Full Moon Rising Over Bristlecone Pines

Posted by Don Smith (California, United States) on 10 October 2009 in Landscape & Rural.

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Spending time with the oldest living trees on the planet (some over 5,000 years old) is enough to make one stand in awe of their surroundings. Add a full rising moon through beautiful sunset bathed clouds and the moment becomes what my friend Mike Hall terms, "a photographer's Viagra."

Such was the sensation this past Saturday evening as Mike, Gary Hart, and I photographed this incredible scene in the Patriarch Grove of the White Mountains (east of the Sierra Mountain Range) in California. We knew the moon would start rising 31 minutes prior to sunset and decided the Patriarch Grove would offer opportunities for placing these unique trees in juxtaposition with the moon as we would be photographing from an elevation of 11,400 feet overlooking Nevada's Great Basin.

Trying to determine the exact moment one will see a full moonrise is tough as moonrise times are calculated from a level horizon. Add to the mix a layer of clouds and we were not certain if we would even see the moon at all. As the last bit of sun fell off the pines, the clouds overhead began to take on the rich crimson light that becomes extremely saturated when witnessed from high mountain elevations. I was working on positioning a tree against one such cloud when I turned momentarily towards to east and saw the tip of the moon poke above this cloud. I started yelling up to Gary and Mike who were both photographing on a hillside above me, then the race was on to find an interesting tree(s) to use as a foreground. To see three middle-aged men running around this mountain with backpacks and tripods gasping for what little oxygen was available must have been comical, though there was not another human being in sight.

Fortunately the color on the clouds held and I spotted this tree and went to work. The best part about shooting in this "tiny window" of light, is that it allows for the exposure on the moon (essentially a daylight reading) and the exposure on the foreground to be captured in one frame. Remember that our digital sensors can capture about 5 1/2 stops of light. Any tonal values outside this range will result in either clipping in highlights or shadows, or at worst, both. It was important that I held detail in the moon (which there is but may not be evident on a small monitor).

After seeing the results, all I can say is, "Viva Viagra!"

BTW - Gary Hart has posted one of his favorite images on his blog and adds a bit more insight into this memorable shoot: Gary Hart's Bristlecone Image

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