We took a quick trip to LA for an early Christmas with our son, Eric and his family.
Looking for a way to spend the day that we all could enjoy, we headed for Griffith Observatory.
It was a relatively clear day (for Los Angeles) with a view of downtown
and to the west, Century City and the Pacific Ocean.
We hadn't thought much about the date when choosing where to spend the day but it was the Winter Solstice, believed by some to be the day the world would end according to the Mayan Calendar. As it happens, the director of the observatory is Dr. Ed Krupp (on the right) whose specialty is Archaeoastronomy. Not surprisingly, they made a big deal of the event.
Visitors were invited to watch the sunset on the patio where a line in the concrete would line up with the sun at sunset on the Winter Solstice. This created several challenges for the photographer.
The first was location. With so many people it was difficult to find a spot where one could get a view straight down the line.
The second problem was exposure. A little Photoshop Elements magic helped with that.
I finally found the perfect spot, not surprisingly it was already occupied but I was able to shoot over the shoulder of the gentleman already in position. When the sun had set and everyone began to drift away I found that I had been shooting over the shoulder of Dr. Krupp. I imagine he had the spot picked out well in advance!
Find more views of the sky at SkyWatch, Friday.
16 comments:
Awesome skies and a glorious way to end any day, Martha!! Thanks for sharing the beauty! Wishing you a very Happy, Healthy and Fun New Year!
What a fun place to be for solstice, even if not planned that way.
beautiful Martha!!! I wish you a very happy healthy New Year!
A couple of great captures.
Happy new year from a fellow sky watcher and sky lover.
the last two pictures are great !
Great minds think alike, you and the Doctor. Great photos.
That's a beautiful golden and orange sunset! Wonderful capture from the observatory. You're right...that is a relatively clear day for LA!
What a wonderful day to spend at the observatory. Happy memories for me. Dad and I used to hike there. What a view of L.A. Clear too, how odd. Happy New Year.
Joyce M
Marvellous skies.
you captured a beautiful sunset ..
Observatory sound like a very good idéa. :)
Happy New Year to you.
Great pictures! I remember going to Griffith Park Observatory with my dad a long time ago.
What a treat seeing your photos. Makes up for the very cold and dull day here in Coventry :).
Gorgeous sunset captures!!
Talk about serendipity! Perfect place, perfect day, perfect shoulder to shoot over ;>)....what a neat family trip. (And I found out just what I wanted to know after catching up on your other blog first!)
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