The Machinery of Night

Posted 5:16 PM by Angie Schultz

Foto Friday: Tilting at the Windmills of Your Mind

I realize that this sunset looks a lot like the last one:

Sunset from Home, May 2011

But I noticed something interesting while taking it:

Windmills on Puu Kukui, May 2011

I hope that's visible. You might have to click to get the full picture, and even then it's not really obvious. (And you can't see it in the first image, because of the loss of resolution when I scaled the image down.)

I'm referring to the shadows cast by the windmills. I saw this even with my elderly eyes, but unfortunately they don't stand out in the photos. I had to fiddle with the contrast quite a bit (getting the colors all out of whack) to get them this clear.

I think that's pretty cool. You have to have the sun in just the right place, and a lot of haze in the atmosphere, to get these. Note that these aren't the windmills' shadows on the mountain, but on the atmosphere itself. I tried taking maximum-zoom images of just these, but strangely that didn't turn out as well. I'll have to see if I can do better with the tripod (once all this damned weather clears).

That second image has a sort of Calvary look to it. You shall not press down upon the brow of prosperity this crown of thorns, you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of sustainable energy! Hmm, needs work.

Labels: Foto Friday, Hawaii, May 2011