Tags
California, Encouragement, Friendship, Griffith Observatory, Hike, Hollywood Sign, Los Angeles, Los Obos, Moon, night hike, RDPhotoServices, Rdphotoservices.com, Red Moon, The Greek Theatre
Once in a red moon…or is it once in a blue moon?
Luckily, I have a great friend Mike who is a great planner and organizer. Several weeks ago, I got an email invitation to join the group for a sunset Hollywood Sign Hike. Well I am horribly out of shape and only made it a third of the way last time I joined the group back in January.
In January I plugged up as far as I could before I quit. I wasn’t ready for the view. As a photographer you should be able to shoot as great an image with point and shoot or a cell phone camera as you do with your expensive gear. I shot these with my EVO HTC, processed them with Nik Software’s Snapseed App.
This time I motivated not by the opportunity to get to the top (but worse – the fear of failure and the photo opportunity to shoot the red moon) So I psyched myself into joining in. Mike offered to carry my tripod…so off we went. Slowly I made it up the steep hill. Other photographers flew up the mountain ahead of me. A young mom hiker passed me quickly with a baby in a a backpack carrier followed by her husband also carry a small child in a carrier, as well as a camera bag and a tripod.
Focused on the prize…a photographic opportunity…I plugged on breathing hard…stopping every few minutes to rest. Mike all the way encouraging me and distracting me from my pains. Finally moments before sunset we arrived at the top and joined the other two couples in our group for wine, cheese and a the view of the glorious red moon, and the city lights below! Serenaded by the sounds of the group Los Obos performing to a sold out crowd at the Greek.
(Regrettably the red moon shone to the left of the city over a rather boring expanse of hills with a few lights.)
Last night was a magical night! Was it the moon? Was it making it to the top? Was it the just a great group of friends? Or the challenges to get to the top to shoot a magical image?
Thanks Mike and group for the encouragement! Here is a link to some other great Los Angeles Hikes!
Can’t wait for the next hike!
