The moon over the Great Ocean Road, Nick Rains
When you’re photographing the natural wonders of Australia, the moon and sun can be hard to capture at the right moment.
Photographer Nick Rains, author of Australia: The Photographer’s Eye, demonstrates how to get these tricky elements to work for you.
This image of the Twelve Apostles in Victoria shows the full moon setting at dawn. The
warm light on the sea stacks comes from the pre-dawn light and at the same time the moon is low over the horizon as it sets.
This shot is all about timing. Each month the moon goes through its usual cycle from full to new. Because of the way this 28-day sequence occurs, in conjunction with the slower changing sunrise times throughout the year, the full moon always rises and sets opposite the sun. In other words, the full moon always rises at sunset and sets at sunrise. On one day of the month the moon is still setting about 20 minutes before dawn, which is when the light is at its best and, given the regular movements of the sun and moon, it is quite easy to predict the date of this occurrence.
For moonset at sunrise, the day after a full moon is best; conversely for a moonrise at sunset, the day before a full moon is best. The moon phases are usually published in local or regional newspapers but the exact times vary depending on the longitude. Knowing the times of sunrise and sunset is useful, but knowing where the sun and moon will be at any one time is even better. The best way I know to work out where the sun and moon are going to be at any time and place is to use a wonderful software application called The Photographer’s Ephemeris. It’s free for PCs and Macs, and costs a very modest amount for smartphones and tablets. It’s available from http://photoephemeris.com.
Find out more photography tips in Australia: The Photographer’s Eye, on sale now.
