To get this shot of the moon rising at the perfect time of day just after sunset but before it got too dark, in the perfect position in the sky – low enough to be able to capture it just above the horizon with all the foreground and middle ground elements in the lower two-thirds of the frame, as full and bright as possible, among other factors, one would typically do some painstaking research then make the trip and hope the location is open and the weather cooperates.
Well, I didn't do that for this shot. I got super lucky instead. On a whim, I thought, "Why don't I go to Bear Rocks for a sunset tonight?" So I loaded up my gear and took off for the northern end of Dolly Sods about 2 hours and 45 minutes before sunset, fumbled around on the rocks for a while, took a few shots of the sunset, and then noticed the bright, almost full moon was rising around the same time the sun was dropping below the horizon.
Of course, I stuck around, the blue hour being my favourite time(s) of the day, and a bright moon allowed me to continue shooting even though my camera was not the best in low light conditions. Besides getting shots like this one, I also verified yet again why it is called "Bear Rocks", as there were plenty of momma bears grunting from the thick huckleberry bushes all around me. It was only slightly unsettling, but I was way more focused on the amazing scenery and thrilled at my luck in being there at the best possible time for these shots without any planning whatsoever.
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Dimitri Vasileiou • Editor