of my favorites from 2013.
Looking forward to creating more in 2014.
For the Birds /Sunset Silhouettes in Black and White
The Birds, Florida Everglades 2008
Birds in Tree, Dayton, OH 2013
Many sunsets are not very photogenic. On those days, I look for a subject to silhouette against the darkening sky. Birds in trees are a good candidate for these type of images. Shoot up into the trees as the sun is setting while concentrating on the composition and keeping the subject sharp.
Since the colors on these days leave alot to be desired, black and white can salvage the scene. So, rather than packing up and going home on these questionable sunset evenings, get creative and you might just go home with a keeper.
Beautiful Storm / Fifty Shades of Gray
Beautiful Storm, Alligator Alley, FL 2013
Living just east of the Florida Everglades we experience some intense storms during the summer. Using radar on weather apps I can pinpoint the time and direction of the storms and head in front of them to capture the darkening skies. On this particular day there was a weather alert for a severe line of thunder storms coming in from the west. Driving out to meet the storm, at the edge of the Everglades I witnessed some of the most ominous and beautiful storm clouds I had ever seen. They reminded me of the early scenes in the War of the Worlds movie (the Spielberg/Cruise version) with fierce winds to match.
Everglades Canal, Alligator Alley, FL 2013
I photographed this beautiful storm from various angles, including above a canal framed by power line towers that run along the edge of the Everglades.
Storm Over US 27, Weston, FL 2013
Finally, I captured this view, which I wouldn’t suggest anyone try, from the middle of the vast U.S. 27 Highway that runs north and south through the Everglades. This “vanishing point” image features the lights of an oncoming car under the massive storm clouds. Seconds later the sky opened up and torrential rains poured down. By then I was back in the car following the radar to stay in front of the storm. After years of practise, and always done with caution, storm chasing is not to be taken lightly.
You should always respect Mother Nature.
BSG Solo Exhibition at 25CPW Gallery on Central Park West in NYC
After participating in a group show at 25CPW Gallery in December, I am having a Solo Exhibition at the gallery. This coming Thursday, January 10, 2013 will be the Artist Reception from 6-9 pm. The Gallery is located on Central Park West at 62nd Street, one block north of Columbus Circle. Anyone that is in New York at the time is very welcome to come by. Additionally, there will be gallery hours from 12pm to 8pm that weekend. www.25cpw.org
A portion of the proceeds will go to Evan’s Team, a foundation created in memory of Evan Lieberman, an amazing young man we lost in a tragic car accident. www.evansteamny.com
Closing Out 2012 in Grand Style – BSG Exhibiting @ 25CPW Gallery/NYC

Cab Ride in the Rain, Radio City Music Hall, NYC 2009
Closing out 2012 in grand style. I will be exhibiting work at 25CPW, the great New York City gallery located at Central Park West and West 62nd Street. http://www.25cpw.org/ Bess Greenberg, Founder/Curatorial Director and Abby Verbosky, Manager of Exhibitions run the gallery which has recently held a 100 year celebration of Editta Sherman’s celebrity portraits that was covered by ABC News and the New York Times. They have also mounted exhibits with the Magnum Foundation, the New York Camera Club and continue to show the work of established and emerging artists.
The Artist’s Market group exhibition will run from Thursday night through Sunday night. Gallery hours are 12 pm to 8 pm, with an Artist’s Reception Saturday night with live music from 6pm to 9pm (gallery will close at 10:00 pm).
I hope that all my NYC friends and anyone else that might like to see some interesting work, will stop by. Thank You.
Selective Focus – Elvis has left the building.
Elvis, 2012
In a new addition to my close-up animal portrait series Of the Wild, I created a classic black & white image of an American Alligator.
Not just any alligator, mind you… Anyone that remembers the classic TV show, Miami Vice, should recall Elvis, the alligator that lived on “Sonny Crockett” (Don Johnson)’s sailboat. As with many great animal actors, Elvis has retired to live out his days in a place where he is provided for. In this case, in South Florida at Flamingo Gardens in Davie. www.flamingogardens.org
Using selective focus with a long (400 mm) lens, I highlighted E’s eyes and left his menacing teeth soft, but clearly visible. The puddle that formed on his indented snout adds another dimension to the close-up portrait.
