A couple of friends and I decided we would like to have some pictures of the full moon setting over the Grand Canyon. We found a full moon date that was workable for all of us, scheduled our flights, booked our rooms and rented a car and met up at the airport in Phoenix. We stayed in Tusayan making it easy to get to the canyon before fist light. Most of the year, there are places to the west of the village that you cannot drive your car, requiring transport by the park bus system. But in winter months those roads are open to passenger cars making getting around a breeze.
Shooting a setting moon requires good timing. If you are there too early the canyon will be too dark. If you are late the moon will have disappeared below the horizon. On this day our timing was good, but notice the band of clouds just below the moon. Within minutes it obscured the moon. Good photography involves being at the right place at the right time and a bit of luck .
Shooting the moon does not take all morning leaving plenty of time to visit other locations in the park, and on this day we were ready to leave this spot and get back into the car as it was 18 degrees and a little wind was picking up.
If you walk the south canyon rim you will find an endless supply of compositions.
Since it was winter I was hoping for a good storm, though I didn't want it to interfere with capturing the moon. Fortunately, one afternoon we we sitting at lunch, looked out the window and it was snowing. And it kept snowing! We were ecstatic. Hoping for a canyon full of snow we rushed to the canyon edge. The clouds were dramatic but as it turns out, with a small snow event it doesn't find it way very far down into the canyon.
I have never seen the canyon full of snow but love to see it. Maybe a on a future visit.
With the help of Photo Pills we were able to find a location to get an image of the full moon rising over Desert View Watchtower. The two best locations were Navajo Point and Lipan Point. Getting the shot presented a couple of problems. For one, as the moon was rising it was still pretty light and the moon did not stand out as I would have wished. Probably a day or two later would have been better. Also we were limited in our shooting position as we were as far out into the canyon as we could go.
Finishing up with some gorgeous God Rays was a wonderful way to complete the day. Can't wait to return
Good to see a name and person I recognize and your wonderful works , may your health give you strength to continue your passion to show everyone something we all love …Nature as it is …
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