• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Westway Studio | San Diego’s most adventurous & colorful pet portraits and commercial brand photography

Commercial brand pet photography and rustic-luxury family pet portraits with one-of-a-kind experiences

  • Howdy
  • Blog
  • Family Pet Photography
    • Portfolio
    • Session Details & Rates
    • High Regards
  • Commercial Pet Photography
    • Project Portfolio
    • Photo + Video Dream Team
    • Your Brand Story
    • Commercial Rates
    • Top Mistakes to Avoid
  • Education for Photographers
  • Contact

June 24, 2013 by Terran 1 Comment

June 23, 2013 Supermoon | Skye Valley Ranch Nighttime Photography

You may have heard me mention Skye Valley Ranch in past posts. It’s my hubby’s family ranch which is located way out in the middle of nowhere in East County, San Diego. We spent the weekend there and I had my camera ready to capture the big June 23rd “supermoon” event.

We went out the night before to test out a few things. Roxy was a good helper.

Alpine-CA-Skye-Valley-Ranch-Supermoon-01

The sunset that night was just beautiful!

Alpine-CA-Skye-Valley-Ranch-Supermoon-02

Please notice the lack of any other houses or signs of civilization for as far as the eye can see. It is heaven.

Alpine-CA-Skye-Valley-Ranch-Supermoon-03

The next night, we were ready for the supermoon. Armed with the camera and tripod, we ventured around the valley to find the perfect spot. Thanks to a star-location app, we knew exactly where the moon was going to rise.

Alpine-CA-Skye-Valley-Ranch-Supermoon-04

The moon was so bright, it was incredible!

Alpine-CA-Skye-Valley-Ranch-Supermoon-05

After I had taken my moonrise photos, Greg had a fun idea to take a self-portrait-type photo of our shadows from the moonlight. Don’t believe it’s nighttime? Look at the stars in the sky!

Alpine-CA-Skye-Valley-Ranch-Supermoon-06

I have a thing for fences. I don’t know what it is, but I love photographing them. The clouds were wispy and gorgeous and the stars were just starting to shine.

Alpine-CA-Skye-Valley-Ranch-Supermoon-07

After we were done in the valley, we decided to head down to the Lower Lake. We need to drive there, so we walked back to the ranch house and Greg went to get the truck while I walked down the lane to get a shot of the house in the moonlight.

Alpine-CA-Skye-Valley-Ranch-Supermoon-08

We arrived at the Lower Lake and scouted out the best spots. I couldn’t resist this rowboat perfectly placed near the water.

Alpine-CA-Skye-Valley-Ranch-Supermoon-09

I just love how much color is in these photos. It was about 10:00 at night, so there was no other light except the moon!

Alpine-CA-Skye-Valley-Ranch-Supermoon-10
Alpine-CA-Skye-Valley-Ranch-Supermoon-11

After we finished with the rowboat, we ventured out on the dam. I have an intense fear of falling, so walking out there is not something I really enjoy doing. Anything for a great shot, though, right? I had my camera around my neck, a flashlight in one hand, and a death-grip on the railing with the other. I’m happy to report: I survived. Please note that the dam is not all wide and flat like the section you see below.

Alpine-CA-Skye-Valley-Ranch-Supermoon-12

Still on the dam, I turned the camera and shot out over the lake. The stars, reflection in the water, and clouds really make me love this photo. I can’t get over how still the water is; this is a 30-second exposure!

Alpine-CA-Skye-Valley-Ranch-Supermoon-13

Please be sure to leave a comment for me below! Do you have a favorite shot? Did you get to see the supermoon?

Filed Under: field notes, skye valley ranch

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tammy Priest says

    June 25, 2013 at 11:22 am

    Amazing photos Terran! I love the shot of the ranch house. Hard to believe they are night shots….so beautiful!!!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Home » June 23, 2013 Supermoon | Skye Valley Ranch Nighttime Photography

