Lunar Eclipse of 2019 — Super Blood Moon. With cloud cover and rain in the Bay Area last night, I had given up on a photo. But the sky suddenly opened up for about five minutes. I practically tripped over myself racing and fumbling to get my gear outside in time, tripod and all. Five minutes and only six frames later, the moon disappeared behind the clouds again.
How amazing is it that today, with readily available, off-the-shelf camera gear, a person can acquire sharp focus on a rock that is over 238,000 miles away, outside Earth’s atmosphere; and then converge that image onto a surface the size of a postage stamp, retaining detail, at night, in color no less? Simply miraculous.
I’ll be the first to admit that I struggle with G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) — the pursuit of the perfect camera or lens, as if that’s the thing that will push my photography further. But the reality is the opposite.
Just about every camera sold today is a-mazing. In making this image, it’s like my camera is flexing its technical muscles, telling me:
“I’m just fine, thank you very much. I’ve got this. Now go and work on your actual photography skills — composition, narrative, perspective, and the rest. Practice using me.”