Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Thoughts from Shooting the Moon

Moon image for illustrative purposes.
Not all actual image shot on this evening,
rather - later in 2016

I waited for the rising moon to clear the tree line - guessing that it would be much later before it would fully appear, due to the longest day of the year.  A long swath of slow moving clouds appeared in line with the railroad tracks below, and all but blocking the best vantage point for a clear shot.  I waited, darting in and out of the back door with a cloud of groupie mosquitoes shifting right along with me.  Watched the last train from Chicago run through a bit after midnight, and so on.  

It takes a bit to set up the tripod, adjust the lens - and in my moment of contemplation of the irksome delay - I stopped and looked at the great night sky.  The wonderment.  Really, this picture is no better or worse than any other full-moon shot I've been able to accomplish, but oh the chance to be outside and see Mars drift in and out of cloudy bands, the big dipper shining bright over my left shoulder and the bright round moon nestling in between the branches of the old cherry tree; that's what I'll remember of my last chance to see the   pairing of a Strawberry moon with a summer solstice. (June 21, 20016)

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