I was on a hunt. A full moon hunt. Friday was the full moon for May. Commonly known as the Flower Moon. My first attempt was Friday morning. I prefer to photograph the moon setting as I can get conditions that allow a better exposure.
I went to Delta Lake State Park to search for suitable compositions. I found a few, nothing special, but I was content with what I captured. Until I got home and attempted to process a few of the images. Nothing jumped out at me. I set them aside and hoped a little time would help (I’ve read somewhere, probably the internet, that you should wait to process your images…).
That didn’t work.
Enter Saturday morning.
Another opportunity for me and the “full moon”. I use the quotes because a day on either side of the full moon reduces the percentage. This morning the moon is 97% full in the waning gibbous stage. Close enough for me.
The extra day lets the moon hang a little longer in the sky around sunrise. I got an extra thirty minutes. Which doesn’t seem like it should have an impact but as the sky brightens, I can properly expose the scene without having to capture a different exposure setting for the moon. It can be bright and easily washed out.
I went to Bellamy Harbor with the hope of using the Mill Street bridge as a foreground subject. That didn’t work out. I couldn’t find an elevated location to shoot from which would bring the moon and the bridge together. I did find an interesting composition with the moon on my way to the park. There is a railroad bridge over the Mohawk River which kinda worked. Maybe I’ll process that one later.
What I did find really got me excited.
I love the old General Cable water tower at Bellamy Harbor. I have photographed it to death over the years. I’m still on the fence with the city’s decision to add the “Rome” signage and the LED lights, but I see what they were trying to do. Anyway…
I was able to find a spot far enough away to get the water tower and the moon in the same composition while using my 300mm lens. This focal length will compress the scene and help increase the apparent size of the moon. The location also kept the sunrise at my back so the colors in the western sky would have blues and magentas.
I processed this one with a light touch. Let me know what you think…
Tower Moon Nikon Z6 II, Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD, 1/8s, 300mm, f/16, ISO 100
I was fine for about five minutes. Then I was cold! My fingers were cold. They didn’t want to work the controls on the camera. I don’t think my camera was happy with me either. It is only supposed to be used above freezing. I captured a few images and made a quick walk back to the car.
It was a dumb idea…
Snow Moon Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S, 1/10s, 105mm, f/10, ISO 100
Good Morning Snow Moon Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S, 1/10s, 105mm, f/11, ISO 100
Tuesday night/Wednesday morning was the full moon. I generally prefer to capture the moon as it sets in the morning due to better timing between the sun and the moon. That is, I want some sunlight in the sky to allow me to expose my image and not lose the moon in over exposed highlights. The moon was setting at 6:30am and the sun was rising at 5:50am… perfect.
Wait! What about work?
Oh, right. Um?
I stopped in to work at my normal start time (5am). Checked on a few things. Told the third shift supervisor I would be back and headed to Delta Lake around 5:20am. Grabbed my images and was back at work by 6:15am. Most first shift people don’t show up until almost 7am. It was a busy day and I ended up staying until 4pm, so I think they got eight hours out of me… 🙂
The Sturgeon Moon. The common name for the August full moon. Other than a layer of fog on top of the lake, nothing really exciting. I still haven’t purchased a longer zoom for the new camera so I used my 105mm macro lens. It did a great job but wasn’t able to pull the moon into the frame as large as I would have liked. Maybe by the blue moon I’ll have what I need. BTW – there is a second full moon in August this year, hence, the blue moon is only 28 days away!
I’ll do some additional research by then and find a new area to capture the moon. Delta Lake is starting to feel a little repetitive to me…
Saving the Moon Nikon Z6 II, NIKKOR Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S, 1/8s, f/8, ISO 100
Moon Buoys Nikon Z6 II, NIKKOR Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S, 1/8s, f/8, ISO 100
After the weather this past weekend I wasn’t thinking I would get a chance to see the Buck Moon this month. I generally have better luck for the right conditions if I capture the full moon as it sets in the morning. I like to have the moon set between thirty and sixty minutes after the sunrise. This allows enough light into the sky to allow the moon to not be a bright white blob in the sky.
The moon was playing hide-n-seek with the remaining clouds but I went to Delta Lake on the chance it would peek out before crossing the horizon. I only live five minutes from the park but when I got in the car the moon was still behind the clouds. As I pulled through the entrance, the moon was visible but heading toward another patch of clouds. I immediately stopped and grabbed this image of the moon over the pond at the front of the park.
