Behind the Shots: Lunar Eclipse with Natural Arches
Lunar Eclipse, May 15th, 2022. Single Exposure: 🔹600mm 🔹 F/6.3 🔹1 sec. 🔹 ISO 1000
On the night of May 15th, 2022, eyes all around the globe turned towards the sky to witness a beautiful lunar eclipse. Often, when I plan moon photos, there’s one shot in particular I’m going for, with a specific subject on the ground in mind. It takes careful planning ahead of time, then setting up in the right location well in advance, making sure equipment and settings are all good to go, and then waiting for that perfect moment to arrive. With practice though, my entire process during moon shoots got faster, and I realized I could better take advantage of full moon nights and maximize the amount of good photos I took home. In short, it’s just a matter of moving to different positions to be able to capture the moon with different subjects before it gets too high in the sky. This adds a lot to the challenge, and it certainly brings some chaos, but it also increases the potential rewards. Could I capture the lunar eclipse through two different Arches in Arches National Park on the same night? If you read the title, which I’m assuming you did, you already know the answer!
Lunar Eclipse, May 15th, 2022. First Arch. Single Exposure: 🔹255mm 🔹 F/6.3 🔹0.3 sec. 🔹 ISO 125
Luckily, the two arches I had in mind are not far from each other, but after the first set of photos, I would only have 8 minutes to not only move about a half mile away, but also set up my equipment again and prepare for the second set. Once I was in place and all ready for the moon to pass behind the first arch, I made a checklist in my head to make sure I would be ready to move to the second position. I’d have to take my camera off the tripod, lug everything back to my car, which fortunately wasn’t too far, then carefully place everything in the back seat, speed (legally of course) to the next spot, grab my gear, and rush to position number two. The moon began peeking through the first arch and I started snapping away. Paying attention to the photography while at the same time experiencing the awe of the moment is an interesting balancing act in itself. I’m impressed by every moonrise, but the partially eclipsed moon through the arch left me speechless. Good thing I didn’t have anybody to talk to anyway! Before the moon had even passed behind the arch completely, I started implementing my mental checklist. I was glad at this point I was essentially on auto-pilot because I was definitely experiencing an adrenaline rush. WIth so little time, I was worried about running into any setbacks. Any delay on the road or an unforeseen issue with my gear would almost guarantee I wouldn’t make it to the next spot in time. I had good fortune though, and made it to the next position without any issues, and waited for the moon to rise for the second time that night.
Lunar Eclipse, May 15th, 2022. Second Arch. Single Exposure: 🔹400mm 🔹 F/5.6 🔹0.8 sec. 🔹 ISO 200
If you’re interested in learning how to plan and take moonscape photos similar to these, I teach hands on classes in the Moab area called Moab Moon Missions. I’d love to take you through my entire process from beginning to end, so if that sounds good to you check the link for mission dates!
