Friday, February 06, 2009

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

This Is A Bushfire Sun - At Lunchtime

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON



If you saw the post Bushfires On Our Doorstep which I published on Tuesday and the follow-up post titled C Is For Courage on Wednesday, you'd be aware that we were in a bushfire zone recently.

While we discussed the need to decide rapidly what we needed to pack if we had to evacuate the house, Mrs Authorblog noticed that high above us, something else was burning.

No, there was no need to panic. It was just the sun. But as in any bad bushfire, it looked very different from what you'd expect at lunchtime.

It was only 1.36 in the afternoon, but the sun was a danger beacon.

While the fires were raging near us, I received an email from US-based blogger Jenera Healy who asked if we were all right. She said the bushfires had been reported on their local bulletins and concluded, "You know it’s a big story if they’re reporting Australian fires here in Idaho".

Just for the record, if you want to check out some other photographs of bushfire sunscapes, I did a post in December 2006 called Bushfire Sunrise and one in January 2008 called Smoke On The Water - which will show you the unusual aspects of a familiar celestial object.

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

38 comments:

Lew said...

Smoke from bush (and forest) fires does make for some unusual and beautiful sky shots. However, I would prefer fog and mist to get similar images. I'm glad blogfamily is okay and hope no sigificant damage was done to your neighbors. Your "bushfire sunrise" link has an error (double URL).

Saz said...

A bush sun...so evocative...
the smoke must be awful...

Anonymous said...

I'm sure you were safe, but isn't it really bad to look at the sun through your lens?

A Woman Of No Importance said...

Really incredible photography, as always!

How do the critters get on when there's a bushfire?

ArtistUnplugged said...

That is a beautiful sun photo! I hope you all don't have to pack up and leave but do whatever to be safe....thinking of you all.

Suldog said...

Obviously, you're alive and writing, so that's a good thing (the best thing, for us, actually.)

Nessa said...

Wow, that does look scortching.

Pat - Arkansas said...

I hope the fires stay well away from your home, David. I've lived in 'forest fire' territory and know that fires can be both damaging and deadly. Stay safe!

Barbaloot said...

Still hoping you and yours are safe. And that photo is awesome. I realize a red sun can only spell disaster, but it's still pretty to look at, no?

Mrs Mac said...

Very dramatic photo.
Glad I'm not there.
I'd rather have snow than too much heat!

George said...

Although this is a very beautiful picture, I hope it's the last chance you get for such a photo for a while. Stay safe and know we are thinking of you and your family.

Cheffie-Mom said...

Incredible photo! Are you of the bushfire zone? Stay safe.

Rinkly Rimes said...

My photo is of Australian heat too, but it's the exact opposite of yours. The heat's heading our way now!

Shelley said...

Hope you are well! That is one amazing shot!

Anonymous said...

Like Jenera, I too saw the reports, not only of the bush fires, but also of floods and scorching heat you were experiencing in Australia. I'm glad to hear that all of you are well and safe, David. I'll never complain about the snow again.

BTW I directed an old school friend from Burma, who is now in Australia, to your website. I've forwarded what he had to say, to you.

Take care.
RC.

Anne said...

Perfect David, and the reason I just love to visit your blog is the words against your pictures...,

I learn, you make me think, smile and reflect..., not all man do that actuelly :-)))

Happy weekend.

Rottlady of the Ozarks said...

It looks like the sun is on fire! Lovely shot. Happy SWF!

Florida Water said...

That's hard to believe, but they do have an end of time feel to them. The shot would appear to be almost like a solar eclipse.

imac said...

Its a wonderful shot David, visit my sunset reflections.

Unknown said...

Great but a dramatic picture, David.

Rune A Karlsen (Bildebloggen) said...

Dramatic photo. Happy weekend and skywatch :)

Maggie May said...

Makes good photos but is quite scary. I have been thinking of all the animals that must die in these awful fires..... as well as the risk to human life & their homes. Lets hope you never have to abandon ship!

Colin Campbell said...

Still hot here in Adelaide before some cooling. Parts of our garden and most public parks and trees are very sad. Many trees just falling over and branches breaking off due to the extreme heat.

Mojo said...

The only way I've ever gotten the sun to look like this was to shoot 3 stops underexposed with a circular polarizer and a .6 neutral density filter.

Which should give you some idea of just how dense this haze is. Because I'm assuming you didn't use any of those light-limiting tricks.

Stay safe David, we want to hear much more from the Authorblogger!

Marie Reed said...

I did quite the double take at the time! 1.36! There is also non stop coverage here in France about the fires. Ode to the burning bush...

Kim said...

I have never seen anything like it. It sure does make for some gorgeous pictures. I hope all people and property are okay.

Annie said...

Good photo David. Thinking of you this weekend with the heat down there, and hope all will be well in your part of the world!

Annie

Sylvia K said...

Beautiful shot, but I don't envy you being there! It must have been dreadful! I'm just glad you and your family are okay. Thanks for keeping us posted, I've been following the your posts re: the fires.

Woman in a Window said...

holy crap! That's gotta be a heck of a fire to cause the sky to look like that near noon. whoa. Stay safe.

Grammy said...

What an awesome photo. I am so glad you and your family are safe and your home and community was saved.

Have a great week.
Grammy Lake of the Ozarks,
Missouri. USA

Susan English Mason said...

Smoke On The Water is awesome. It looks like liquid gold in the sky.

This is hitting too close to your home; it's scaring the bejeebers out of me. Any sign of rain yet?

Eve said...

Interesting. The sun is so red! It looks like just the right cover to a murder mystery.

kylie said...

hi david,
for me there is never any beauty in a bushfire sun, it's just plain scary.
i had a quick squiz at your tuesdays post and the warning that fires can hit the suburbs reminded me of the 1994 sydney fires.
we had friends whose home backed on to bushland and they spent the afternoon watching the valley behind them, looking for fire. when the fire came (and it did come) it came along the road at the front and they had only moments to get out.
they lost everything that day.

glad you are good, best wishes for the expected bad conditions of the weekend

k

Tammie Lee said...

looks like you are breathing smoke, no fun at all. Still makes for a gorgeous image!

Anonymous said...

I hope you handled today's heat well. According to the weather bureau, some places got up to 46. We "only" hit 45.5 here. Ugh. I couldn't stop thinking about all the people out fighting the bushfires.

Louise said...

Spectacular!

I didn't hear about it on the news. Maybe I should watch the news. But since I started reading blogs, I probably learn almost as much this way--and a lot of it probably sooner.

Manz said...

You really have captured some great images over the last few days!! But I don't think I'd want to swap with you anytime soon.

The fire trucks went racing past our place yesterday (NSW), but the small fire was quickly put out. I have been at the front of a bad fire though - I think it was 1990 and my friend almost lost her house - this was on Christmas eve. We watched her neighbour loss everything. He tried to rescue some presents, but lost them all as he crossed the creek to get away from the fire.

Your adrenalin kicks in. But then you feel so helpless and it's depressing.

I would assume your photo albums would be the first thing to get packed...?

Thinking of you all down south and I'm so very pleased today is cooler.

myonlyphoto said...

Wow this sun is really burning, excellent photo. Glad that all is fine with your family. Just surfing your blog tonigh. Anna :)