Bench and the Moon Nikon Z6 II, NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S, 2s, 48mm, f/11, ISO 100
The sun was still far below the horizon and with the moon racing to hide from me I was only able to get this one image. As you can see due to the longer exposure the moon is an over exposed white ball. I still had time… time to get to the beach area.
I was needed to be patient. The clouds were moving as much as the moon was marching toward the horizon. I spent the time looking for an interesting foreground. Sadly, not a lot of options so I settled on the life guard chair.
Guarding the Moon Nikon Z6 II, NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S, 1/8s, 70mm, f/11, ISO 100
One more. Can I find another image?
Sunrise! Look at the colors flooding the clouds.
I got it! I do love me a good reflection.
I walk out to the point on the right side of the beach area. I like the orange on the buoy. Bingo!
Warning Moon Nikon Z6 II, NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S, 1/15s, 70mm, f/11, ISO 100
I’ll end this one with the same info from June..
July’s full moon is the Buck moon. A couple years ago I had a great time trying to capture as many of the full moons as possible and learned quite a bit about them in the process. In case you missed the first Strawberry moon post, you can view it here: Buck Moon. You can also see more posts related to the moon using this link: Full Moon posts.
The full moon was around 11:40pm on Saturday night. I went down to Bellamy Harbor in an attempt to capture the moon rising. I really didn’t have high expectations as the moon rise was the same as sunset. It would be almost an hour after sunset before the moon would appear above the tree tops. I’ll save that adventure for another post. This one is about the following morning…
Sunday morning I went to Delta Lake State Park for the setting moon. The same conditions applied though, the moon was going to set at the same time as the sun would rise. I was a little worried the sky would be too dark causing me difficulty with the bright moon.
I tried a few different views but in order to expose the moon properly I had to really darken the rest of the scene. I was getting a little frustrated. Although the sun was still about 30 minutes from breaking the horizon the sky was starting to lighten up. Come on! Don’t give up yet…
The Strawberry Moon Olympus E-M1 MK III, M. Zuiko 12-100mm f/4, 1/3s, 61mm, f/8, ISO 400
Not my best. Not as good as I have done in the past, but it is starting to work for me. About this time I was startled by a guy bringing his kayak to the water. He was getting ready to go fishing. I was so focused on my adventure I didn’t hear him come up behind me. Now I know how people at work feel when come up behind them unexpectantly.
The moon was almost gone. I decided to go for the zoom shot. All the way out to 100mm to fill the frame (really wishing I had brought the 300mm with me). OK, I guess…
Almost Gone Olympus E-M1 MK III, M. Zuiko 12-100mm f/4, 2s, 100mm, f/11, ISO 200
I was ready to call it quits. As I started to walk back toward the car I had one more idea. I thought it would be cool to grab an image with the fisherman’s kayak. This one tells a story, or at least hints at one. This one made the morning adventure worth it…
Ready to Launch Olympus E-M1 MK III, M. Zuiko 12-100mm f/4, 1.3s, 80mm, f/11, ISO 200
Oh, did I forget to mention, June’s full moon is the Strawberry moon. A couple years ago I had a great time trying to capture as many of the full moons as possible and learned quite a bit about them in the process. In case you missed the first Strawberry moon post, you can view it here: Strawberry Moon. You can also see more posts related to the moon using this link: Full Moon posts.
This morning is/was the full moon. Commonly known as the Sturgeon Moon, but this one happens to also be a Blue Moon. Blue moons are an infrequent occurrence and typically can be one of two types of full moons. They can be the second full moon within a month, or in this case, the third moon within a “season” with four full moons. Summer started in late June and the first full moon was a few days later setting up this season to have a blue moon.
Rather than repeat my typical images at Delta Lake I took a chance and ran up to Hinckley to capture the moon setting over the West Canada Creek. OK, chance might be a little misleading… I checked the Photographer’s Ephemeris to see how the moon will be setting and it lined up well with the access landing along the creek and the dam diverting water toward the power plant.
