I’ve been chasing the full moon with my various cameras for years now.1 One of my ongoing projects is taking photos of sandhill cranes as they cross in front of a nearly full moon. I choose nearly full because the sun is still high enough in the sky to illuminate the cranes a couple of days before the full moon.2
Below, the moon rises over another kind of bird, the Blue Swallow, a Route 66 icon in Tucumcari, New Mexico. I went there one evening with the intention of taking photos of the neon sign as the sun set behind it. Unfortunately, that particular day featured one of the most boring sunsets ever.
Disappointed, I walked around to the other side of the sign and realized the full moon was rising right behind it.3 I took a variety of photos and ultimately realized that, if I positioned myself just right, I might be able to get the shot below. It turned out to be one of my all-time favorites, not least because I managed to get the Tepee Curios sign in the background as well.4
Last but not least, a generic, garden-variety shot of the full moon rising behind boulders in the Sandia foothills.
The full moon will rise in Albuquerque today at 5:06; the sun will set at 5:14. You can find out what time moonrise is in other locations by taking a peek at this website. I hope you’ll be able to see a fine moonrise tonight.
It’s true that I could’ve photoshopped all of the images in this email, and they probably would have been closer to perfect if I had — but I didn’t. It’s fun to see what I can do with a camera, and very satisfying when I’m reasonably successful.
The full moon rises each month at sunset, and rises progressively earlier each day before it becomes full.
Another practice, similar to looking at the scene behind you, is to view your subject from its opposite side.
Tepee Curios is another Route 66 icon. I may very well have missed my calling as a cheesy postcard photographer.