I happily headed northward from Yuma returning to a favorite landscape to shoot April’s full moon over Easter weekend and the clouds beckoned me to stay just a little longer.
I’ll be honest, I won’t miss the noisy camp near Yuma, but I will miss Gayle. She’s slowly recovering from her dental work in Mexico but staying nearby for a while longer.
Palo Verde sunset
After shopping in Yuma I headed northward and less than an hour away to my next camp (where I took a 360° video), a favorite place, the BLM adjacent to Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. Not many people out there so really lots of peace and quiet guaranteed.
I sat outside in the welcomed afternoon shade of the truckcamper. Set the camera on tripod and the moon snuck up on me faintly and not yet full.
Unusual Wave clouds
Still struggling with autofocus on the Nikon so after some googling I took the polarizing filter off, not an easy task. That filter also reduces light so now I have to think differently when shooting in Manual. Bumping up the shutter speed is a bonus for hand-held shooting as I’m not very steady and usually too lazy to use the tripod.
4:53pm
6:29pm
Photography is all about the light and I love watching changes on the land throughout the day.
I think the focus improved and some of that night’s moon shots were better. Sadly, clouds were low on the horizon so I once again didn’t catch it until above the clouds.
I woke at first light to pee and stepped outside with the camera for sunrise and saw the moon setting behind the Palo Verde tree. Score. Then went back to bed.
After processing photos all morning, I went outside to read and enjoy the view. Then, about 4pm got a bug to move camp. Not far, just down the road a bit, to a place I camped this winter.
PhotoPills Augmented Reality usually out of calibration
Would it rise here or…
…maybe here
Time for a different moon rise view. Then I speculated on where the moon would actually rise almost 30 minutes after sunset.
It would be very dark and that’s when I struggle the most shooting the moon, even using the tripod. That night was no different.
Easter Sunday, very quiet and found no eggs. However, I did wear a summer dress to nature’s cathedral. That could have had something to do with the 91° day.
The next day reached 96° yet the cloudy skies begged me to stay.
One minute later, changing light
I just can’t resist the light and shadow play across the landscape. I told myself to get to work on the next blog post, but instead spent a good part of the day outside just taking in the views.
Five minutes later
Amazing what just a few moments in time will do to change the scene entirely. Though I took lots of photos, I also wanted to imprint this image on my brain knowing I’d not be back to the Sonoran Desert again until winter or at least fall.
As much as I prefer warm to cold I honestly can’t envision living with daily highs consistently over 100° all summer long. A true bonus of wheelestate. Don’t like the weather then move.
I spent the evening watching way too many RV-people videos. So many just record themselves talking and even while driving. Is that interesting? I could talk forever doing that.
Honestly, after the previous day I was ready for cooler weather. Only supposed to be high 80s in Congress about two hours northward. So even though the clouds invited me to stay, I hit the road and took video along the way. Driving this route over 20 years I’ve become familiar with the small towns along the way, so I chatted about that. The loud Mexican music drew me into Agila’s Tuesday market especially for produce and I found a little treasure. Also grocery shopped in Wickenburg and had lunch at my favorite fast-food joint before headed northward to camp Congress.
I planned to spend only a few days before continuing northward again and return to my Skull Valley home. But the overnight lows still hovered just over freezing further north so I didn’t rush off.
You are wise to stay put. We had snow this morning! A bit of a blip!
I have moved a little farther northward but don’t expect snow.
I loved the moon of course, but in tune to the several in-place shots for light comparisons which I so enjoy and amazed the show when camping. Also realized how much I like golden desert and darker mountains. What’s that fav food place in Aguila? Not many. Enjoy your homestead and town:)
Kofa really is about the ever changing light. That’s why it’s perfect for a Geogypsy Journey, next February. Couldn’t find any food in Aguila. 🙁
Ocotillo are blooming nice there in / near the Kofa. It is a great place to be to recharge creative energy, enjoy!
Lots of red flowers but no leaves. You know how much I love the Kofa. Hope to see you there next winter.
You probably know that the ocotillo send out leaves when they get a good rain. This can happen 3-4 times throughout the year. They will flower in the spring even though there are no leaves as you have witnessed.
Yes, I was surprised about flowers before leaves but did know they will leaf out multiple times with enough rain. This winter was rather lacking of moisture.
