Nightlight

Elm on Bluff Road
Photograph by Tom Atwood

It is amazing, and a symptom of modern life, how much light there is for a photographer to work with at night. My theory is that all the excessive, unnecessary lighting is driven by fear, but that's another discussion, one that tends to make people roll their eyes at me. In this photo taken last night of the elm  I am shooting for an Arbor Day exhibit, the sky glows almost blue from the reflected, scattered lights on the ground, including the streetlamp across Bluff Road lighting up the branches of the tree. Passing headlights also light the branches. There are stars, but many are only visible because this is a time exposure. I couldn't see most of them while taking this. Too bright. And the streak on the right is light from a jet that flew overhead while the lens was open. Next time I'll wear sunglasses.

Shutter: 30 secs; Aperture: f/3.5; ISO: 400; Focal length: 18 mm