Saguaro Wanderings: Seeing 2012 (#94)

For your consideration: the calm before the storm, at least for me on a deeply personal level.

'Tis been a brutal several weeks, with many cranial storms characterized by frequently swiftly changing currents and rogue waves. Traditional navigational aids have been rendered utterly impotent; considerable accumulations and dispersions of jetsam and flotsam have followed in the wake of uncertain bearings. Indeed, unfathomable moments arise suddenly as mental icebergs through thick fog.

The foreast for the weeks — and likley months ahead — is for continued forays into such terra incognita. This long weekend provides an all-too-brief pause before something of a forced march towards much sustained uncertainty to come. A fleeting respite, if I would be willing to embrace it.

So . . .

Last night I persuaded fellow nocturnal photography enthusiast Jerry to be a traveling companion for some several hours, vaguely determined destinations to be discovered with each passing moment.

Initially neither Jerry nor I had any clarity nor preferences for our pixel hunting grounds. After rejecting many localities as too frequently/recently visited (sorry, Alviso), we narrowed our scope to a quartet of choices, namely North, East, West and South. North got the nod, so Jerry piloted us accordingly up I-280.

As we considered possibilities along that corridor I was quite surprised when he remarked that he'd never been to Half Moon Bay. Decision made.

We arrived to streets already rolled up and deserted by 9:30pm, even on Labor Day Friday. The overhead marine layer was thick enough to completely hide the gorgeous (blue) full Moon which shone upon us inland, but had yet to settle down low enough to enshroud the town with moody mists. Consequently we wandered.

My primary purpose for this particular expedition was to effect some significant displacement of dogged duress by means of the joy of artistic creation. For me the camera can be a deeply soothing balm, one surpassing most other remedies.

This placid, safe harbor perfectly filled the prescription.

The image posted is a composite of two exposures, of 2 and 4 seconds, taken at 10:40 p.m. These were blended via masking to yield a fine balance between sky and foreground lighting and detail.

May it bring you, too, some peace.