Moonrise to Lunar Eclipse Moonset, Colorado San Juans

Moonrise over the San Juan Mountains, Trout Lake, Colorado.

The end of January 2018 was supposed to be not just a Full Moon, but a "blue moon", meaning the second one in the same month. But that's merely the calendar. The Blue Moon occurred on January 31, just one day before February started. Thus robbing February of a Full Moon at all! What should that be called -- the Non Moon?

Whatever. The important thing is that the weather was forecast to be clear, and I live in southwest Colorado. As in: awesome landscapes abound in which to photograph a rising moon above one of them.

So I drove up to Lizard Head Pass (elevation 10, 222 feet or 3,116 meters) the day before the Full Moon as indicated by the calendar. Why? Because depending on when the moon actually reaches "full illumination", you have to be out there the evening before if you want to make landscape photography shots with both the moon rising and the landscape not in darkness.

Trout Lake, just north of Lizard Head Pass. Sun almost down, moon not up yet.

I got to the Pass while the setting sun was still glowing enticingly on the high peaks. I did not stop at the pass but chose to drive down the other side a few miles, to an overlook above Trout Lake. There the warm sunlit peaks, though they were slipping into shadow fast, made for a fantastic accent to the snowy lake in twilight shadow below.

But! Having those peaks so close to me meant that the rising moon would not clear them for quite a while. After dark. Not good.

So I did a U-turn on the highway and headed back up to Lizard Head Pass. The additional 500 feet in elevation would make a critical difference.

And it did. It was a gorgeous January evening. Unseasonably mild, and there was not even a breeze. Still enough to hear a coin drop on the pavement.

The moon was already up over the peaks, of course, and the sun had gone down, too. No time to lose. Shoot the moonrise in the early twilight, before the moon would become a white round disk in a black sky.

So back to work, camera on tripod of course.

Moonrise panorama. Click on image for larger view.

As I was about to finish up a lone cross country skier appeared back up over the opposite road bank, to his car. Taking his skis off, he saw me photographing and said "What a great view to photograph!". Something like that. We each savored the scene for a few more minutes, then wished each other to have a good rest of the evening.

So much for that evening. I would get up early the next morning for the second half of the show: a full Lunar Eclipse as the moon was getting ready to set before sunrise.

See more of my photography, and order prints at my website: www.NaturalMoment.com.

© Copyright Stephen J. Krieg

Moonset Over the Abajos

Moonset at sunrise, near Monticello, Utah.

I had been intending to take off in the other direction, until I exited my front door and saw the just past full moon setting over the Abajo Mountains. Hmm. Did I have time to do something about it? I did.

So I drove out to Loyds Lake on the edge of town. A favored vantage point. I quickly parked, grabbed my camera bag and tripod, and all but trotted down the gravel path. Because I could see there was no time to waste.

Loyds Lake at sunrise, with the moon setting over the Abajos.

 Whenever the moon is rising above the horizon, or setting in the other direction, it's amazing to see how quickly our Earth rotates compared to how we think of it (if at all) while we are caught up in the day. The frame of reference that the horizon brings is telling.

The moon was creeping down toward the still snowy Abajo Mountains west of town. The sun was rising as well, giving the landscape a warming glow while the moon was cool and blue. After all, it was still way out there in space.

Photo location: Monticello, southeast Utah.

© Copyright 2017 Stephen J. Krieg

Moonset Over Navajo Mountain

Full Moon moonset at dawn over Navajo Mountain.

I was on the southern rim of Cedar Mesa in southeast Utah for the August Full Moon.

The weather was pleasant enough for this time of year, breezy and not very hot. Wonderful for mid August. But it was semi-overcast on the eastern horizon, so my moonrise shots were brief, through a gap in the clouds.

I was camped on the rim, 1,000 feet above the San Juan River valley near Mexican Hat, and for most of the night got to enjoy a moonlit night.

At dawn it was clear, so I got up and waited for moonset. It looked like the moon was going to set right behind Navajo Mountain far to the southwest in Arizona.

And just as the almost risen sun tinged the moon a slight pink, I made this shot. I waited to see if I could get one of it actually starting to disappear behind Navajo Mountain, but a thin cloud bank on the western horizon made the moon disappear that much too early.

