Homage To Heavenly Bodies

Yes, I Really Am A Morning Person

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

It's not every day that you get an opportunity like this, with the waning moon on your right and the dawning sun on your left. I shot these frames last week. My attention was first caught by the moon, sitting regally above a scattered band of cloud in the west.

It was a really interesting sky and the effect is double the value when you look at the surface of the river, with the gentle variations of blue mingling with the dark shadows under the bridge. Looking beyond the office buildings, some in shadow and some bathed in light, you can even see the construction work in the Docklands area.

This second shot (below) was taken a few seconds later. Looking to the other side of the bridge, the rising sun was reflected in the windows of the Victorian Arts Centre, rendering it as a golden fireball and casting some warmth across the winter morning.


There are plane trees planted all along Southbank and it's been a few weeks since they dropped their huge maple-like leaves. Less than two minutes after I shot the frame of the moon, I was able to use the bare branches of this plane tree to emphasise the beautiful hues of the sky. I angled the shot really carefully, to get about five trees into the shot, all of them looking like a row of stark, silent sentinels.

I was about to walk away when I figured I could go right up close to the nearest tree and use not just its branches but also utilise its trunk as well to provide an interesting - but not overwhelming - effect across the shot.

For other participants in Dot’s concept, go to Sky Watch Friday.