Donna Sturla
July 2026 - Moonrise during Blue Hour Old Sacramento
About the Image(s)
I took this image with my OLD Nikon D-70 F 8, 1/120 second, on a tripod, at Blue hour at 165 mm, on a tripod. The moon was just rising and as you can see the sun was setting behind us. It was glorious.
Old Sacramento is a beautiful place to capture this type of image, with great reflections on the Sacramento River.
Any suggestions appreciated as to any improvements I can make!
13 comments posted
Beautiful yellow hues and warm tones on the buildings. It's nice that you still have some details in the darker parts of the buildings. Yin and yang came to mind as I stayed with your photo. The simplicity of the sky, against the busyness of the buildings, and the shapes the two created against each other. The image feels relatively balanced to me. If it were mine, I might shave a little off the right side just to see if taking off that itty bitty building top makes a difference. (You may have done that already.) But your image has a very relaxing quality about it, and I enjoyed looking at it, thank you. :) Posted: 07/07/2026 22:01:38
Yes, I could shave a bit off the right -- but you see the
dome-shaped building there, we call it the "Roll-on Ban Building" and if you're in Sacto, it's iconic. But for non Sacramentans, it can go. Thanks for the suggestion.
Donna Posted: 07/08/2026 00:23:21
dome-shaped building there, we call it the "Roll-on Ban Building" and if you're in Sacto, it's iconic. But for non Sacramentans, it can go. Thanks for the suggestion.
Donna Posted: 07/08/2026 00:23:21
Ah, lol. Thanks for the lesson! "roll-on ban" lol, that's too funny. Posted: 07/08/2026 00:50:53
Hi Dona. This is a fantastic capture. The warm, golden light reflecting off the skyscrapers creates a stunning contrast with the cool, pale tone of the sky. Timing the shot perfectly with the full moon gives the entire city scene a magical feel. To take it to the next level, you might consider cropping out a bit of the lower right side where the shorter buildings and flag are, as it would tighten up the composition and keep the viewer's eye locked entirely on the striking main building and the moon. Posted: 07/08/2026 10:15:43
Donna, almost everything is in good order after the crop decision, which I'll leave to Donna as it's her image and her city. However, my eagle eye has picked up a tiny nit. Up high on the dark green Bldg is a tiny area of white (probably HVAC) that detracts and if it was my image I would of selected the sky and reduced the exposure to make a darker blue color or dehaze it a little. It's in an area with little smog and perhaps is the result of darkening the moon (which looks great) and not the sky. Well done/ Posted: 07/09/2026 02:25:04
Well I thought about doing that but it's a reflection from the Sun so I could remove that. Thank you for this suggestion. So many ways to have a an image that goes well, right? Thanks! Posted: 07/09/2026 02:37:59
I don't think so. Up on the roof up above the V of the tallest bldg. Understand, nothing can fix that 2 window wide reflection. It matches the sun lit windows behind the trees on the right side. Posted: 07/09/2026 03:20:34
I see it now!! You're very observant, I'll take it out. Thanks!! Posted: 07/09/2026 06:01:02
(Group 94)
Very nice, Donna. You planned and executed a nice image that captures the spirit of downtown Sacramento. Posted: 07/10/2026 23:24:55
Thank you john! Text me your group number or put it here if you would and I would like to see what you posted this month. Posted: 07/12/2026 01:33:32
(Group 94)
94 Posted: 07/12/2026 19:37:41
Nice image. I would not crop the right -- I love the different levels of buildings on the right, and I think the image would loose balance if cropped; I like the existing balance between the tall building. the moon and the right edge. However, I would eliminate the buildings at the bottom on the left. Posted: 07/12/2026 01:20:12
Yes definitely I should have done that. On the left. thank you so much. I'm here in Michigan visiting a friend and reading everybody's comments on my cell phone so it's been an interesting experience. But I love how everybody is participating. Thanks so much. Posted: 07/12/2026 01:32:21