Follow our wild, wild Westway adventures as we travel the U.S. in our Airstream

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Footer

Contact

Based in San Diego, CA
Traveling the U.S. in 2022
(858) 848-9378
Email Me

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
There was a small delay with the arrival of our Ai There was a small delay with the arrival of our Airstream but we get to pick her up TODAY! We are so excited to finally begin this new adventure!​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​​
Are you following along in our Instagram stories?
How stinkin' adorable is this??? Sweet Riesling ab How stinkin' adorable is this??? Sweet Riesling absolutely LOVED being in the photos with her mom and dad! This photo is one of six that make up a collage of rustic barnwood-framed canvases above their fireplace!
I always love seeing my photos on my clients' webs I always love seeing my photos on my clients' websites! Spotting Arlo's photo on West Paw's was no exception! ➡️ Swipe to see!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#westwaypets #sandiegophotography #sandiegophotographer #sandiegopetphotographer #sandiegopetphotography #sandiegodogphotographer #sandiegodogphotography #commercialpetphotography #commercialpetphotographer #commercialdogphotographer #commercialdogphotography
I love the little moments like this one, which was I love the little moments like this one, which was captured during our session with Willow this past autumn. It was just a few short months before she crossed the rainbow bridge. I think of her often and wanted to share one of my favorite photos of her with her mom. ❤️ Willow was such a sweet & happy pup who loved her people so, so much.
As we plan our big journey, the question I get ove As we plan our big journey, the question I get over and over is about exact timing of our stops. My go to answer is "I don't know yet but I suspect it'll be sometime around..." ​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​​
Here's the thing: with a few minor exceptions, we aren't on a set schedule. If we find someplace we'd like to explore for an extra day or two, we will. If we get in somewhere and think, "this really isn't for us," there's nothing keeping us there. When things go wrong, we will do our best to roll with it and remember that nothing ever goes exactly to plan.​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​​
This is a whole new mindset to get used to but we're excited to give it a try! Do you think you could travel this way?
Here's a little Sunshine to brighten your day! ☀ Here's a little Sunshine to brighten your day! ☀️
When Riesling's mom contacted me for a session, sh When Riesling's mom contacted me for a session, she said she really, really, really wanted a silhouette shot. I think we absolutely nailed it with this one! Riesling is a little kangaroo and was having an absolute BLAST running and jumping as we wrapped up our afternoon together!
Do you ever have those moments where everything ju Do you ever have those moments where everything just feels like it is perfectly in place? I know they're rare but they DO happen — and this was one of them. As we wrapped up a very big day of adventure in the Eastern Sierras, Roxy lay down in the cold, sparkling snow just as the last rays of sunshine kissed the mountain peaks goodnight. My heart felt so full and I'm so grateful I had my camera ready to capture this moment + feeling for all time. 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I have a hard time putting my own personal memories out into the world sometimes (hello, guarded introvert here!) but for Earth Day, I couldn't think of a piece of work more perfect for me to share than this one.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We love getting out in nature, hiking, exploring, and adventuring. We are grateful for this incredible place we call home and are so excited to see more breathtaking landscapes on our upcoming six-month road trip (which begins in just two weeks)!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Happy Earth Day, everyone! Let's celebrate this beautiful planet we share!
For the past few years, Greg and I have been dream For the past few years, Greg and I have been dreaming a very, very big dream — but it always felt like it was light years away from ever being possible.​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​​
As the pandemic turned the world on its head, though, we realized life was too short to spend just dreaming. We knew it was time to make a giant leap of faith and live our dream of exploring this beautiful country we call home. ​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​​
And now, in just a few short weeks, Greg, Roxy, and I are setting off to travel the US for the next six months in our Airstream and photograph dogs all along the way!​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​​
We will be starting in Tampa, FL in mid-May and working our way up to the northeast for summer. Eventually, we will head back to San Diego for winter. There's no set schedule; no hard timeline. We are going to see where the road takes us!​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​​
I will be posting lots of photos here on the Westway Studio Instagram & Facebook along with monthly blog posts on my website. If you want to sign up for our monthly email newsletter so you never miss a blog post, just go to westwaypets.com and scroll down to the bottom where you can sign up in the green box.​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​​
Shameless plug: if you are on our basic route (FL > NY, VT, NH, MA, ME > San Diego (exact route home undecided)) and are interested in a portrait session, commercial project, or private mentoring, reach out! :) If you're in San Diego and would like to get on my 2023 waiting list, reach out, too!
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Recent Posts

  • Why Brands Should Consider a Pit Bull for Commercial Shoots
  • Photography for a Cause
  • Finding the Perfect Dog Models for a commercial photo shoot
  • What Your Photo Shoot Location Says About Your Pet Brand
  • When Things Go Wrong: Issues with hiring people photographers instead of pet photographers

All images and written content on this site are Copyright © 2010-2022 Westway Studio.
Nothing on this site may be copied, screenshot, downloaded, or used without the written permission of Westway Studio.

  • Howdy
  • Blog
  • Family Pet Photography
  • Commercial Pet Photography
  • For Photographers
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
GIT ALONG LI'L DOGGIES
Follow my adventures with dogs, travel, and ranch life in the Wild, Wild Westway