Photo location: Cedar Mesa, San Juan County, Utah.

© Copyright 2016 Stephen J. Krieg

Moonrise Over Bears Ears Buttes, Utah

December 2015 moonrise at sunset, Bears Ears Buttes.

The full moon scenery from Natural Bridges National Monument in southeast Utah couldn't have been more spectacular last month. 

With fresh snow on the Bears Ears, I went out two evenings before official Full Moon, for landscape shots at sunset. 

You have to be ready for Full Moon each month, because if the weather doesn't cooperate -- like this month -- you're shut out till next month.

Photo location: Natural Bridges National Monument, San Juan County, Utah.

© Copyright 2016 Stephen J. Krieg

Moonrise, La Sal Mountains, Utah

La Sal Mountains, and...the moon

Time for another Full Moon. This time, in the high desert country of southeast Utah. 

Between Monticello and Moab is a lightly visited side road called the Anticline Overlook road. There are many more cows and pronghorn (antelope) than people. No power lines ruining the view. Nothing. Perfect. 

The La Sals in late afternoon, with the red rocks.

It was the evening before the official Full Moon on the calendar, which is usually the best day of the month for landscape photography shots of the almost full disc rising above the eastern horizon while it's still light. 

We were there, ready. Even had time for a side trip to the Anticline Overlook beforehand. 

I'd picked this spot because of the prime views of the La Sal mountain range to the east. The one that you see in all the photos of Moab and Arches National Park, towering over everything. It's a small but very photogenic cluster of peaks. And when you have the full moon rising above them, it doesn't get much better. Probably not any better, really.

Having once again used The Photographer's Ephemeris on my computer to determine the time and, just as importantly, the azimuth (compass direction) that the moon would rise that evening, I was set. Pretty much. Because those mountains in the way would block the moon for a while. And it doesn't rise straight up, like an elevator. After all, it has to arc across the southern sky and set in the morning in the west. So by the time it clears the mountains it will be somewhat southeast of where it initially "rose". 

Don't you hate that technical stuff? Even when it's useful? You just want to wing it. Not a bad idea. 

But I used it, and it worked out very well. So there. One for the geek side of me. Which allowed me to turn to the artistic side and shoot away at a very awesome scene. 

The moon first appears, 5:18 PM.

Photo location: San Juan and Grand Counties, southeast Utah.

© 2015 Stephen J. Krieg.

April Full Moonrise, Central Arizona Highlands

Moonrise over Bradshaw Mountains, Prescott, Arizona

Moonrise this evening in Arizona was the time to make landscape shots with the Full Moon included in the frame, because the moon rose early enough to be in the scene while the landscape was still light enough for some detail.

The savvy landscape/nature photographer was not fooled by the calendar, which shows the Full Moon as being tomorrow. But that's because it will officially reach 100% illumination just after midnight Pacific Time (and Arizona Standard Time). 

So effectively this evening was the rise of the Full Moon. Here is what it looked like from the southeast edge of Prescott, Arizona, with the Bradshaw Mountains on the horizon. The "starburst" effect was from the small lens aperture, in this case f/18.

January Full Moonrise

Moonrise over Watson Lake and the Granite Dells, north of Prescott, Arizona

Another gorgeous Central Arizona Highlands evening, this time on the evening of the Full Moon.

Several miles north of Prescott along Highway 89 lies Watson Lake, a waterfowl rich reservoir formed by a dam on Granite Creek. Bordering the lake are the weird and beautiful rock formations known as the Granite Dells. To the east (upper right in this photo) lies Glassford Hill, an ancient volcano.

A warm January day (unseasonably warm, but so comfortable), calm winds. Using The Photographer's Ephemeris application, I could find out exactly when and in what compass direction (azimuth) the full moon would rise. This month it rose in the northeast at 70 degrees, which is 20 degrees north of straight East. The information allowed me to pick a spot with an enticing landscape, since tonight the moon would rise after sunset but before full dark.

Finally the moon peeked over Glassford Hill and, as the light faded, reflected off the surface of Watson Lake.