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Passion, Freedom, Adventure, Fulfillment, and Joy. That is just some of what photography offers. Sharing the experience with others is the reward. This blog is a collection of stories, tutorials, and insights I have gained in my exploration of light.

Coronado Sunrise

January 11, 2019  •  1 Comment

Coronado SunriseCoronado SunriseWhat a gift it is to be alive. What a joy to be able to share it with others. What an incredible adventure awaits each day if we are willing to experience it.

This morning, at sunrise, it was as if the sky and the ground exchanged stations. A dense winter fog blanketed the valley floor while the air above the Sky Island mountains remained crystal clear. I knew that there would be no drama from the heights but hoped to capture the fog blanketing the valley. I did not expect the bright pastel colors that are the signature of sunrises in the southern Arizona high desert to demand attention from within the ground coating cloud bank. But then as the sun crept over San Jose mountain, the world exploded into a shimmering palette of diffused pink and yellow hues. It was nothing short of spectacular. It was as magnificent a gift from God as I could ever have hoped for on the anniversary of my birth.

I often share that I am blessed beyond measure to wtiness and share the beauty of this world. After last evenings post and the responses I received, I would be remiss if I did not share how humbly grateful and further blessed I am that so many appreciate the words and photographs I share. There is nothing more grand or essential than people. They, we, are the vessels of hope that carry the message of life and love to each other. That God has granted me the grace to receive such positive support from all of you is a gift beyond any I could ever have foreseen. It is a nutrient to my soul that sustain my efforts to continue to share His great masterpiece of a world. I remain, gratefully, His scribe.
Shoot Date: January 11, 2019
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Aperture priority ¹⁄₄₀ sec at f/16 ‒ 2 EV
Lens: EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM @ 17 mm
ISO: 100

What a gift it is to be alive. What a joy to be able to share it with others. What an incredible adventure awaits each day if we are willing to experience it. 

 

This morning, at sunrise, it was as if the sky and the ground exchanged stations. A dense winter fog blanketed the valley floor while the air above the Sky Island mountains remained crystal clear. I knew that there would be no drama from the heights but hoped to capture the fog blanketing the valley.  I did not expect the bright pastel colors that are the signature of sunrises in the southern Arizona high desert to demand attention from within the ground coating cloud bank. But then as the sun crept over San Jose mountain, the world exploded into a shimmering palette of diffused pink and yellow hues. It was nothing short of spectacular. It was as magnificent a gift from God as I could ever have hoped for on the anniversary of my birth.  

 

I often share that I am blessed beyond measure to witness and share the beauty of this world. After last evenings post and the responses I received, I would be remiss if I did not share how humbly grateful and further blessed I am that so many appreciate the words and photographs I share. There is nothing more grand or essential than people. They, we, are the vessels of hope that carry the message of life and love to each other. That God has granted me the grace to receive such positive support from all of you is a gift beyond any I could ever have foreseen. It is a nutrient to my soul that sustain my efforts to continue to share His great masterpiece of a world. I remain, gratefully, His scribe. 

 

Coronado Sunrise
©RGallucci Photography

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Shoot Date: January 11, 2019
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Aperture priority ¹⁄40 sec at f/16
Lens: EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM @ 17 mm w/ND .9 filter
ISO: 100

 


A Pyrenees Town

January 10, 2019  •  Leave a Comment

A Pyrenees TownA Pyrenees TownThe most remarkable thing about the towns that dot the mountain landscape in Aragon Spain is how unremarkable they are. Towns that were established here centuries ago are often not more than a central church and a few homes. Surrounded by farmland and often populated by roaming cattle that outnumber the people, life here is infinitely more simple.

It was the red field of flowers that motivated me to pull off the highway to capture this photo and memorialize our first trip to the Pyrenees. I couldn't think of a better image to reflect on once we returned. I cannot wait until we return this June to host our first international workshop.
Shoot Date: June 13, 2018
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Aperture priority ¹⁄₂₅₀ sec at f/8.0 ‒ 2 EV
Lens: EF28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM @ 100 mm
ISO: 100

The most remarkable thing about the towns that dot the mountain landscape in Aragon Spain is how unremarkable they are. Towns that were established here centuries ago are often not more than a central church and a few homes. Surrounded by farmland and often populated by roaming cattle that outnumber the people, life here is infinitely more simple. 

 

It was the red field of flowers that motivated me to pull off the highway to capture this photo and memorialize our first trip to the Pyrenees. I couldn't think of a better image to reflect on once we returned. I cannot wait until we return this June to host our first international workshop. 

