The Full Worm Moon bathes Motif #1 in moonlight

The Full Worm Moon Beckons

Yesterday’s moon was known as the “Full Worm Moon.” According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac: ”The Full Worm Moon was given its name by the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior. At the time of this spring Moon, the ground begins to soften and earthworm casts reappear, inviting the return of robins. This is also known as the Sap Moon, as it marks the time when maple sap begins to flow and the annual tapping of maple trees begins.”

Ahhh… Hello Spring!

The Moon… The Sun… The Tide…

People usually notice a full moon on the rise while driving home from work, or sometimes through a window in the evening while watching television. When you’re a photographer, however, a full moon is an event. It beckons us. It’s pull is magical. We plan for it.

The Moon Doesn’t Just Rise

What many people don’t realize, however, is that moonset is just as exciting as moonrise. The deal breaker for some people is simply the time of day that moonset occurs. That time varies from day-to-day.

This year’s Full Worm Moon had me out the door at 5:00 a.m. I wanted to make sure I had allowed for travel time, parking time, walking time and setup time. The moon has its own schedule. It waits for no one. Better to be too early than too late when photographing it.

Rockport Harbor and The Headlands

This year in Rockport, Massachusetts, the Full Worm Moon was scheduled to set at 6:21 a.m. A quick check of The Photographer’s Ephemeris program showed me that the moon would set over the town behind Rockport Harbor and appear directly between the harbor’s two wharfs when viewed nearby from The Headlands.

Two Shoots In One

Sunrise was scheduled for 6:33 a.m. Again, a quick check of The Photographer’s Ephemeris program showed me that the sun would rise behind Straitsmouth Lighthouse when viewing from the opposite side of The Headlands. All I would need to do was be fast on my feet and get to the other side in time to set up for my shot. As you can see, the hustle was well worth it. The colors were breathtaking.

The blue hour of sunrise provides a beautiful backdrop to Straightsmouth Lighthouse

Know The Tide

The tide is also an important thing to check when shooting along the coast. High tide versus low tide can greatly affect such things as shooting perspective and reflections. Getting down low in a tidal pool at low tide will garner a shot much different from one taken from the top of a rocky cliff. Which is better? That’s up to you! I say try them both. Step outside of your typical shooting zone and see what new perspectives you can personally witness and capture.

Preparation — An Important Thing To Remember

When checking the times for moonset or sunrise, remember the horizon and surrounding terrain. Setting times refer to when the sun or the moon is no longer visible on the horizon. Rising times refer to when the sun or moon first becomes visible on the horizon.

To shoot the last of the Full Worm Moon here in Rockport, I knew that I had to be ready long before the moon actually set. I needed to be in position before the moon disappeared behind the elevated tree line in the distance.

Moonset is perfectly aligned between the harbor's two wharfs

My iPhone Apps

While some of the reference programs I used for this shoot (such as The Photographer’s Ephemeris) are readily available on computer, I like to have them with me at all times. That’s where my iPhone comes in handy. Here are the links to the specific apps I used to plan this shoot.

• The Photographer’s Ephemeris (TPE)
• MoonPhase
• TideGraph

In Case You’re Wondering…

The next full moon is April 25th and it’s called the Full Pink Moon. If you’re in the Rockport area, moonset is 5:26 a.m., sunrise is 5:45 a.m., and low tide is 5:09 a.m.

And Don’t Forget…

Conversely, don’t forget to consider the times of a full moonrise and sunset. When both of these events occur close together, the shooting possibilities are again only limited by your imagination and perhaps the speed of your feet.

Warm weather is coming! No more cold weather excuses. Get out there and capture the celestial magic!

~ Liz Mackney

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Annisquam Lighthouse in Gloucester, Massachusetts, is one of my favorite places to photograph. No matter what the time of year, I frequently return to this location with camera and tripod in hand.

I’m often asked by new photographers how is it that I never tire of shooting the “same place.” My answer is simple. “It’s never the same place twice.”

Distant view from along the coastline's edge

Capturing A Mood

As with all landscape photography, weather can greatly influence the mood or feel of an image. Bright blue skies, puffy white clouds, a storm front moving in, lightning, or fog can all add drama to the mix.

But there’s something you actually control that can change things up quite a bit — it’s your shooting perspective. How many different ways can you see and capture a single scene? Experiment. Try from a high angle and then from a low one. Move in close and then try from a distance. Watch for the subtle changes in light, shadow and texture as you move, and incorporate new elements that come into view as part of your composition.

Coastline Variables

The coastline offers a few additional variables that influence an image. Let’s start with the obvious — the tide. Depending on the time of day, you may encounter high tide with the beach nowhere to be seen. That can be a good thing! If it’s a stormy day and the ocean is feeling feisty, you might get some waves crashing against the rocks.

