Welcome to Tom's Pages - Here you might find photos and thoughts from weekend explorations
of California and Central Coast backroads - with a few furry felines added in just for the fluff.


You may see more photos at Tom Lott Photography www.catalott.com


Showing posts with label Software. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Software. Show all posts

Friday, June 25, 2010

Moonrise at Hearst Castle

I visited Hearst Castle recently for an unguided "Gardens and Vistas" evening tour; sunset and full moonrise were about the same time, and with clear weather, I hoped for pictures of the full moon rising over the Castle buildings as they were illuminated by sunset glow. It was a pleasant evening, and I took a few good pictures, but it turns out that I should have done more homework.





Moonrise was 8:07, and sunset was 8:24. Tours end at sunset, and I was frantically scanning the sky as the sunset bells rang, looking for where the moon would rise. Tour guides and security staff were sympathetic, all looking for a hint of moonrise while gently shepherding me back toward the last bus. I'd about given up hope for a moonshot when security staff came racing toward me around 8:30 - the moon - it's full over there - take some pictures! And I got a few good shots - not with the buildings as I planned - then dashed off to catch the last bus down the hill.


After that visit, I've found a cool program which shows the sight lines for sunrise and moonrise for any location using Google maps - The Photographer's Ephemeris - http://photoephemeris.com/



This software (currently free for the desktop, available for the iPhone) shows time and directions of sun and moon rise and set for any location. It's easy to use, and I could have seen exactly where and when the moon would rise, allowing me to plan the photo in advance. This is a great tool for photographers looking to capture the right light.