I love the ambient mystery of the moon. It has many aspects, wears many hats: it is the tide-puller, light in the darkness, shapeshifter, cyclical orbiter. It is more than just a cold, lonely rock drifting in the expanse of the universe.
Since my last blog post about the moon, my night photography has gotten noticeably better. I use my zoom lens to get as close to its craters as I can, and a tripod helps with keeping my hand steady and the photo crisp.
It’s tricky, though; in some of these photos you’ll see blurriness, light distortion, and instances of a very shaky base. Moon photography – heck, all night photography – takes patience, a lot of patience. But the end result makes it all worth it.
I’m inspired and drawn to this satellite planet – its natural artistry is simply breathtaking. Crescent, gibbous, balsamic, waxing, waning: I can’t help but be captivated by all these phases of the moon. We all go through our own internal and external cycles, and the moon teaches us that where there is darkness, there is also light. It’s okay to transform, to accept your own metamorphosis, to wax and wane and come out whole again.
1. Smoky September Moon
Getting the shots of this moon were tricky. I didn’t have a tripod with me – I was actually sitting in a canoe with my aunt – so I tried as best as I could to keep my arms braced. I also adjusted the settings on the camera to bring out the natural light of the moon.
2.Waxing Gibbous
I believe this was one of the first times that I used my zoom lens on the moon, and I was amazed at the amount of detail – and how close it seemed – that I was able to capture.
3. Full Buck Moon
Full moons have always been of reverence to me. I love the “face” on the moon, that familiar pattern of dimples, craters, and splotches that brings this celestial rock to life.
4. Waxing Crescents
The halos captured in these photos show the amount of light the moon gives off, even in its crescent phases.
5. Sunset-lit & Snowy Moon
Because the moon rises in the early evening right now, it arrives at precisely the right time to catch the sunset. I got a few photos of the moon as it rose above the mountain, and the vivid colours compliment the composition nicely.
Love this collection! You must have incredible patience to capture these amazing shots.
Thank you, Grandma Ushie!
Did you time this post to come out for the full moon this month? Amazing shots Hazel, enjoyed seeing your experimentation process too. What an interesting image when your camera slipped.
That timing was totally unintentional, but impeccable! Thank you for your comment.
Although many og your photos have award winning potential, I would say Photo labelled 5. Sunset & snowy moon is assured of winning awards. This would make a beautiful wall mural!
Thank you!