Moonrise Sunset
Over a decade ago, while in Istanbul at the end of a day of walking and taking photos, I sat down on the docks to rest and pack up my gear. The sun was going down and I noticed across the water that the moon was also rising over Selamsiz, on the Asia side. I grabbed my camera and reached for a long lens.
(August 2010, Nikon D300s, 400mm )
I usually don’t chase moonrises so it’s rare that I happen to see one in an interesting setting — and rarer still when it’s before sunset and there’s enough light for a handheld shot (did I mention that I hate using a tripod.) In this case luck prevailed. I was in the right place at the right time to get the above shot.
Jump fourteen years forward. I happened to read that the October Hunter’s Moon, a super moon, was set to rise at around sunset the following day. So I thought maybe I’d give another moonrise a go. At the designated time I headed off to nearby Situate Light, a local favorite for moonrise photos.
When I arrived there were already a dozen of so photographers set up and waiting. One guy had even travelled from Vermont. They were all using tripods but there was plenty of light so I opted to shoot handheld. Eventually the moon appeared and the shutters started to click. I saw a figure off to the right and framed them in for a little added interest.
(October 2024, Leica SL3, Sigma 150-600)
I’m happy with the result. Not a world-beater but worth the fifteen minute drive over to Situate. Hopefully I’ll still be around to stumble across another one in ten years or so.