To capture the moon and actually see it, you need to have quite a bit of light from the sun. The moon against a black sky is very bright and exposing for the moon darkens everything else. This is OK if you are after the moon and all its details, I was looking for the moon in a landscape setting. I didn’t quite get enough light. The moon was setting quicker than the morning light was approaching. So, I captured a bright moon over the water… still happy with it.
Moon Bright Olympus E-M1 Mark III, M. Zuiko 12-100mm f/4, 15s, 34mm, f/11, ISO 800
It was a good morning. The sounds of the water relaxed me as I was working the scene. We have had an abnormal amount of rain recently. All the rivers and creeks are over-flowing. I could hear the water rushing over the Hinckley Reservoir spillway behind me as I was capturing the moon. I’m having a hard time remember the last time water flowed over the spillway. I could also hear the water flowing over the spillway in front of me filling the bypassed section of the West Canada with water. It was a little early for the birds but I did catch the sound of a coy dog or coyote (not sure which, didn’t want to find out).
After the moon slipped behind the few thin clouds I drove up to the reservoir for sunrise images. Those will be processed later and hopefully find their way into a post…
I truly haven’t been paying close attention to the moon cycles. I realize I should be writing my thoughts down as soon as they occur. I read something interesting on the internet during the course of the day but when I get home, it is nowhere to be found. This really isn’t a new thing with me, passing thoughts do not go into permanent storage in my head (even when they should). I almost missed July’s full moon.
I guess I got lucky then on Saturday morning. I remembered Friday night that the full moon would be setting a little before 6am. With the sun rising only a few minutes before the moon sets, it would be a good opportunity for photographing the moon. I debated over locations. Based on the direction of the setting moon I could have ventured down to the Utica Marsh but was a little worried about the best location to leave my car. In the end I decided to return to Delta Lake and see if I could manage another full moon reflection.
This is the way to the image I wanted…
Driving into Delta Lake State Park I immediately spot the moon over the tree tops to my left. This is an area of the park that has a small “pond”. I have photographed in this location numerous times, a favorite spot during autumn for the colors of the leaves (Delta Autumn). OK, this is a good place to start.
Descending Moon Olympus E-M1 Mark III, M. Zuiko 12-100mm f/4, 0.8s, 47mm, f/11, ISO 200
There is a lot more growth along the water’s edge than I would have liked for this view. The area where people fish is too far to the left and places the moon into the trees. I make a few exposures trying to decide the right amount of cattails to have in the foreground. I need to be quick as the moon traverses the sky rather quickly at the end of its nightly run. I get the image I wanted, now to move on to the beach.
Driving to the parking area for the the beach I get a glimpse of the moon suspended above the playground equipment. Oh, I can’t let that view go. Luckily, I’m the only person in this part of the park because I might have driven a little too fast. Time is slipping away…
Playful Moon Olympus E-M1 Mark III, M. Zuiko 12-100mm f/4, 0.3s, 100mm, f/11, ISO 200
I wanted the moon big behind the playground. I walked back up the entrance road far enough to use the 100mm end of the lens and still achieve the composition I wanted, the one I saw minutes ago driving in. I little more height would have allowed me bring more of the reflection into the image but the framing is the important aspect of this image. I wanted to have the moon amongst the equipment to add more depth. Right, time is slipping… on to the beach.
Remembering the Strawberry Moon in June I head toward the right side of the beach and start looking for interesting foreground elements. I didn’t need to search long. If I can get the camera low enough I can use one of the benches along the walkway. Now which one do I want.
Relaxin’ Moon Olympus E-M1 Mark III, M. Zuiko 12-100mm f/4, 0.4s, 61mm, f/11, ISO 200
There it is, the one I want. Sitting slightly askew. I want to break up the horizontal lines to create a little tension in the image. It might be an unconscious thought but the brain is not going to like the lines of the bench back not in parallel with all the other elements in the image.
I decide I need to focus stack this one as I could not setup the tripod far enough away to achieve good focus throughout. I focus on the bench and then quickly focus on the moon. I will bring both images into Photoshop to combine them into one. Next! Time is slipping…
I had already done the lifeguard station with the moon in June. But the reflection is calling to me. OK, this one will be different because the station is in the water. Right, logic can be twisted when a reflection is involved. I setup the tripod low again to give the chair as much height as I can. Bam! Got it.
