It has not been all that long and I am back with another moon blog post. The previous one, on September 19, was about the partial lunar eclipse we had here in Orchard Park, New York (Litany of moon titles, including an eclipse). While an eclipse is a very special event, whether solar or lunar, the full moon is not lit all that well for a portrait photo. The full frontal light just flattens everything out into a shadowless 2D object. So right then and there I decided I had to follow up when the moon was side lit to capture its surface with a hint of 3D features.

Waxing Gibbous Moon, 59%October 11, 2024

Waxing Gibbous Moon, 59%, October 11, 2024

The above moon photo definitely proves the point and the craters come more alive than in the lunar eclipse post. However, I thought that a lot of the wonderful craters at the top and bottom were still hiding in the shadow and another day or two would further enhance the view.

Waxing Gibbous Moon, 70%October 12, 2024

Waxing Gibbous Moon, 70%, October 12, 2024

And that extra day worked like magic. It's rather impressive how much things change in only 24 hours. The moon illumination went from 59% to 70%, lit up additional craters, and made for a better photo. I also continued to improve my technique and ended up with an even sharper photo. The biggest difference on top of all of the steps I shared last time? Shutter speed. It turns out that at a 560mm of magnification, the moon moves through the frame rather quickly. And thus, 1/60 sec does not really freeze the motion sufficiently. What a difference 1 stop can make at 1/125 sec! Yep, that's the secret of the second photo here today.

Enjoy the beauty that surrounds you! (#etbtsy)