How-To and Challenge Faced
Intro
The outcome of super moon mission in September was not really satisfying. Thus, I have been checking the consequent full moon sessions to see if I can get better results. Today there was another opportunity: the moon can be seen setting perfectly in between KLCC and KL Tower. What made it more interesting was the shooting time. It was about 7.50am where the sun already came out lit up the cityscape. It would be an interesting combination with the full moon under blue sky.
The Planning
In order to know when and where the moon (and sun) will be in line with city landmarks, one needs to know a lots about astronomy. For those who doesn’t, there are now plenty of mobile apps that can provide these information. I have been using PhotoPills for a few years and found this app very handy. It provides a lot of information about the celestial bodies movement, guidelines to choose shooting time and location, charts and tables to help you choose your gears… and many more. It has help me to shoot all that beautiful pictures of sun, moon and stars.
Ampang Lookout Point
For today session, I was able to determine the shooting time and location using PhotoPills, it was at Ampang Lookout Point about 7.50am. Ampang Lookout Point is a famous hangout point for lovers, couples and family. This vantage point provides an unobstructed and breathtaking view of the Kuala Lumput cityscape. Many visitors flock there in late noon and evening for pictures and romantic moments. Unobstructed view and open spaces to move around make it an ideal location to capture moon and sun when the timing is correct. Check it out!
The Action
I departed from home around 6.30am. On my there I looked out from my window and saw the moon was still high in the deep blue sky shining bright. I felt a bit excited and began to imagine about the picture that I was going to make. When arrived at the location at 7am, my heart doomed as I took a first glance outward. As usual, there was a thick layers of clouds looming over the horizon. The low altitude part of the atmosphere looked blur, not as clear and blue as the upper part. I believe this was due to the haze. It was quite sure then the moon won’t be seem when it reached the desired position.
The Outcome
As seasoned photographers know, every photoshoot comes with its share of challenges, and dealing with unexpected weather conditions is part of the game. Well, particularly for shooting sun and moon in the city, this condition is actually quite expected. As I have described in my previous blog (here!), challenges and difficulties come in a package. It’s in these moments that a photographer’s resilience and adaptability shine through. Instead of giving in to frustration, I decided to make the most out of the situation.
Move On
I made this short post as I promised to share the knowledges and experiences in shooting this kind of photos. I let this post as a starter. In future I will go in deeper to include gears setup, camera setting, post edition and so on. Stay tuned!
