Full Moon For July, 2013...

Last night was July's Full Moon. A Super Moon in the sign of Aquarius. It was really beautiful. Big, and bright white. While the Moon sits in Aquarius, the Sun moves into the sign of Leo. Fitting since my birthday is on the 27th, and I am a Leo. The Sun and the Moon bring to the fore the qualities of the heart and mind respectively. The energies for this moon lean towards the unconventional. Hidden emotional issues are usually pushed to the surface during a Full Moon, which makes the time ripe for facing long hidden issues, and healing as a result. Aquarius brings a sense of freedom to openly acknowledge and analyze long shelved wishes and desires. It's a good time to focus on the future. Feelings and issues that have long been a part of the subconscious can come into play, and by using the wealth of energies present during this moon you can take full advantage of Aquarius' objectivity, and Leo's warmth. Not only a beautiful moon, but a constructive one.

When I ventured over to the marsh to see what I might be able to capture in terms of Moon shots, I was struck by the color blue. Kind of a pale cerulean blue that was matched in the sky and the glassy surface of the marsh waters. The form of the trees and other fauna stood in stark contrast like meticulously sculpted silhouette cuttings. Seemingly one dimensional shapes framed against the blue and green expanse stretching into the distance. Quite stunning.

I wasn't sure exactly where the moon was set to rise. I was on a bit of a moon hunt, and searched the far horizon for any signs of Luna's light. I could make out her location, but there were tendrils of cloud obscuring most of her form. We have had overcast weather for weeks now (in varying degrees), and seeing the wispy cloud cover made me feel crestfallen. It looked like she might very well not make an appearance in all her glory this time. However, I wasn't about to give up and go home.

Being dive-bombed by mosquitoes wasn't very pleasant, but I decided to tough it out and see if Luna might make at least a brief appearance. My efforts would soon be rewarded. Continuing to climb above the horizon, she grew brighter and started to come out of obscurity. A few more minutes and she was completely visible.

The higher she climbed in the sky, the fewer clouds there were. (At least for the time being...the radar on the Weatherscan channel showed an angry band of storm clouds headed our way...at the very least the sky would be filled with cloud cover, and that meant 'good night, moon'). In an effort to get a clear view, I shouldered my camera tripod and quickly walked to the pond. The closer I got, the louder the chorus of pond frogs got. It was worth the walk.

I always prefer clouds in some form when photographing the moon. They make a shot more interesting. They also add to the abstract quality my night time shots have with this camera. My images never capture exactly what I see with my naked eye, but I am always satisfied with my photos.

The two images here (above and below) are my favorites. Very abstract and ethereal. They resemble paintings more than photographs. Artistic shots of my birthday moon. Well, a few days short of my birthday, but close enough.