I always get excited when the full moon is approaching because there are photographs that can only be taken on those nights.
A full moon appears only about twelve times a year.
To capture an image like this, careful planning is very important. I check the moonrise time, its direction, the weather, and even the wind direction.
The wind direction is especially important because it determines which runway the airport will use.
I usually use a lens of 400mm or longer and choose a location about 5 to 10 kilometers from the airport. Depending on the conditions,
I photograph either an aircraft just after takeoff or one approaching the runway before landing.
The best opportunity comes while the moon is still low in the sky, usually within about one hour to one hour and fifteen minutes after moonrise. Once the moon climbs higher, the chance of an aircraft crossing in front of it becomes very small.
The weather is another challenge. Even if the sky above me is clear, I cannot take the photograph if there are clouds where the moon is rising. When I think about all these conditions, I realize that the real opportunities are much fewer than the twelve full moons each year.
It may be a little like fishing for a trophy fish.
There are many nights when I drive all the way to the airport and return home without taking a single photograph. Even so, I enjoy the excitement of trying.
And when everything finally comes together, the feeling of capturing the image I had imagined is beyond words.