In South Florida you tend to see alligators, and not just in captivity. You can see them on the golf course, in the local canals and in your neighbor’s yard (better than in yours). Although I usually use a long lens for these scary creatures, last weekend I had to tip toe past one that decided to park itself across the only path out of the section of Everglades National Park that I happened to be shooting in. http://1.usa.gov/8y8HyS
Nothing like a little excitement at the end of a day’s shoot.
Blocking the Path, Everglades National Park, 2012
One way out, getting dark…what would you do?
Rainbow Sunset – Everglades City
Rainbow & Dock, Everglades City, FL 2009
Heading south from Naples, Florida along the southwest coast, one of the last populated areas (1,000 residents in 2011) is Everglades City. Known for stone crabs and environmental touring of the area, it is the northwest entry into Everglades National Park. On this particular summer evening I interrupted a casual waterfront dinner to capture this rare combination of rainbow and sunset.
Sunset at the Docks, Everglades City, FL 2009
Rainbows come and go within a matter of minutes and are best captured as soon as they are seen (and preferably with a polarizing filter to bring out the colors). Additionally, the fleeting magic hour (actually sometimes just minutes) following sunset, often provides spectacular lighting for creating beautiful land and seascapes, but is also soon just a (hopefully recorded) memory.
River of Grass – The Florida Everglades
River of Grass, Florida Everglades, 2009
Having shown a darker side of natural Florida in my last post, here is an example of the extraordinary beauty that exists in the state.
Named by writer, journalist and environmentalist Marjorie Stoneman Douglas, Florida’s River of Grass flows through the heart of South Florida providing vast landscapes and a home to numerous species of wildlife. With a topography that is so flat, a good vantage point to shoot can be achieved from a manmade rise or observation tower (although Big Cypress’s Clyde Butcher www.clydebutcher.com creates B & W images with his 8 x 10 camera while standing waist deep in the swamp). I have tried that, but I find myself paying too much attention to what might be coming towards me, rather than what is in front of me.
While alligators periodically swam by, I shot this scene from the safety of an air boat that was briefly standing still after a noisy (ear plugs mandatory) ride, hovering above, and across the sawgrass.
Sweet Dreams – Sugar Refining in Florida
Emission Flight, Clewiston, FL 2012
In central South Florida, the landscape is dominated by sugarcane fields. Refineries here produce hundreds of thousands of tons of sugar each year worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Smoke stacks at the main refinery plants emit chemicals, which is largely waste from the burning of cane stems and other woody residue that creates fuel that runs the facilities. Many birds, including Vultures, hover near the site.
Sweet Dreams, Clewiston Sugarcane Fields, FL 2012
Prior to harvest, sugar cane covers much of the vast, flat landscape along U. S. Route 27 near Clewiston, Florida. Trucks can be seen barrelling down the highway carrying the harvested sugar cane to the plant for refining into crystal. Controlled burns in the fields are also a daily occurence and can be seen for miles, sending billowing clouds into the sky.
Eyes of Fire
Having spent the last few posts on Seascapes, it was time to get back to my series, Of the Wild. It is in various forms of captivity that I find the animals and birds for this series. They are protected from me and I am protected from them. My images capture the life force that is simultaneously controlled; yet untamed. I am drawn to their eyes as that draws the viewer into the frame. The framing device jolts the viewer from reading the images as a cliché. By abstracting the eye or face from the rest of the body, I force an intimate exchange of energy and focus between the image and the viewer. The images make us confront the dignity, personality and identity of these magnificent creatures and remind us why they so desperately need our protection.
This fiery portrait of the endangered Florida Panther was captured at a refuge in the Everglades. The late afternoon lighting that allowed me to capture these incredible eyes was gone as quickly as it had come. A long lens and great patience helped me create this portrait that has been recognized in International photography competitions and exhibited in Galleries. I also like to think that I have some photographic fire…in my eyes.