I went out to photograph the perigee moon. That is when the moon appears it’s largest due to the orbit. It’s pretty rare so I thought it would be fun to see it and get a cool photograph.

I used to say that being there is 90% of getting the shot when photographing landscapes but who knows exactly what percentage it is. The point is that if you aren’t there you get nothing.  If you prepare for a shoot and know what you are doing then you show up and let Mother Nature do her thing.

Of course things don’t always go as planned.  If it’s one you can count on in Arizona, it’s the weather. It’s normally clear blue skies, sunny and warm but not on this day. I knew we were getting some clouds and some kind of weather system so when I went out and could see the moon through the clouds I thought that would be a great shot.  I like photographing the moon with clouds and something on the horizon like mountains or buildings, otherwise it is just a big white ball and doesn’t mean much.

Before I got in the car with my gear to get a good spot I went in my back yard and shot a couple of frames hand held just to see what I might get. Well I got one shot and the moon disappeared so I got in the car and drove to my location and waited like a fisherman for the ‘big one’.

The moon never came out again.  I only had one shot and it wasn’t great. I was a little disappointed but photography isn’t always about getting the perfect shot but also the process. Even though I didn’t get the shot I wanted I enjoyed going out and trying. Photography is just like the rest of life. You make your plans and do everything right and it still doesn’t work out sometimes.

That’s photography, that’s life. Enjoy the process!

The Perigee Moon

Share on Facebook