I got the urge to take pictures of the recent "strawberry moon". It had been quite a while since I had taken moon photos, and I think what got me up out of my chair was knowing a close friend who lives in Joshua Tree was going out into the desert to do the same thing. I couldn't join him in the desert, but I did manage to hike the local hills for some full moon fun.
Photographing the moon is in many ways similar to photographing the Milky Way. As I hiked around in the hills, I was constantly looking for something that would make an interesting foreground. I knew where the moon was predicted to rise, so using the compass on my phone, I could compose the shot prior to the moon actually rising.
Once you have a foregound you like, the other issue is focus. For most of these photos, I took two shots from the same exact spot (you need a tripod to do this effectively). The first photo is focused on the foreground. Your moon will be fuzzy and out of focus. Your second photo will be focused on the moon. Then you blend the two images to get sharp focus on both the moon and foreground. Although I was only blending two photos, I guess you could call this focus stacking.  |
| The strawberry moon appears to be rolling down a very hazy Saddleback Mountain! |
A couple nights later, I was scrolling through Facebook posts, and I noticed somebody posting about a SpaceX lunch. I went out in the front yard to check it out. I was a little late in viewing it (just the contrail was left), but it still made for an interesting night sky!
These SpaceX rocket launches are becoming so commonplace that people don't make a big deal about them anymore. I still enjoy seeing the rocket (or left over contrail) streaking across the sky!
I'll leave you with this video (more of an audio) of coyotes yelping. You'll need to turn your volume all the way up. I had finished taking my strawberry moon photos in the Coyote Hills, hiking back to my car, when the local fire department deployed a fire truck. The coyotes couldn't resist howling when they heard the siren. Without that siren going off, you would never know there were coyotes living in Coyote Hills!
Thanks for stopping by, and keep looking up!!
Stunning moon shots :-D
ReplyDelete...these moon shots are fabulous. Mine are always a disappointment.
ReplyDeleteAwesome moon shots ~ not always easy to take moon pics ~ thanks, also for coyotes howling ~ feel that way sometimes ~ lol
ReplyDeleteWishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
You always seem to have great composition in your photos - the foregrounds are always interesting.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this beautiful and instructive post
ReplyDeleteOh, very well done on both the moon and the contrails. It has been awhile since I photographed the full moon, but I have also tried to photograph it in context. But I haven't been as close to the foreground objects as you and didn't feel the need to photostack. I really like your images.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant skies.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos and the contrail is fasinating. I especially loved your second photo, the one with the tree in the foreground :)
ReplyDeleteLove your moon images and thanks for the explanation on how you create them. How amazing is that sound of so many coyotes! You don't sound concerned.
ReplyDeleteYou sure make great nighttime sky shots, the moon, the milky way and everything else at night. You have your technique down!!
ReplyDeleteDearest Peter,
ReplyDeleteThose images are so stunning!
Wow, those coyotes really are present there and they might be a danger to hikers...
Hugs,
Mariette
What a haunting, magical, mysterious world we live in and that you captured so beautifully.
ReplyDeleteWhat luck to hear the coyotes like that. Some nights here I can hear the local foxes squealing as they do. We have coyotes on the island and we have seen one, but I have never heard them. Great photos, as always.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos! We hear coyotes in our area. There are woods near us, so they must still live in the wild even though we are in a populated area.
ReplyDeleteThe moon shots are wonderful.
ReplyDeleteWorth a Thousand Words
I like the 3rd one back from the first space X contrail photo the best. Beautiful. I am going to have look up how to photo stack. I know you've mentioned it before when photographing the Milky Way. Yipping yapping coyotes off in the distance. Didn't know they'd start up over a fire truck.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you had a productive and entertaining night under the stars! Your moon shots are gorgeous and thanks for the photography tips. The SpaceX contrail shot is also cool! With your skills, I bet you'll capture some amazing photos inside Angkor Archaeological Park, especially the temples at night.
ReplyDeleteLife on the Ground: Muddy Marvels and Making Memories
Stunning photography, Moon looks awesome , Loved the post.
ReplyDeleteStunning photos as ever. I have never tried stacking but then I'm old-fashioned in that respect. Must be something to see the rocket launch.
ReplyDeleteThat second shot is my selection for a giant award!
ReplyDeleteHearing how you create your moon photos is interesting. I used to have a real camera, but even then I didn't do fancy stuff. Your photos are wonderful!
ReplyDeleteNice shots of the moon in a wonderful setting.
ReplyDeleteTwo great subjects to enjoy as we cast our eyes skyward.
ReplyDeleteNice blending of moon and foreground. I keep forgetting to check the Cape Canaveral launch schedule. As you say, launches are becoming more frequent.
Hope your weekend is a good one.
Great moon shots! I've never captured a good moon photo yet, but maybe I need to try again.
ReplyDeleteVery beautiful series of moon photos. Have an awesome weekend.
ReplyDeleteA splendid series showcasing the strawberry moon! You did a great job of planning your location ahead of time, coming away with impressive compositions, where the moon is cradled, enveloped or hanging from the tree. And how nice to catch the moon rolling down the mountain. And a pleasant surprise for you to capture some last minute photos of SpaceX contrails that draw on the blank canvas of the night sky. I have to remember to do some exercises on focus stacking, something I have forgotten to capitalize on many times.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos - my absolute favorite is #4. The video will run later, my very fearful cat is just sleeping here in the room...
ReplyDeleteHave a nice weekend
Good blog and artistic pic. Success for your blog ok
ReplyDeleteThe pictures look good. The coyotes hailed the fire truck.
ReplyDeleteThat photo stacking give incredible results . Beautiful work again.
ReplyDeleteFantastic moon shots, they look amazing.
ReplyDeleteGreat moon shots one and all. You found some perfect foregrounds for that brilliant moon. I heard that the contrails from the Space X shot could be seen over here too but I didn't see them. Love the coyotes.
ReplyDeleteSpectacular shots of the full moon!
ReplyDeleteTerrific moon shots!
ReplyDeleteI'm still waiting on news of the Starliner's return.
ReplyDeleteThat moon was so bright and beautiful! I also enjoyed seeing the Space X contrail squiggle in the night sky.
ReplyDeleteStunning photos! You've captured the magic of the night sky.
ReplyDeleteI love seeing the moon come up over Lake Michigan. Especially a full more like you have posted on your blog. Beautiful, reflective for me. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeletewow wow wow.. love the moon photos so much. Here in New Jersey we have tons of coyotes . I hear them howling at night deep in the woods behind me. Coyotes have even found their way into Central Park in NYC. I like the contrails. How cool to be able to see that up so close.
ReplyDeleteYour moon photos are breathtaking!
ReplyDeleteI love how you explain focus stacking—it’s fascinating to see both foreground and moon clarity.
The strawberry moon over Saddleback Mountain is magical, and the coyotes’ howls added a special touch.
The SpaceX contrail was a fantastic bonus.
Thanks for sharing these moments!
Great job on the moon shots. The SpaceX photos are fantastic.
ReplyDeleteSmiling here, some remind me of spooky pictures. Great moon shots. I was reminded of fishing on the west coas of Florida one morning and accidentally looking up and seeing a launch from the EAst Coast at Canaveral. I was surprised to see a rocket from over a hundred miles away.
ReplyDeleteThanks, always enjoy the great photos.