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Photography: Wolf Moon

You’ve walked this trail a hundred times before. Usually, you have a hand to hold or a baby strapped to your chest. Tonight, you are alone. It’s not until you see milky clouds streaking across the sky you realize how weird the woods have become. A rabbit darts across the trail and the word “mad” comes to mind. We are all mad here.

Shifting your weight and shaking your head, you decide it’s the light causing everything to look wrong. Despite it being winter you feel warm and take off your jacket. A wolf howls nearby, but you aren’t scared. You listen as the sound echoes off the black skeletal trees. The branches reach toward the full moon. You feel yourself doing the same. You sway in place, moving with the wind. The moonlight feels good when it enters. Vast.

“As if you were on fire from within.
The moon lives in the lining of your skin.”
—Pablo Neruda

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10

When you fail to capture the full moon properly with your camera, you create something different. I hope you enjoyed these moody shots and let me know if you have a favorite. Although I promised myself no challenges this year, I’m going to photograph every full moon. Maybe I’ll get better.

These photos were taken with an Olympus OM-D and edited with ON1 Photo RAW.

53 thoughts on “Photography: Wolf Moon”

      • You are very welcome, Bridgette! Try shooting in Auto once in a while, there isn’t always time to set the camera up for the shot. You can correct a lot of boogers in your photos during processing. That’s what I do but do like using the Nikon in Manual too.

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      • You aren’t alone, Bridgette, I have never taken a good photo of the moon. I see moon photos from others that are beautiful! It can be done! 😂

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  6. Well, implicit over explicit, you know is my taste. Here, yes, moonlight over the moon itself I most adore (#0, #2). Suggest the moon rather than show the moon. Two is a visual poem all in and of itself. I could write a poem but it would only be a distraction.

    Very very honorable mentions include #1, 4, 6, 7 (but I’d remove the contrail), 8 (oh yea), #9 (happy halloween, I love). So yes, for a brief moonlight stroll, definite good results Bridgette.

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    • I’m glad you liked so many of these Neil. I thought #7 looked a bit like a shooting star and so that’s why it remained. Mystery it says to me. I’m starting to see how my photography can be poems themselves. I’m going to lean more and more on the relationship of that too. What happens next? What informs what? Let’s see. Mystery.

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    • Me too! Those are my favorite shots, but I also love the trees at night. I always get a little afraid of them, perhaps it was watching Wizard of Oz too young. I’m worried they will sprout arms and grab me or a face will appear and yell at me.

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  10. Bridgette, six and nine call to me, The moon slightly hidden pokes through the branches, and like fingers they gently touch it’s presence. Framing it until they can hold on no more, Then it leaves and they long for more. Welldone Bridgette moonscapes shadows and reflections enhance the way we look at the world ☺️🙏

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    • I’m so happy you like those! Yes, I think trees do seem to always be trying to reach the moon, to catch it. I’m glad these photos reflected that for you and told you a story. That’s the direction I’m going with my photography, a story of sorts.

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  11. It’s going to be hard to get better, these photos are terrific! I love the way you centered your shots. The mood is captured perfectly. I love the accompanying text as well. Number eight is my favorite, although they are all breathtaking.

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    • You’ve made my day with your kind comment Marylou! Yes, it will be fun to see what happens over the year with these photos. I want to see what kind of relationship I can foster with the moon…what story I can tell of the year through these photos. It’s an exciting challenge.

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  14. Every photo is so captivating and bewitching. I loved your writing, it was so vivid and enthralling. This was one of my favourite pieces from you.

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  16. I much like & ❤️ 4th & 9th. Superb photography. So net & clean capture all photos. Amazing cleariety. Wonderful photography of Full moon. Very interesting written words in poem. Nice quote “As if you were on fire from within.
    The moon lives in the lining of your skin.”
    —Pablo Neruda

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