This was Difficult!

This image is all your fault.

I planned this about two months in advance because I saw a post you guys made—not once, but twice—about Peter Lik’s moon photo. So, I set out to show you that it could be done. I scouted a ton of locations and finally found the perfect spot. I downloaded every app I could find, talked to an astronomer about degrees and sightlines, and made sure everything was lined up.

I went out, got all set up, and then... the moon was about one-fourth the size I thought it was going to be. Turns out, even if you're about one-third of a mile away from the object you want in the shot, you actually need to be at least a mile away. And instead of shooting at 600mm, you probably need to be at 1100-1300mm, which I do have the teleconverters to achieve.

But then there's still the issue of waiting. This kind of photo only happens once per month, and even then, the Earth's rotation has to be just right. The moon needs to be full and visible on the horizon at the perfect moment. You don’t really see the moon well during the day because of mirage effects, so this has to happen in the winter when the atmosphere is clearer.

With all these variables at play, this is the final shot. I think I could do it better now, but the conditions only align two or three times a year. That was definitely one of the most difficult challenges in getting this shot.