Sunrise/Moonrise Photos

If the sky conditions are right, and with the right foreground subject, I like taking silhouette photos in the twilight or of the moon-rise or sun-rise. Getting in just the right position to get the moon rising where you want to photograph it can be a challenge - unless you have the right to guide to help (the sun-rise is a little easier). I've been using a free program that I downloaded called 'The Photographer's Ephemeris' from http://stephentrainor.com/tools. Not only does it give the exact time for moon and sun rise and set, but it gives the exact angle from any location in degrees of the compass with lines on a Google map. It is pretty cool and has helped me to get in exactly the right spot to get the moon or sun rise (the compass reading skills learned in Boy Scouts really come in handy here). There is a version for Mac or Windows and for iPhone/iPad.

Another part of the formula for a good photo is knowing what the sky will be like. I use Intellicast.com weather forecasting  - then click on the link to the Interactive Weather Map - and click the Clouds icon to show the cloud layer. You can zoom in or out on the map and at the bottom click the play button to animate the cloud movements. This helps me to determine if there might be a chance to get a clear sunrise or moonrise. Partial clouds may be okay, but if it is full overcast I can stay home.

The windmill below is a long hike out to the middle of a field. Using The Photographers Ephemeris helped me to get to the right spot at the right time. (I did not Photoshop the moon into the photo below- that is the way the image came right out of the camera.)

Windmill and moon-rise

Windmill in the twilight before sunrise