Journey to the center of the Earth

This is the Earth Hall inside the Natural History Museum in London. Hoping to capture images of some of the spaces before they filled with people, I arrived early and was one of the first people through the doors. After spending my first moments photographing the great Hintze Hall (published earlier in the Looking Down on Darwin post), I quickly made my way to this great space.

I thought the room would fill up quickly, but I ended up having the place to myself for about 10 minutes. Being alone, I had the benefit of getting some compositions that otherwise would have been difficult. Standing here at the bottom of the escalator is one example, and it turned out to be my favorite. With no one in front or behind me, I could take my time. This proved essential as it took several hand-held attempts to try to align myself and the camera in the right spot (tripods are not allowed).

I recently rediscovered this image going through some old files on my computer. I have always liked this image, but for whatever reason, I hadn't published it until now. With the museum closed indefinitely due to the global health situation, it seems like the right time to finally share it with you. It is best to experience this chamber in person, so let's hope the museum is able to open its doors again soon.

Neist Point Sunset

Neist Point is one of the most picturesque lighthouses in Scotland. It is located on the northwest coast of the Isle of Skye and is a well-earned reward for those willing to make their way out to the remote stretch of shoreline.

In addition to the walking path to the lighthouse, there are several paths in the area that take you up the surrounding bluffs. Great views are possible in all directions. This was my favorite spot, overlooking the entire peninsula and the lighthouse at the tip.

I was fortunate this evening, as the steady rain that had plagued my four-day visit was just beginning to clear. It was still raining on the eastern side of the island, but the western side had a beautiful view of the sunset. It was delightful to finally see a colorful sky as the sun descended to my right.

This image is a blend of two exposures. I intended to solely use one long 140-second exposure for the image to produce a soft sky and smooth water. However, the sheep on the hillside moved just enough in 140 seconds to turn into blurry white blobs. As a result, I also blended in a normal (sheep speed) exposure for the land.

Ground Under Ben

I have to admit, the first time I visited London I was a little starstruck walking around most of the famous tourist attractions. I suppose I felt this way because I was actually standing next to all of these places that previously I had only been able to experience in movies or pictures. They were suddenly real!

Seeing Big Ben checked off one of my many bucket list items. I remember walking down the sidewalk, turning the corner, looking up to see this and just feeling happy. Finally, Ben right in front of me…awesome!

As I walked by this sign, I knew I wanted to get an image of it and Ben. However, when I stood by the sign, I discovered that I had to crouch down close to the ground to get an angle where Ben was visible. I had a problem…the sidewalk was flooded with tourists entering and exiting the Underground station nearby.  Getting on the ground would almost surely result in getting stepped on…or perhaps causing someone to trip over me as they walked by.

Fortunately my wife was with me and noticed my predicament. She offered to perform crowd control as I got low, doing an incredible job of shielding me from the passers by (and them from me!)

Problem solved. Memory captured. Photo assistant found!

To all of you in the U.S., Happy Thanksgiving! Hope you have a great holiday!