Well Gaelyn you managed to get some stunning Photo’s thanks for sharing. Take care on your journeys.
Thanks Rita. I am finally “home” for a while.
Love, love the changing light you’ve captured! Although a desert rat much of my life, I’m not a fan of the hot temps for even a couple days without good AC. Lots of pretty places to explore to the north, looking forward to seeing what you get up to.
Thanks. I already miss the desert but not the heat. Not even a fan of AC. But then you’ve had natural AC lately.
I could not agree more, shooting the moon when it is dark is hopeless for me. All the best places to stand around here are roads, so all my shots are handheld. I do not want to get run over by a crazy driver!! I love all your sky photos they are always unique. Bet you are happy to be back at Skull Valley for a while. Take care. Hugs from us both D & N
Agree, even when I follow the directions (same as TreDeuce described) it just doesn’t go well. Guess we can practice at least once a month. Nice to be home.
For those interested in the basics of getting a good moon shot here is an in the Ball Park starting point. And I must emphasize ‘starting’ point. Have fun and learn by playing around with settings.
Moon shots can be taken with about any camera with zoom and manual adjustments and a high megapixel count, though some of my best shots were accomplished with a Nikon Coolpix 8400 with only 8MP. You don’t need a high end camera or DSLR or expensive lenses.
First; Turn Off ‘VR’ or ‘IS’ stabilization if offered on your camera.
Set camera to manual mode.
Use a long Lens or Zoom lens. > 200mm or more.
Set the ISO. Set the camera to ISO 100. For reduced image noise and cropping.
Set the Aperture. f/8 to f/16 _ F/11 is good starting stop/ Sharpness being the goal.
Choose shutter speed in ‘Manual’ mode and lock. Use Shutter Speed of around 1/60th to 1/125th to control brightness. Note; After everything else has been set, the Shutter Speed should be about the only thing needing adjustment.
Focus. There are various ways to set focus, but manual is best.
Use a remote(IR) or the self-timer set to @ least 2-secs.
Tripod. A study tripod or Stick is just about essential for success with a Moon shot. Gimbaled Camera stabilizer for hand, stick, or tripod is an option.
Shoot in ‘Raw’ if available, for editing.
The moon’s brightness, color, and size change as it rises off the horizon and out of the earth’s atmospheric lens and it moves fast in its arc through the night sky. Horizon or near horizon shots are best and typically have the most visual interest.
And lastly> Plan well. There are internet sites that give you times, direction(from your position_Lat-Lon), brightness, phase, altitude, etc. for planning. Google > Time & Date dot com / moon / @ 5185089
More info @ Google Moon photography _ Astrophotography moon.
In addition, very good higher end digital cameras can be bought ‘used’ at camera stores to online stores like Adorama, B&H, eBay, etc. Some very good ones ‘Bridge’ to DSLR’s for under a $200.00 Make sure to do your research and buy with a guarantee & return policy. If a dedicated battery is required, make sure the battery and charger are included.
IS & VR> Image Stabilization/Vibration Reduction
IR > Infra-Red (Remote shutter trigger)
MP> Megapixels(Graphic resolution in pixels by the thousand). Higher is good, but not necessary unless you want to make very large enlargements.
ISO> Light sensitivity low to high
I’ve tried all that. I’m still practicing.
Gaelyn, if only I had an ounce of your photography talents! I am not even steady with my phone camera or my old Kodak. I so enjoy yours!
I am less steady with the phone. Thanks.
You are really upping your photography game. Talk about great image captures.
Thanks. I learned everything I know so far from you. 😉
Seeing the clouds and rocky hills and moon shots is always fun. I can see why you return to this very special place. At 96 degrees, I would agree, it is time to go northward! I am really going to try to take some time to turn on the sound on my computer and watch the videos, at least once. Maybe today, maybe tomorrow, Promise.
I do love that desert, but not in summer. No pressure, but please subscribe to the YouTube channel if you bother to go there.
Beautilful — and I miss that joy of RVing knowing you can move if you don’t like where you are! Love the way you shot the sunrise and then went back to bed! Brilliant.
Thanks. The joy of wheelestate. With summer coming and earlier sunrises, it will be the only way I’ll see them.