Saving Moon Olympus E-M1 Mark III, M. Zuiko 12-100mm f/4, 1/5s, 100mm, f/11, ISO 200
This one is simple, the reflection is the goal. The low height of the camera to the water stretches out the reflection as far as possible. Should I switch to the 75-300mm lens to enlarge the chair and the moon? No, leave a little breathing room for the moon. Enhance the isolation with the extra sky. Time is slipping… one more?
Although it might be a repeat of June I head down the path toward the point. Maybe there will be something new. Wait, is that a fishing boat under the moon. Luck favors me this morning. Please don’t move, please don’t move…
Buck Moon Olympus E-M1 Mark III, M. Zuiko 12-100mm f/4, 1/5s, 100mm, f/11, ISO 200
That’s the one! The image I was searching for this morning. Sometimes you can plan for the image you want, other times you have to see it when it presents itself to you. I probably would not have captured this one if I didn’t walk down that path toward the point. I’ll take the good luck when I can.
This is the Buck Moon, at least according to the Farmer’s Almanac. The time of the year when the antlers of male deer are in full growth mode. Other names for this moon include Salmon Moon, the Berry Moon, Raspberry Moon and the Thunder Moon. With the sun rising in the East and the moon taking on the magenta color, I can definitely see this one being the Berry Moon…
On Thursday the Strawberry Moon made an appearance. It was also a supermoon, depending on which interpretation you follow. A supermoon is when the full moon coincides with the moon’s closest approach to Earth. I’ll leave that debate to other people, me, I wanted to try to photograph it.
June’s moon is known by other names as well; Berries Ripen Moon, Blooming Moon, Green Corn Moon and the Hoer Moon. The one I found interesting is the Honey Moon, which is a European name. June was traditionally the month of marriages, with the month being named after the Roman goddess of marriage, Juno. Following a marriage comes the “honeymoon” which may be tied to this version of the Moon’s name (from The Old Farmer’s Almanac).
I didn’t want to capture the moonrise as I thought it would be too bright against the night sky. My best opportunity would be when it sets on Friday morning and I could go to Delta Lake for a few interesting views. Luckily for me I can work from home if I need to so I would be able to explore Delta Lake for this event and still be online for work at my usual time.
I arrived a little early to the park and I was worried my plans were going to fall through as there appeared to be a layer of thin clouds above the horizon causing a fairly bright halo around the moon. I walked down to the beach to survey my opportunities. I grabbed this first image before deciding I would ride out this event with my finger’s crossed…
First Look Olympus E-M1 Mark III, M. Zuiko 12-100mm f/4, 6s, 15mm, f/11, ISO 200
I was using my 12 – 100mm lens knowing I wanted the extra compression to bring the moon closer, and bigger, into the frame. Now I needed to find the right foreground element. As I walked up and down the beach the cloudy haze was beginning to dissipate and my hopes for a clear view of the moon were growing. I backed away from the water and extended the lens to its full 100mm. The next image was better…
Closer Olympus E-M1 Mark III, M. Zuiko 12-100mm f/4, 1/10s, 100mm, f/11, ISO 200
Behind me the sun was starting to rise but there was a large layer of clouds in the eastern sky and they were turning a brilliant pink color. This color was being reflected into the western sky. My chances for something good were starting to increase. I continued my search for an interesting foreground. The high winds we experienced recently toppled a few trees in the park. One, on the right side of the beach alcove, was leaning into the water. I couldn’t get far enough back to utilize the full zoom on the lens but you can see how the colors were staring to change…
Almost Olympus E-M1 Mark III, M. Zuiko 12-100mm f/4, 1/13s, 61mm, f/11, ISO 200
Alright, it was getting interesting. My best view was going to be back on the beach. The lifeguard chair will have to be the foreground. The sky was at its peak colors and the sun light would be bleaching out the moon very soon. I double-timed it back to the beach and was rewarded with this image…
Strawberry Moon Olympus E-M1 Mark III, M. Zuiko 12-100mm f/4, 1/25s, 100mm, f/10, ISO 200
Mission accomplished! It was great being out early in the morning. I need to do more of this type of adventure. I don’t know why I always feel like I’m doing something wrong if I’m not one of the first people at work. I need a brain reset… and maybe some strawberry shortcake…
MLCreations Photography 