 

A Pyrenees Town
©RGallucci Photography

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Shoot Date: June 13, 2018
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Aperture priority ¹⁄250 sec at f/8.0 
Lens: EF28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM @ 100 mm
ISO: 100
 

 


Dragoon Trails

January 05, 2019  •  Leave a Comment

Dragoon TrailsDragoon TrailsMost people see the sky move throughout the night but do not realize that the sky is stationary to our view, it is the earth that is moving. The six hours we spent the other night photographing the Quadrantids Meteor shower resulted in over 1000 images. It seemed like a waste to delete all those shots, so I took the first two hundred and stitched them together into star trails. Each line in the sky is a star whose position moved relative to my camera. The area with the smallest movement in right next to Polaris, the North Star. It remains relatively stable through the night because it is at the center of the earth rotational axis. While geeky to some I think it is star trail images and the way they illustrate the earth's movement are extraordinarily cool.

The Dragoons are one of my all-time favorite mountain ranges. With their bronze fractured rock formations, they look like some alien landscape. I have also been told that they look like dinosaur dung - but that would be a gigantic dinosaur!

This is a fantastic world. It is a circular tapestry of infinite beauty that reveals itself in so many ways. It is my belief and faith that it was created by a benevolent God, the master artist. The words to express my humble gratitude at being able to witness this artistry and share it often seem trite and feeble. But as I continue as His scribe, I will continue to try to do Him honor.
Shoot Date: January 4, 2019
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Manual 15.0 sec at f/2.5 0 EV
Lens: 15mm @ 15 mm
ISO: 3200

Most people see the sky move throughout the night but do not realize that the sky is stationary to our view, it is the earth that is moving. The six hours we spent the other night photographing the Quadrantids Meteor shower resulted in over 1000 images. It seemed like a waste to delete all those shots, so I took the first two hundred and stitched them together into star trails. Each line in the sky is a star whose position moved relative to my camera. The area with the smallest movement in right next to Polaris, the North Star. It remains relatively stable through the night because it is at the center of the earth rotational axis. While geeky to some I think it is star trail images and the way they illustrate the earth's movement are extraordinarily cool. 

 

The Dragoons are one of my all-time favorite mountain ranges. With their bronze fractured rock formations, they look like some alien landscape. I have also been told that they look like dinosaur dung - but that would be a gigantic dinosaur! 

 

This is a fantastic world. It is a circular tapestry of infinite beauty that reveals itself in so many ways. It is my belief and faith that it was created by a benevolent God, the master artist. The words to express my humble gratitude at being able to witness this artistry and share it often seem trite and feeble. But as I continue as His scribe, I will continue to try to do Him honor. 

 

Dragoon Trails
©RGallucci Photography
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Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Night Sky 
Manual 15.0 sec at f/2.5 0 EV
Lens: Irix 15mm @ 15 mm
ISO: 3200
Two hundred image stacked in StarStaX
Foreground
Manual 15.0 sec at f/2.5 0 EV
Lens: 15mm @ 15 mm
ISO: 3200
Captured early morning


Quadrantids

January 04, 2019  •  Leave a Comment

QuadrantidsQuadrantidsAs we stood at the foot of the Dragoon Mountains the uncharacteristically 23˚ cold due to the recent snow storms that blanketed the southern Arizona high desert this past week froze us to the bone. But that same storm left the night skies the clearest and most brilliant I have ever seen. It was well worth the discomfort.

Our goal was straightforward. The first meteor shower of the year, the Quadrantids, would peak this evening and we wanted to be there to capture as many "shooting stars" as we could. The unique, and off wordly landscape of the Dragoon Mountains made for the best setting we could imagine. We started shooting at 1:00 am, and six and a half hours later we wrapped up, hoping that we had some keepers.

All told I ended up with over fifty meteors. I chose the twenty I liked best and created this composite.

The Quadrantids meteor shower radiates from the constellation Bootes, which sits just below Ursa Major (the Big Dipper). It has the shortest peak of any meteor showers, only one day. The best time to view it is between the hours of 2:00 am and 7:00 am. The meteors pictured in this image all radiate out from the showers radiant.

Spending the night with friends watching the grand power of Gods brushstroke paint the sky with flaming lines of brilliant color once again reminded me of how great this word He created is. I cannot imagine being more blessed than I am to bear witness, and share this glory. I am humbled to be scribe.
Shoot Date: January 4, 2019
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Manual 15.0 sec at f/2.5 0 EV
Lens: 15mm @ 15 mm
ISO: 3200

 

As we stood at the foot of the Dragoon Mountains the uncharacteristically 23˚ cold due to the recent snow storms that blanketed the southern Arizona high desert this past week froze us to the bone. But that same storm left the night skies the clearest and most brilliant I have ever seen. It was well worth the discomfort.

 

Our goal was straightforward. The first meteor shower of the year, the Quadrantids, would peak this evening and we wanted to be there to capture as many "shooting stars" as we could. The unique, and off-worldly landscape of the Dragoon Mountains made for the best setting we could imagine. We started shooting at 1:00 am, and six and a half hours later we wrapped up, hoping that we had some keepers.

