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Full Moon Behind the Portland Observatory

You have to want it. Yesterday was my birthday, and my wife and I had a full day of hiking in Camden Hills and then walked across the Rockland Breakwater to the lighthouse there. We were both tired when we got home, but I had been begging her to let me go out and capture the full moon all day. So, instead having a nice dinner at home and relaxing, we got back in the car and drove to Portland to dine at our favorite restaurant, Boda. We met my best friend from high school there and had a wonderful dinner, which conveniently wrapped up around 8 o'clock, giving me just enough time to get to Back Cove to try and capture the moon coming up over Portland. When we got there, my hopes were dashed, the Portland Observatory didn't seem to have the normal bright spotlights shining on the exterior, so you could barely make it out among the skyline. I asked Kim to drive further down Baxter Boulevard to try and line it up behind the large church, but after standing and waiting there for a while, I got discouraged. I really wanted to get it coming up behind the observatory. I walked around a bit more, and then I saw it the blood red moon was starting to show right in the saddle of Portland between Munjoy Hill and Congress Square. I grabbed my gear and ran back to the north, hoping that I could capture some of the magic I was seeing. The observatory still wasn't lit, but the streetlights below seemed to be casting some glow on the building, at least enough to discern the iconic windows that go up the structure. The moon rose, and I followed it to the north, moving with it, and stopping every few feet to fire off a frame. A lot of them came out blurry, because I was moving so fast to keep up with the moon, I wasn't giving the camera and long lens enough time to settle down. But, in the end, I got a few frames that were just what I had in mind, the moon rising perfectly behind the Observatory, casting a dramatic silhouette.

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Filename
Full Moon Over Munjoy Hill Panorama
Copyright
Ben Williamson
Image Size
5274x2637 / 14.4MB
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You have to want it. Yesterday was my birthday, and my wife and I had a full day of hiking in Camden Hills and then walked across the Rockland Breakwater to the lighthouse there. We were both tired when we got home, but I had been begging her to let me go out and capture the full moon all day. So, instead having a nice dinner at home and relaxing, we got back in the car and drove to Portland to dine at our favorite restaurant, Boda. We met my best friend from high school there and had a wonderful dinner, which conveniently wrapped up around 8 o'clock, giving me just enough time to get to Back Cove to try and capture the moon coming up over Portland. When we got there, my hopes were dashed, the Portland Observatory didn't seem to have the normal bright spotlights shining on the exterior, so you could barely make it out among the skyline. I asked Kim to drive further down Baxter Boulevard to try and line it up behind the large church, but after standing and waiting there for a while, I got discouraged. I really wanted to get it coming up behind the observatory. I walked around a bit more, and then I saw it the blood red moon was starting to show right in the saddle of Portland between Munjoy Hill and Congress Square. I grabbed my gear and ran back to the north, hoping that I could capture some of the magic I was seeing. The observatory still wasn't lit, but the streetlights below seemed to be casting some glow on the building, at least enough to discern the iconic windows that go up the structure. The moon rose, and I followed it to the north, moving with it, and stopping every few feet to fire off a frame. A lot of them came out blurry, because I was moving so fast to keep up with the moon, I wasn't giving the camera and long lens enough time to settle down. But, in the end, I got a few frames that were just what I had in mind, the moon rising perfectly behind the Observatory, casting a dramatic silhouette.
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