My sister and I wanted to shoot the rising superman while in Tuscon, AZ for the annual Photo Festival of PSA. We researched the moon rise times and positions using Photo Pills and decided to shoot the night after the super moon when the moon was still 98.5% full. Two days ahead of the shoot we drove the Cactus Forest Drive in the eastern portion Saguaro National Park (Rincon Entrance).
We wanted to locate a position where we could use our 500 mm lenses to get both the cacti and the rising moon in one image. Unable to find that we settled for a location where we could capture the cacti at one focal length and the moon rising at 87? at another focal length without changing our tripod locations. This image is a composite of the cacti at 150mm and the moon at 500mm.
I processed each image in LR before combining in PS using a screening overlay. I added the haze around the moon with the softest possible brush at a 4% density.
8 comments posted
Erik Rosengren
A well-constructed image Gary, very crisp color, sharp and proper technicals. The Super Moon brings the viewers right through the image, good job. Between the two of us, we covered the Moon and the Sun. Posted: 11/02/2024 21:37:02
Guy Davies
Nice one Gary. You would have to be a long way from the cacti to get the relative sizes of the moon and cacti as you wanted, never mind thinking about getting both sharp and properly exposed to get them on a single shot. You did the right thing and got everything right, including the use of Screen Blend Mode for the moon. Posted: 11/06/2024 11:35:25
Ian Chantler
Hi Gary
Well you fooled me this shot is so well put together I would never have known it was 2 images combined brilliant p.p.
You so deserve the quality of this image because you did not turn upon the night you did your research and and location scouting in advance a good shot as this proves is not just turning up and pointing a camera.
You got your reward well done Posted: 11/07/2024 21:15:29
R Gary Butler
Thanks for your comments Ian. Very much appreciated. Posted: 11/07/2024 21:35:29
Dr Isaac Vaisman
Gary, indeed Photopills is a brilliant app once you figure out as how it operates. Great composite image, but I get the sense that the moon is a little too large in context with the mountains and the Saguaros forest. Anyway it is a great image full of color and detail. Posted: 11/14/2024 15:02:09
R Gary Butler
Isaac, you and I agree completely. I have come to that realization and am going to work on reducing it by about 25%. Thanks for verifying what my eye is telling me. Posted: 11/14/2024 15:52:20
Vella Kendall
A beautiful shot, I like how the light flows throughout the image with the darker bottom of the image. I like the size of the moon. It makes a statement and I have seen some super moons look like that. Posted: 11/20/2024 05:22:55
Guy Davies
Hi Gary
My computer has just died so I will not be able to join in the group until I get it back from the repair shop.
If you need to get in touch you can email Paula on paula@pixelfoto.co.uk Regards
Guy Posted: 11/20/2024 12:35:10
