Full Moon, Ethereal Landscapes and Vintage Macro!

With every week, we're presented with more intricate and fancier words. For the current instance, Diane invited us to reflect upon the meaning of the word “ethereal” — while accomplishing visual representations of such notions. Few guidelines were given in this call — making it even trickier, even for those rich in experience. Oh, but wait a minute, there's something attached to our eerie adjective… Landscapes it is.

Alright, so what exactly is an ethereal landscape anyway? Well, for the landscape part we have it pretty much covered; we might come to agree that the sole purpose of capturing vistas is to convey a certain amount of view and perspective. Now, for the dreamlike stuff, we can do some old-fashioned dictionary digging.

This particular lexicon however, comes from the ancient knowledge of language itself. Rooted in the noun “ether”, it refers to the uppermost regions of space; the purest layers of the observable sky. And speaking of pureness, read the following excerpt taken from aforementioned entry:

In ancient cosmology, the element that filled all space beyond the sphere of the moon, constituting the substance of the stars and planets. Conceived of as a purer form of fire or air, or as a fifth element.

And in modern days, we can use this overarching term for that remaining unknown about the complex forces in the universe. Poetic as the ancient definition or rational as the scientific one, it's easy to imagine this as something fluid and elusive; not just to our senses, but also for our understanding.

If you are interested in summing to the pool, consider long-exposure images of water bodies and thick moving clouds; or both! Also, you can study behaviour on liquids and gases. Try what you find the most curious ways for transmitting the surreal feeling an ethereal landscape can give!

Photo of the Week

Within the diverse images shared for the weekly call, this shot was notorious and pushes the limits of what can be considered as a landscape photograph. Centred, rough, filled with character and flaws; just like the ancient satellite balancing the waters of our world.

In the original thread, Wendy mentioned this being just a test prior to the latest red moon lunar eclipse. Trial or not, this ethereal landscape goes above and beyond — the sub-framing approach delivers the claustrophobic sensation of being down in a well.

Genius imagery Wendy, thanks for shaking us with your creative touch.

Weekly Photography Challenge Digest

Thanks again to Diane and Dahlia for pushing our creative boundaries one step forward every week!

For contributing, check out the original challenge post!

A Highlight on the Latest Activity at our Community

Robert Apple opened a new photography throwdown under the title “Growth with Gear and Styles”. He did this with the 4H kids and sounds like a great discovery tool for stretching bounds; swing by! He also shared some results from some latest acquisitions and gave macro photography some fresh images.

First the Olympus Zukio Macro 38mm f3.5:

I should be able to pull out some insane detail when I get the polarized lighting setup going again, the light diffusion at this magnification gets intense on reflective surfaces.

Then, the Warszawa MIKAR 55mm f4.5:

Last but not least, the Amar PZO 105MM f4.5 Prime Macro

I found a dried up leaf out side the door, red arrow is pointing at it and shot a extreme macro, much of the detail cant be seen with the naked eye, Ive got 4 more macro lenses to test that were in the collection, I’ll save the leaf as a subject as I try them out.

Don't forget to check the photo contest winners for January's Color Theory In Practice; and remember, this month's photo contest is now open for entries. The theme is “Surrealism and Dreamscapes“. Submit your photos for a chance to win $250 and please don't forget voting as well. Last but not least, keep an eye out for the Members Picks — the instructions are pretty straightforward:

Members reference what you might consider a five star photo. Give a call out to the photographer and share their photo even if it lies in the Shark Tank and feel free to give a Critique on why it trips your Trigger. Be sure to mention the photographer and the Thread you saw it in.

And if you want to make out the most of your LightStalking user account, make sure to check the latest posts. Also, don't forget to swim the Mobile Monday Challenge! Last but not least, Check out the current reading throwdown, it has some nice insights and recommendations!

We'd Love To Hear Your Thoughts

Our Feedback Forum is a fine place for all those people wanting to grow fast as photographers. Here, you'll get your work reviewed by well-intended photographers, but you'll also have the chance of commenting on the work of others. We believe in the power of feedback, and here are the latest shots shared in the pool:

The Shark Tank is a great place to learn and to discuss, but please read the instructions in order to get a better experience. Share your comments, opinions and doubts on any or all of the images above. We also will be delighted to see some of your own images. Remember all comments are given to the photographs; not the photographers. Also, don't forget to participate in our upcoming challenge!