A special thanks goes to Andrew S. and Shae T. for the idea of this shot. The 15ft. Sun Singer statue can be found in the middle of a clearing at Allerton State Park in Central Illinois. This statue depicts the Greek and Roman god, Apollo. Among other things, Apollo has been recognized as a God of Light and the Sun. While Apollo is only associated with our sun, we now know that the sun the Earth orbits is no more than an average star in a vast galaxy. In fact, most of the stars we see in the night sky with the naked eye produce much more light and are much brighter than our own sun. If Apollo is really the God of Light, then just looking up at night will reveal his vast domain. Location: Allerton State Park, IL Date: 2010-05-04 Camera: Canon XSi (Hap Griffin modified) Lens: Sigma 10mm f/2.8 Fisheye Mount: Still Tripod Shot: 1x45 seconds at f/2.8 @ ISO 800 Processing: Photoshop Extra Equipment Used: Narrow Beam High Intensity Spot Light.
A special thanks goes to Arik D. who served as the King and 2 Knights in this image. Nerd's Note: The Sword used in this image is a replica of the sword used in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy to defeat Sauron. Location: Allerton State Park, IL Date: 2010-04-20 Camera: Canon XSi (Hap Griffin modified) Lens: Sigma 10mm f/2.8 Fisheye Mount: Still Tripod Shot: 4x30 seconds at f/2.8 @ ISO 800 One shot for each of the three people then one shot for the stars and foreground. Processing: Photoshop Extra Equipment Used: Wide Beam Low Intensity Lamp, Narrow Beam High Intensity Spot Light.
I have been meaning to come back to this target for a while now, but either the moon or the weather have prevented me from trying this shot. I originally went out to Walnut Point with no idea what (if any) constellations would be (nearly) straight up. It was a pleasant surprise to see the Big Dipper tucked away in the trees though. Special thanks to Melanie V. for her suggestion to the improvement of this shot. Another special thanks to Arik D. for lightning support and Mackenzie V. for the lightning equipment. Location: Walnut Point State Park, IL Date: 2010-04-13 Camera: Canon XSi (Hap Griffin modified) Lens: Sigma 10mm f/2.8 Fisheye Mount: Still Tripod Shot: 1x40 seconds at f/2.8 @ ISO 800 Processing: Photoshop