On the flip side, low tide can create — or reveal — all sorts of things. I often discover interesting patterns formed in the sand by the retreating tide. Sometimes when the sun is at the right angle, there is a reflection of Annisquam Lighthouse in the shallow water or in the wet sand itself.

Combine the tide with the ever-changing New England weather and there you have it — Annisquam Lighthouse is never the same place twice.

Shot from down on the beach

Shoreline Terrain

I love the rocky shoreline of Cape Ann. Annisquam Lighthouse itself stands upon a rocky ledge at the north end of the Annisquam River. Access to many of the large rocks along the beach appears and disappears as the tide comes in and out. With each visit, I love discovering a new perspective from which to shoot.

Shot from on top of the rocks

Time of Day

Sunset at Annisquam Lighthouse is one of my favorite times of the day. It’s important to note, however, that the angle of the setting sun changes throughout the year. I use The Photographer’s Ephemeris program (both on my computer and iPhone) to check the sunset’s angle on any given day. During November, the sun sets over the mainland near Wingaersheek Beach. In the summer, however, the sunset angle shifts to over the ocean.

Capturing the sunset in November

As you can see in the sunset shot above, I had low tide, clear skies, the beach and a few rocky ledges to work with when composing my shot. The orange light was beautiful that day. It was what I chose to showcase as it filled the horizon, hit the lighthouse/keeper’s cottage, and bathed the rocks.

If you look at the very edge of the receding tide, you can see a hint of the lighthouse’s reflection. Just think how different this might have been if the tide was high, the sky featured some dramatic cumulus clouds, or the waves were crashing against the rocks.

All the reasons to come back again and again. As you can see, it’s never the same place twice.

~ Liz Mackney

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Good Morning Portland Head Light!

I recently took a trip up north to photograph the Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. This sunrise adventure required me to leave Rockport, Massachusetts, by 2:30 a.m. to reach my final destination of Fort Williams Park by my favorite time of day — the blue hour. Was it worth getting up for in the middle of the night? You bet it was!

Sunrise as seen from the south side

Location, Location, Location!

This was my first trip to Portland Head Light. What a great location. So many different vantage points from which to shoot. I had seen shots from other photographers, but I’m always interested in seeing what my eye favors. That means one thing — checking out every location.

My first shooting location was from the south side looking north. It was still quite dark outside, so I really studied things visually before deciding whether or not to hop the fence and climb out onto the rocks to shoot. My eye decided against doing so, as I thought that angle would make the shot too flat in terms of perspective. When I shoot buildings, I generally like to shoot at an angle that gives some depth to the structure.

Portland Head Light with Ram Island Ledge Lighthouse in the distance

I particularly liked this angle for a variety of reasons. First, it allowed me to get the depth that I wanted for the shot. The wooden fence also helps to guide the eye. Second, the blue hour was transitioning into a wider expanse of golden light. I wanted to capture that magnificent color across the entire framing of my shot. Finally, I wanted to include Ram Island Ledge Lighthouse, which is visible on the horizon. Its position further guides the eye into the distance while adding greater dimension.

Timing, Timing, Timing!

During sunrise, the light changes quickly and dramatically. If you’re not fast on your feet, you could miss a fantastic moment. I knew ahead of time that I also wanted to shoot the Portland Head Light from the north side looking south. As soon as I was done with the dual lighthouse shot, I folded up my tripod and headed north on the well maintained walking path. I followed the path along the rocky coastline and found my ideal location.

Early morning light as seen from the north side

By the time I got to this side of the lighthouse, the early morning light was already transitioning to beautiful pastel hues of pink and lavender. On this morning, the tide was way out, helping to expose the rocky ledge and seaweed covered boulders down below. To capture the wide range of tonal contrast in the rocks, I chose to create a 3-image HDR (High Dynamic Range) shot, using an exposure bias of +1, 0, -1. Doing this allowed me to capture not only the beautiful color, but all of the coastline detail as well. The sailboat in the distance was the perfect addition to the scene, for it adds depth to the shot and serves to guide the eye.

As you can see, Portland Head Light offers quite the visual feast during the sunrise hour. It’s definitely worth the trip!

~ Liz Mackney

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This week’s media blitz for the upcoming Summer Olympics got me thinking about the athletes’ quest for the gold medal. As my train of thought continued, I wondered how many different “gold” subjects I had photographed recently. Apparently, more than I realized!

Goldfinch

I’m very lucky to have many goldfinches in close proximity. I hear them “squeaking” to each other all day long as they dart back and forth from tree to tree in my yard. After years of providing thistle for them in my feeders, I switched to black sunflower seeds and moved a feeder onto my back deck. In no time at all I had a very happy customer.

