Dinosaurs After Dark


I first went to Atlanta's Fernbank Museum back in 1998 with a few friends for its weekly "Martinis & IMAX" event. Since that Friday night over 12 years ago, I've been a huge fan the Fernbank and all that it has to offer. If you've ever been there, the first thing you see as you make your way up the rather long entrance is a huge fountain with three huge dinosaurs situated right in the middle of it. For the longest time, I've wanted to get a few shots of the Fernbank and its prehistoric wonders at night. This past Thursday night, I finally took the time to head over there with my camera gear and give it a go.

Unfortunately, a few weeks ago while I was taking pictures of the twins outside on our patio, Hunter knocked over my tripod while I ran inside to get something. I came out to find the tripod laying on the ground, and my Nikon 24-70mm lens was broken completely in two -- one half was still attached to my camera, and the other was laying off to the side. It goes without saying that I nearly had a heart attack. My camera seems to be working fine, but the lens wasn't so lucky. Turns out it can be repaired, but it ain't cheap. It's better than having to pony-up for a new one, though.

Okay, okay...so why am I telling you this??

Because my trusty 24-70mm is in the shop, I was forced to use my 14-24mm f/2.8 lens. I typically only use that lens when shooting interiors and sometimes for concerts. It's a wide angle lens, so it takes some getting used to. At any rate, I think it worked out just fine.

When I got there that night, there was a full moon, and it was positioned directly over the Fernbank. If you look closely at the sky in the first shot, you can see where it was. Only problem is that the wind was blowing the clouds all over the place. By the time I got my tripod positioned where I wanted it, the moon was hidden behind the clouds. I tried to wait it out, but luck just wasn't on my side. That's okay, though...now I have something to look forward to the next time there's a full moon.

So stay tuned for more shots my prehistoric friends when the moon comes out again to play...