Have you ever looked East at the moon rising, just after sunset during the fall, and seen it so so so bright and absolutely HUGE? Right as it comes up over the city skyline (or mountains, or neighborhood roofline)?? This is the Harvest Moon. It usually occurs between September 23rd and October 8th, depending on the year. So I’m a little late in writing this post since it’s Sept. 29th… but you guys know how busy this fall has been if you know me or have been following the blog a little.
I’m not much of a landscape photographer- I prefer the hustle and bustle of people doing things, whizzing by my lens, being spontaneous. Not so much of the “Hurry Up and Wait For It” sort of photographer, who would wait hours in the freezing cold for the right shot.
It just so happens, that on my way home from a fun little shoot with Holly and Mike at the beach, I saw it, the Harvest Moon, rising so huge and yellow above Ballard. Not having the patience of a true landscape photographer, I just pulled over my car, slapped on my long lens, and used the roof of my car and my elbows as a makeshift tripod. This is just a little snapshot, not all that glorious, but to show you how easy it is to take a Harvest Moon picture, here we are!
You don’t have to have super fancy equipment- a simple SLR with a long lens will do it. Try a 200mm to compress the landscape and make your subject larger in the frame. Use a fence post, car roof, mailbox, or tripod, and set yourself on the “nighttime” mode or on manual. No flash, by the way….
Then just “Hurry Up and Wait” til the lighting is just right, and the moon clears the horizon.
Or shoot real fast and hop back in the car and drive off because it’s dinner time…