Goldfinch

Goldenrod Spider

This goldenrod spider was a first for me. I had never seen one before, so naturally the little guy caught my eye as he crawled along the leaf of my peony plant. How perfect for me that I had my macro lens in hand.

Goldenrod Spider

Golden Sunrise

Motif #1 in Rockport, Massachusetts, is a world-famous landmark. Living is this beautiful seaside town is a gift in and of itself. Waking up to sunrises like this are divinely inspired and hold a very special place in my heart.

Motif #1 Sunrise

Golden Reflection

You never know what you might discover around the next bend. Such was the case last autumn when an unexpected right turn off the beaten path led to this glorious reflection. There’s a lot to be said about the road less traveled!

Autumn Reflection

Golden Rays

This past winter, while on my quest to find the snowy owl at Hampton Beach, heaven seemed to be rejoicing. There I was — freezing my butt off — when I saw the sun’s rays celebrate the new day. As I turned around, there suddenly appeared the snowy owl! Hallelujah!

Hampton Beach

Gold On Gold

Nature has a way of color coordinating itself. This hoverfly was the perfect companion to this Black-eyed Susan. The gold-on-gold palette seemed to speak of mutual respect and appreciation.

Hoverfly and Black-eyed Susan

Golden Retriever

This is Sunny, my neighbor’s dog. How could this article not include a golden retriever? Good dog Sunny!

Sunny

So there you have it. You can “discover gold” in many different places. How about you? Do you have any gold shots of your own? If so, I’d love to see them. Post a comment with a link to your photo and show me!

~ Liz Mackney

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Battleship Cove in Fall River, Massachusetts, is a war memorial and maritime museum beautifully framed by the Braga Bridge and Fall River Heritage State Park. Recently, several photographer friends and I met up there for a sunset shoot. It didn’t take long for me to see that Battleship Cove was an incredible location for some dynamic photography.

Bracketing and HDR

Low light shooting presents some challenges when it comes to maintaining detail in your shots. That’s when bracketing comes in handy — and it’s exactly what I used for this shot. I’m a big believer in less is more. When bracketing and HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography are done to preserve detail, the result can be magical.

Braga Bridge Over Battleship Cove

In this shot, I bracketed three shots (+/- 1 stop) and merged them together in Photomatix. I then brought the tone mapped image into Photoshop for some minimal fine tuning. My overall goal was to preserve as much detail as possible in the textured areas. This meant the ship, bridge, boardwalk, railing, benches and grass. I knew the reflected lights and cloud pattern would naturally enhance the image.

Blue Hour Beauty

The blue hour of sunset and sunrise are my favorite times of day. When the position of the setting sun falls in line with your shooting perspective, it’s a gift. Such was the case on this day.

The blue hour before sunset

The U.S.S. Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. destroyer proudly rests at Battleship Cove. Just as the setting sun was about to meet the horizon, the orange glow behind the ship’s guns provided the perfect accent. Normally a straight-on perpendicular shot is not my favorite perspective to shoot, as the image appears flat. In this case, however, the angle of the foreground elements gave the scene depth. The sprinkling of lights along the bridge, ship and shoreline helped to anchor the shot – no pun intended!

Isolation

As evening descended upon us and spotlights pierced the darkness, isolated details became focal points. The U.S.S. Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. took on a new attitude as blue sky turned to gray. My photographic eye was suddenly drawn to the ship’s illuminated equipment. Standing tall against the backdrop of a patterned sky and cloaked in shadows cast by the light, it now became the prime area of visual interest.

U.S.S. Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. illuminated

Filter Play

Let me rewind for a second. I arrived at Battleship Cove well before sunset. This gave me time to scout the area and do some test shots for perspective. One of the shots I took featured the carousel pavilion — in addition to the Braga Bridge and U.S.S. Massachusetts battleship. It was a sweet setup that definitely caught my eye.

Battleship Cove Reflection

Even though the light was far from dramatic at this time of day, I chose to do another bracketed series of shots. The pavilion and U.S.S. Massachusetts were both losing detail from the shadow cast by the bridge, so I thought bracketing would help to bring some of the detail back.

Once again I merged the three shots together in Photomatix and did some minor tweaking in Photoshop. However, this time I also decided to take some creative license and have a little fun with a certain post-production filter — Flood by Flaming Pear. That’s what I used to create the rippled reflection in the water. The filter gives you a lot of latitude with which to play. I, however, chose to stay somewhat within the realm of reality.

That is until a non-photographer friend of mine said he would have “flipped the image” to mess with people’s minds.

Well, how could I resist? Sometimes you need to turn reality on its head. So, I did.

Altered Reality

There you have it. One photographer’s look at Battleship Cove and the photographic diversity it has to offer. Definitely worth the trip.

~ Liz Mackney

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