 

All told I ended up with over fifty meteors. I chose the twenty I liked best and created this composite.

 

The Quadrantids meteor shower radiates from the constellation Bootes, which sits just below Ursa Major (the Big Dipper). It has the shortest peak of any meteor showers, only one day. The best time to view it is between the hours of 2:00 am and 7:00 am. The meteors pictured in this image all radiate out from the showers radiant.

 

Spending the night with friends watching the grand power of Gods brushstroke paint the sky with flaming lines of brilliant color once again reminded me of how great this word He created is. I cannot imagine being more blessed than I am to bear witness, and share this glory. I am humbled to be His scribe.

 

Quadrantids

©RGallucci Photography

Shoot Date: January 4, 2019

Night Sky

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

Manual 15.0 sec at f/2.5 0 EV

Lens: 15mm @ 15 mm

ISO: 3200

Twenty images stacked in Starry Landscape Tracker

Meteors

Manual 15.0 sec at f/2.5 0 EV

Lens: 15mm @ 15 mm

ISO: 3200

Individual Captures rotated around radiant

Foreground

Manual 15.0 sec at f/2.5 0 EV

Lens: 15mm @ 15 mm

ISO: 3200

Captured early morning

 


The Wash

December 31, 2018  •  Leave a Comment

The WashThe WashHappy New Year! My last image of 2018. What a great year. One of my strangest first memories of moving here was the frequent flood warning signs that dot most of the roads. At first, I thought it was some peculiar Arizona humor. New friends assured me that it was not. People die each year in from the flash floods that rage down from the mountains during monsoon season. Still, having not yet experienced that most spectacular and renewing season of violent rainstorms framed by flaming shards of complex lightning I was skeptical. The only evidence I had to believe them was the numerous ravines of eroded land that the floodwaters left behind as they scoured through.

I've still not seen or experienced a flash flood, and I am good with that. Having witnessed the aftermath of the diestrus washed onto the roadways following one was enough to convince me of their power. Since then, the numerous washes that line the landscape have taken on new meaning to me. Dry and tranquil the majority of the year they are natural sculptures in the land. Their eroded walls tell a story of the history of the storms. To me, they are as much a part of the paradise that is the southern Arizona high desert as the mountains, cacti, forests, and wildlife, what is not natural though is seeing them covered in snow. Water in that form is as alien to their existence as it is to the rest of the desert.

I think that is why this image means so much to me. This is a year that has enlightened me to the extreme contrast between where I spent most of my life, the overpopulated NorthEast, and the Elysium of the Arizona high desert. At first out of place, I was a stranger in a strange land that I now comfortably call home. To my eye, I think the snow in the valley may feel the same. It was lucky to have fallen here.

This has been a year which has humbled me daily with the beauty of Gods creation. I am blessed to be His scribe.
Shoot Date: December 30, 2018
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Aperture priority ¹⁄₈₀ sec at f/22 ‒ 2 EV
Lens: TAMRON SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD A011 @ 150 mm
ISO: 100

Happy New Year! My last image of 2018. What a great year.  One of my strangest first memories of moving here was the frequent flood warning signs that dot most of the roads. At first, I thought it was some peculiar Arizona humor. New friends assured me that it was not. People die each year in from the flash floods that rage down from the mountains during monsoon season. Still, having not yet experienced that most spectacular and renewing season of violent rainstorms framed by flaming shards of complex lightning I was skeptical. The only evidence I had to believe them was the numerous ravines of eroded land that the floodwaters left behind as they scoured through.  

 

I've still not seen or experienced a flash flood, and I am good with that. Having witnessed the aftermath of the diestrus washed onto the roadways following one was enough to convince me of their power. Since then, the numerous washes that line the landscape have taken on new meaning to me. Dry and tranquil the majority of the year they are natural sculptures in the land. Their eroded walls tell a story of the history of the storms. To me, they are as much a part of the paradise that is the southern Arizona high desert as the mountains, cacti, forests, and wildlife, what is not natural though is seeing them covered in snow. Water in that form is as alien to their existence as it is to the rest of the desert. 

 

I think that is why this image means so much to me. This is a year that has enlightened me to the extreme contrast between where I spent most of my life, the overpopulated NorthEast, and the Elysium of the Arizona high desert. At first out of place, I was a stranger in a strange land that I now comfortably call home. To my eye, I think the snow in the valley may feel the same. It was lucky to have fallen here. 

 

This has been a year which has humbled me daily with the beauty of Gods creation. I am blessed to be His scribe. 

 

The Wash
©RGallucci Photography
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Shoot Date: December 30, 2018
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Aperture priority ¹⁄80 sec at f/22 
Lens: TAMRON SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD A011 @ 150 mm
ISO: 100
 

 

 

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