January’s lunar eclipse

I was very excited to get out to photograph the most recent lunar eclipse.  I kept an eye on the weather forecasts and knew clouds were moving over southern Alberta that night.  I hoped for a break in the clouds but when I woke up early that morning the sky was low and heavy with no stars, or moon, to be seen.  So, I packed up and headed west to see if I could get the western edge of the cloud front.  My first glimpse was between Canmore and Banff when I came around a corner and the moon was hanging in the sky.  That was not a safe place to stop and the moon alone in the blackness was not the image I had in mind so I kept going to Banff.  Thought I still did take that shot a little while later!

Clouds returned by the time I was in the townsite so I headed up towards the hot springs to see if I could find a good vantage point.  That didn’t pan out but when I came back down, the moon re-appeared.  Now it was falling quickly towards the western flank of Cascade Mountain.  Her and I then played a game of hide and seek as the clouds continued to drift in front of the red globe.

I framed the moon using trees and the mountain’s ridge line when the opportunities came.  Within a few minutes it disappeared.  I didn’t realize the image I was looking for but had a great time watching the spectacle.  I have been able to photograph several lunar eclipses and always deeply enjoy the otherworldly beauty as the moon slips into and eventually out of the sun’s shadow.