The 2015 Lunar Eclipse and the Blood Moon
I shot for an HDR, minutes before the eclipse started and then I created a composite of the lunar phases all the way till the Blood Moon appeared in the sky. Fo...
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I shot for an HDR, minutes before the eclipse started and then I created a composite of the lunar phases all the way till the Blood Moon appeared in the sky. For the moon photos, I did ZERO retouching. Just used the images as is and I tell you all that the moon was so nice and red when it was in total eclipse.
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Jan, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I shot this photo from a sitting area at the FDR Drive Manhattan, New York. The spot was opposite to Roosevelt Island and the river in between is the East River. Lots of light reflections on the water and I tried my best to include as much of the urban vibe as possible. After all, it’s NYC.Time
When shooting this photo at night, sitting by the East River, I had to endure quite a lot. The temperature that night was sub-zero and lots of gusty winds. That was my first winter in New York! I stayed put and patiently endured the bitter cold so I could capture this awesome phenomena.Lighting
Had it been a clear night, I could’ve composed the picture differently. This particular night was unforgiving. The clouds showed up roughly around the time when the eclipse had started. I just had precise moments to time my exposures. It’s not too easy to capture the moon on a cloudy night.Equipment
My old trusty Nikon D7000 was used to capture this photo. As for the lens, I used a Nikon 55-200mm and the setup was mounted on a tripod. To release the shutter, I used a simple infrared wireless remote.Inspiration
Before I tried anything like this, I have always look into other photographers’ works, constantly taking inspiration from how they composed the shot to how much they might have gone thru for that prized photograph. The skyline view of New York City is forever etched in my soul, so I had decided to compose a shot with a part of NewYork alongside this awesome astronomical event.Editing
The first layer, the urban buildings and bridges was an HDR composition. I took several exposures of the same frame and merged them into an HDR image. That just helped me bring out the details in the dark and shadow zone for this night shot. Later, I took individual photos of the moon transitioning into an eclipse and eventually turning red to become a blood moon. In PhotoShop, I carefully placed each phase of the moon in the urban scene and this is the resultant photograph. Lots of post processing work, I mist say, but that was the goal.In my camera bag
As of now, in 2020, I typically leave the house with my Nikon D7000 and Nikon D750. Eith one would be attached to a ultra-wide angle lens and a telephoto/prime lens. If you’re wondering why I carry this extra weight, the answer is very simple. I don’t want to be fiddling with my lenses and waste time when the opportunity comes for a photo. I’m ready to capture that moment.Feedback
If you’re not accustomed to cold weather, then please layer up properly, especially if you’re gonna be shooting from a location where there’s water. A tripod is a must and don’t forget a remote controller for the shutter release. This’ll minimize any camera shake due to a physical touch on the camera. Do arrive early and look thru the viewfinder to compose your desired shot. These kinds of phenomena attracts a big crowd, so you definitely don’t wanna compromise a good composition because you arrived late. Lastly, do your homework on what the best location is for unobstructed viewing. I guess for any beginner, this should suffice for a nice experience.
