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Monday, October 17, 2016

And...Last Light



Friday night, when the TV weatherman announced the full moon-rise for Saturday would be at 6:05 pm, and predicted the sky to be clear, I decided to scratch off a bucket list item.  To that end, at 5:30 Saturday evening, my husband and I drove to a neighboring town with a lovely view of, you guessed it, a lighthouse, from across  the harbor.  Yeah, I know. Lately, all of my posts are of a similar theme and well, sorry. 

Actually, I’m not. The thing of it is, I love the water, I love lighthouses and I never get tired of where we live. That said, pictures of the moon rising from the ocean in front of this particular light are almost cliché in our neck of the woods, but I’ve never taken one and I was pretty jazzed that the timing and the weather would be right to do so.  Anxious to get a good shot, once we arrived, I asked my husband’s opinion as to the best place to stand. He laughed and pointed.  “It looks like that’s the right spot.”  Gulp.  About twenty photographers had staked out positions on the parking lot, the rocks and the sandy strip beside the harbor.  No word of a lie, they all had cameras with lenses half the length of my arm. 
 
Keeping my amateur-photographer distance, I set up my tripod and waited.  When we got close to the appointed time, everyone started checking their watches.  “I’ve got 6:03,” “Mine says 6:06.”  The moon, which should have appeared magnified and orange just over the horizon, didn’t…until, finally it bled through a haze, a ghost of itself, appearing as a fingernail, then a half, and then the image for which we all waited. The photographer closest to me cursed. “Damn clouds.”

Clouds or not, I clicked away, until satisfied, I stopped. Then, while all those pros scrabbled across the rocks, lugging their tripods over the sand, determined to take pictures from different angles, I simply watched the moon climb in the sky—which, in my mind, was the best picture anyone could get, anyway.







16 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I think it's a really effective series with the clouds! Half a moon, peeking out. We went out for a walk that evening and it was wild to see it so low on the horizon.

mshatch said...

Wow. Awesome moon pics!

Starting Over, Accepting Changes - Maybe said...

I really enjoyed these pictures. No matter the horrible news that surrounds us, we can still celebrate the magnificent things that surround us. You certainly picked a great place to capture the the moon in all its glory.

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

I actually like the third one the best. It has an almost magical, even eerie, feeling to it.

Bish Denham said...

I LOVE that you captured it rising through the mist/clouds! Stunning. So what if professionals have bigger cameras? Obviously you can do just fine with what you've got.

Joanne said...

I love this "theme". Don't stop. As someone who is very landlocked, I live vicariously through you. "Amateur" or not - you do exceptional work. Keep checking off that bucket list.

jabblog said...

Lovely photos. I'm sure yours were just as good as the long-lensed lot.

Nick Wilford said...

I would say you're a pro, based on these lovely shots! Very atmospheric.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I think your pictures are great. Too many people. LOL. My daughter and I laugh about that all the time.

Connie said...

Wow! Beautiful photos! Your effort and patience was well-rewarded with your captures.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Fantastic shots Liza ... wonderful to see ... and in the end what a lovely evening you had - taking time to enjoy the moon rising ... gorgeous - cheers Hilary

Gail said...

Wow!!!! I was able to see it but not to photograph it. These are simply amazing.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

The pics are gorgeous. I love the sequence as the moon rises.

Nicola said...

Amazing!! I liked the cloudy shots too - such lovely colours :)Thank you for sharing.

Pixel Peeper said...

I can see why that was on your bucket list!

And I know how you feel about the pros with the long lenses. Whenever I encounter a group of them at a nearby nature preserve, I joke that their equipment is worth more than my car. Actually, it's not even a joke.

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