Manila | Shooting A Perigree Full Moon

MANILA | Shooting A Perigree Full Moon

A Lunar Sight As Bigger And Brighter Full Moon Graces The Night

A Perigree Full Moon also known as Supermoon was set to grace the lunar sky of May 6, 2012 for Asia. It was fun anticipating the Phenomena, though at a normal eye we can't tell the difference, it was nice to know that our Moon Luna, is at its biggest and brightest on this night. 

I was preparing for this night's shoot, thinking I should take a shot from a better location during blue hour when the moon is probably near the horizon and dust particles would make it redder and magnificent. Unfortunately, it rained here in Manila. Instead I took my shot at home, so I could also include in the foreground the streets of Pembo, Makati. It was rather late, you can't shoot the street as foreground when your tilting your camera high up in the sky. I have to stick with close ups of Luna our moon.

It was every bit a challenge in photography, I always shoot in manual mode for my DSLR. But it feels like I'm wasting every frame and in every second the moon soars up higher in the sky that its becoming harder to follow it. Already, I'm way past the Perigree time where the moon is at its very closest to Earth on its orbit for this year. But I wanted to get this done and over with. 

One thing I learned tonight, as I try to make my photos as natural and as raw from the camera, it just doesn't work like that anymore. The technology I use is probably 20 years behind everything else, and I make do with what I have. A Nikon D5100 Mid Range DSLR, Nikkor Telephoto lens 55-200 mm, my friendly and shaky portable tripod, the street below my apartment and the open window in my room that gives a view of the moon. Loosing my Camera remote after it was soaked in Sea Water from Oslob, Cebu a few weeks back, I thought I wouldn't have a decent shot with the understanding that I should shoot at slow shutter speed. 

With a few tips my Pinoy Travel Blogger friends, I got it right, lo and surprised that taking photos of the moon doesn't really need slow shutters. But having a DSLR is a requirement, I'm a proud owner of a Leica Lens of a Lumix Camera, it's just that a Digicam can only take what they can, and the moon is out of it. The close up shots of the moon is close cropped to highlight the details of the moon, edited to under expose to remove the glare of the moons surface, it was hard though to keep the yellowish aura and I don't really like putting in a different sheen or temperature to the photo as it might look very artificial.

This is where I'd say thanks to Renz of www.thetravelingnomad.com, Rain of www.rainamantiad.com and Ding of www.thepinoyexplorer.com their photographic tips made me complete this endeavor. My shots weren't the best yet, but who knows, by next year when I get the chance to shoot the Pedigree Full Moon again, I'll make sure I'm on a scenic location paying homage to the beauty of Luna.

Francis Balgos is a Call Center Agent, Weekend Travel Warrior, Amateur Spelunker, Sometime Surfer, Newbie Mountain Climber, Photography Enthusiast, Certified Beach Bum, A first born son, Faithful lover, True Explorer...

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