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Photography: Snow Moon

I’m trying to use my camera’s manual mode more, but it’s not going well. The night of the last full moon, I went to the lake and left in tears. The lighting wasn’t good, and the moon hid behind the clouds. Every image was a mess.

I spent the rest of the night thinking about quitting. I’d secretly been considering making photography my new career. Maybe another year and I could start charging real money for my work and help my family pay down our debt. Failing at the moon photos felt like a rejection—a confirmation that I’m wasting my time.

The next morning, I woke up early and headed to my local park to try again. These photos are the result. I’m still not thrilled with these images, but at least I’m getting better at making fast adjustments. The sky went from totally dark to a bright sunlight in the hour I was there. I had to keep tweaking my settings, popping in and out of light and shadow. But, unlike the previous night, I didn’t let it get to me.

These aren’t the best, not even my best. Not by a long shot. But, I edited them to be cohesive. Some of these shots have potential. I’ve taking a few online photography classes. I’m still going to keep trying.

You should, too.

I believe in you.

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  • These were taken with my Olympus E-M1 MarkII, using a 75-300mm lens and edited with Lightroom Classic.

26 thoughts on “Photography: Snow Moon”

  1. You still created some nice photos, Bridgette! May I suggest using Aperture Mode which lets the camera do most of the work. The spinning button on top of my Nikon cameras allows you to adjust the ISO which makes it so much faster to get what I see as photos. Also, do you have an HDR (high dynamic range) app on your computer? I use the Aurora HDR app and have use it for many years. I hope you guys are well!

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  2. At least you had a go. I found that just using Auto and a steady hand works well for me for Moon photos. I have tried lots of settings and was, like you, disappointed Bridgette
    The other photos are good

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    • Thanks. I’m still struggling with getting the crispness I want in all my photos, and really think mastering manual mode will allow me to get it. Not yet…but I’m hopeful if I keep trying I’ll get closer.

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    • Oh, Roy! You always say the nicest things. You have no idea how much your kindness helps me in this process. I loved #15, too. The golden light was so beautiful through the trees. That bird was a bit irritated at me, I think. I disrupted his hiding place.

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    • Thank you! I’m so glad you like them. I’m working on developing what my “style” will be, and I think these are close. I like a more moody look, as you can probably tell. But the crispness isn’t there yet. Hoping to see more improvement next time.

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  6. #s 5, 7, 8, 9, 12, & 18 are my favorites! I felt like I could lean into every shot and be right there. I love them! You’re a master at photography, Bridgette! Please don’t sell yourself short! 🙏🏾💙

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    • Thank you so much LuAnne. The leaf shots were some of my favorites. There’s something about those very last leaves, still hanging on in February, that feels personal to me. I’m so glad you liked these.

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    • Thank you! While they aren’t exactly where I want them to be, as far as crispness, I do think I’m starting to develop my editing style. I really like a moody picture. Next time, though, I’m going to try for rich colors.

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