Nick of time

Patience is a virtue, and sometimes it’s the difference in getting a picture or not. After more than hour of staring at the sky on a cloudy night I was rewarded with a glimpse of the Super Moon Lunar Eclipse, the first since 1982 and the last before 2033.

I had planned shooting the eclipse for weeks, researching the times planning out a shooting location and reviewing internet posts on how to capture the eclipse. The night before I studied the moonrise and made a mental note of its position in the sky and planned when I would begin my shooting.

The moon would be low on the horizon when the eclipse began on the West Coast but by 7:48 p.m., mid point of totality it would be hanging well above the tree line.

Running errands the day of the eclipse at 5:00 p.m. a thick layer of clouds blanketed the sky. I had no chance of capturing the celestial sight.

I prepared my camera and glumly set up a chair facing east and waited in the gathering darkness. I checked the time constantly as the moment of peak totality came and went. Still I sat and stared to the east watching as patches of maroon sky and stars appeared to the west.

Just after 8:00 p.m. I caught a glimpse of the moon, blood red and dimly lit as it passed behind layers of clouds.

I worked quickly shooting as many frames as I could. The moon would fade behind a thick layer of clouds and then reemerge though a opening in the cloud formation.

The photos of the moon bathed in the diffused light of the Earth’s shadow and the illumination of the clouds below are some of the most eerie pictures I have taken. Social media was filled with the laments of photographers who stepped out to watch the eclipse but seeing the clouds gave up.

A little perseverance paid off and I was able to capture my rare celestial event in the nick of time.