My 2021 Favorite Moonshots
This past year was a great one for moon photography. Here are a few of my favorites from the year, taken on December 20, December 16, December 11, November 11, October 12, and July 21.
I take my moon photos with a Nikon Coolpix B500, flash off, on auto setting. Looking forward to more great moonshots in 2022.
Happy Moon Year
Our friend Ruth created this wonderful moon painting as a Christmas gift for me this year.
Yes, I’m a moon watcher. I love moon watching and taking photos of the moon. It grounds me, anchors me, and inspires me.
I’m looking to many opportunities to moon-watching opportunities in 2022. Here’s the full-moon schedule for the year:
January 17, 2022, Wolf Moon
February 16, 2022, Snow Moon
March 18, 2022, Worm Moon
April 16, 2022, Pink Moon
May 16, 2022, Flower Moon
June 14, 2022, Strawberry Moon
July 13, 2022, Buck Moon
August 11, 2022, Sturgeon Moon
September 10, 2022, Harvest Moon
October 9, 2022, Blood Moon
November 8, 2022, Frost Moon
December 7, 2022, Cold Moon
Total lunar eclipses may be seen in much of North America May 15-16 and November 7-8.
Sources:
The Farmer’s Almanac also has a full-moon calendar that you can customize to your location and the UK’s Royal Observatory has great online resources for moon watchers and lunar fans.
Tomorrow, I’ll share some of my favorite moon photos from 2021. In the meantime, I wish you clear skies and great moon views in 2022. Happy Moon Year!
Happy Moon Year!
How I Shoot the Moon
How I shoot the moon.
The moon through my Nikon viewfinder.
A version of this post was originally published on my Facebook page on September 23, 2020.
Out with the crickets shooting the #moon tonight. I’ve been asked how I take my moon photos. It’s very low-tech and unscientific. About six years ago Art and Julie, my inlaws, gave me a #nikoncoolpixl820. After I’d had it for a few months I went out on a clear night and just pointed it at the moon. I learned that if I pushed the focus into the yellow and held very still (I typically don’t use a tripod), I could get a fairly crisp image if I snapped fast. I upgraded a couple of years back to a #nikoncoolpixb500, again thanks to a generous Christmas gift from Art and Julie. The technique and results are similar. There are much better cameras, some even have a “moon” setting. And there are many better photographers. But I enjoy getting what I get the way I get it. It’s also fun to capture things in front of the moon, like trees or power lines. Tonight I just missed capturing a bird flying in front of the moon.
Here are the dates of the upcoming full moons for 2021:
Oct 20 Hunter's Moon
Nov 19 Beaver Moon
Dec 18 Cold Moon
Grab your camera and point it at the moon. I’d love to see your photos.
The moon over East Dundee, Illinois, September 23, 2020.