Over the next few months, I waxed and waned with the moon, adapting as I tracked its ever-changing progress through the night sky. Each month it was consumed by its position relative to the Earth and renewed by the light of the sun, providing continual opportunities for my skills to grow along with it.
Much like shooting the stars, capturing the moon was very weather dependent. I planned and shot several moonrises at the waterfront, but all were ruined by clouds. I was not deterred. Never knowing when the night would be clear, I had to try for each full moon in an attempt to fulfill my dreams. I learned patience and acceptance, working not to be disappointed with each failed attempt. I realized that each attempt was not a failure but provided an opportunity to grow my skills. Each attempt improved my adaptability at modifying my camera settings to capture the fluidity of the moonrise.
Through this process, I found that each full moon was unique, altered by the weather and the sunset of that evening. I was reminded that each day begins anew, providing an opportunity to make the most of the unique moments in time it provided.
Finally, with my new lens in hand, the time had come for the Hunter’s moon. I made my way down to the waterfront and set up my camera, locating the point on the horizon where I thought the moon would appear. I had not had a chance to calibrate my app and pinpoint the moonrise, so I shot with a slightly wider focal length to be sure I caught the moon in frame.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the moon appearing on the horizon to my right, outside the frame of the camera. I had missed. I quickly spun my tripod around and started the timelapse, capturing the moon slightly above the horizon. It was incredible to watch the moon rise into the fading light of sunset, capturing the pink and orange hues through the Earth’s atmosphere.
I had the clear conditions I had hoped for, but it wasn’t the shots I dreamed of. I wanted more, to capture the first instance of the moon cresting the horizon. I wanted to see it as close-up as I could, capturing its full detail as it burned into the night sky with its sunlit glow.
I understood the process, I just needed an opportunity to put it all together: clear skies, proper planning, and getting the camera settings right.
