Oct. 29, 2007 - October Moon, Las Vegas

Canon 5D, 70 -300 mm IS @ 70 mm, f/6.3, 1/30 sec., ISO 800

There's something about a full moon rising over the Las Vegas strip - it seems to add to the overall other-worldliness of the place. Like the previous post, this view is from the top of the Rio. Clearly visible are Treasure Island, the Wynn, the Mirage, the Venetian, and of course Harrah's on the extreme right. Also visible is the soon - to - open Palazzo (just to the left of the Venetian).

Purists will realize that this is a composite image. Given the extreme tonal range, it's virtually impossible to expose for the moon and the relatively dimly lit buildings in one frame. The correct exposure for the buildings (shown above) would leave the moon as a bright white ball with no detail whatsoever. The "solution" is two exposures (one for the moon, usually taken with a short telephoto, and one for the buildings). The two images are then "blended" in Photoshop. But rest assured - the moon was really there in that particular location!