By the way, it's not Moonrise Over Hernandez. It's Moonrise, Hernandez
By the way, it's not Moonrise Over Hernandez. It's Moonrise, Hernandez
Because it captures something of the amazing light and feel of a little village in the land of enchantment.
Deane, shouldn’t that be “Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico” ?
And a couple more questions about this photo have long haunted me. Now may finally be the time to ask the experts. One question about the sky in the print, another about the real sky in this region of New Mexico.
1) First, my reproduction of “Moonrise” in The Negative – like several other reproductions in the book – show tiny pinholes. Normally, my mind “edits” them out, and they don’t register. But in this photo, the “editing” is more difficult because they appear in the dark sky alongside the moon, exactly where one might expect to see stars! About 5 or 6 pinholes are fairly prominent in my book – and one even “bright” enough to twinkle, near the left side. Makes me curious if the people who’ve seen a real print of “Moonrise” noticed this at all? Or if this is a “book issue,” not a real-life “print issue”?
2) And a regional question about those blurred, surreal, mountain clouds. Since they’re distant, one suspects a long exposure might have created the other-worldly feel. Yet AA’s exposure was a “quick” 1 sec. @ f/32. Now, we all know that AA wasn’t out to transcribe reality, but I still have to wonder if those clouds look “natural” to people who live in the region. If so, is there a name for that beautiful formation? And if not, is there a darkroom process that’s responsible? Perhaps a question for Kirk, who’s traveled through the area so often.
1) I just had a good close look at my print (which hangs on the wall directlyabove this computer), and there's no twinkle, twinkle little stars.
2) The clouds are called stratus lenticularis, and while not common, they are not rare. I don't believe that I've ever seen them in the Eastern US.
Wilhelm (Sarasota)
Live a few hours away, SW Colorado and was actually within 10 miles of the Hernandez area today.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MtJeffersonoregon.jpg
Mountains do weird stuff to clouds, the link above has similar formations.
The clouds in Ansel Adams shot are very believable for me.
Thank you, Bill and Mark!
I've enjoyed lenticular clouds up here in the PNW, but I've never had the pleasure to see them take that dreamlike form over Hernandez.
I think the essence of the appeal lies in the fact that the image depicts the hand of man on the natural environment. There is also a spiritual vein in the image that appeals to values beyond composition, tonality, and image quality.
I have seen several different original prints of Moonrise over the years and it never fails to grab me. To my mind the photograph symbolilizes the harmony between man and the natural world, and the quietude that we all seek.
Happy New Year everyone,
-Preston
Preston-Columbia CA
"If you want nice fresh oats, you have to pay a fair price. If you can be satisfied with oats that have already been through the horse; that comes a little cheaper."
Conceptually, Hernandez depicts a landscape that has been tamed and domesticated by the hand of man. It has a very famine romantic quality that is very soothing to look at. All those crosses light by divine light makes us feel safe from the brutal forces of nature.
On the other hand, El Capitain captures the raw untamed beauty of the land and lacks any presence of mankind. It is much more masculine in nature full of adventure, danger, and unknowns. It is a place were a mountaineer or warrior may go in persuit of conquest, power, and riches.
Can anybody characterize the type of person who make like Hernandez as opposed to the type of person that may be drawn to El Capitain?
It evokes a sense of mystery and he had a good story.
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