Full Wolf Moon Photo

Photographer’s Note

Full Wolf Moon
Full Moon Over the North Woods of Minnesota
Minnesota Highway 23 North of Nickerson, Minnesota

400mm, 1/50 with Monopod, ISO 100, f/7.1

I had taken an afternoon drive down scenic highway 23 to catch some late afternoon images of rural farm fields covered in snow carved out of the North Woods ..

On my way home I crested a hilltop and this scene appeared .. I stopped on the side of the road (of course now the small highway had to become busy) as I switched lenses and tried to get the monopod untangled from the passanger seat belt.

Minnesota State Highway 23 from Askov (the location of my last image) up an hours drive to Duluth is designated the Evergreen Veteran's Memorial Scenic Drive. It is a beautiful drive winding through the North Woods. Itt is actually no longer to take scenic highway 23 than take the freeway the last hour into Duluth
(the scenic drive is a slower speed but actually less distance). If you are traveling with no time constraints between Askov and Duluth you will pass by Banning State Park, Moose Lake State Park, and Jay Cooke State Park ... all are well worth your time.

The names of the full moons in use in the United States date back to the Algonquin tribes from New England west to Lake Superior. European settles followed this custom and added some moon names of their own.

The January full moon is knows as the Full Wolf Moon .. the story goes is that January is the month the wolves would be loudest or closest to the villages.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_State_Highway_23
http://www.space.com/spacewatch/090109-ns-full-moon-names-2009.html
&
http://www.farmersalmanac.com/full-moon-names

adores, stego, buscape, parbo, ls7902, feather, jegregg, UlfE, kingurek, Royaldevon, gunbud, Flavia, Didi, Charo, jhm, riclopes, paura, jwmunro, pablominto has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

AROBN54 (10705) 2009-01-14 15:14

What a beauty, John!
It looks gigantic and is perfectly placed in the composition. I like its warm color in contrast to the wintry colors around it and it looks really cool right above that tall pine. Great shadows in the moon's face, too. That's a lovely shot. Many thanks and hoping you are well!
Shelly

adores (15315) 2009-01-14 15:27

Hi John!
The moon was wonderful here, with a very beautiful colour and you placed it very well, just above the trees. I saw it on this day when I was coming home but had no camera with me. A very good moment! I know I'm really late (as usual) but Happy New Year to you and to your family!

stego (22340) 2009-01-14 17:02

Hi John,
Hey, it was also full moon there? :D I am joking, of course I know it was! I don't see the full moon so often, but like Ana, the other day I noticed it and thought to my self that I would like to photograph it. It's a simple view with a simple but effective compo, but very beautiful. That winter sky and the cold atmosphere make it very special. It's the kind of photo that makes such a lens worth, isn't it?
Regards, José.

buscape (3429) 2009-01-14 17:43

Hello John,
very nice capture of the full moon.
I like its position over the trees. The colors and details of the moon are very good. Well done.
Best wishes,
Helmut

parbo (10964) 2009-01-14 19:27

Hello John,

I'm missing some full moons since few period especially due to closed sky, during rainy season in Suriname.

Orange colored moon is eye catching with its splendid clarity and sharpness with mix of trees on ground. Your timing and POV is very creative too while capturing it at same axes of long tree. Result of your 400mm lens is extraordinary, excellent one. Congratulations.

Best Regards,

Ertugrul

ls7902 (6046) 2009-01-14 20:51

Hello John,
Great big moon above the MN North Woods. Gloomy winter scenery. I had camped at all three state parks you mentioned. The most enjoyable things to do for me in MN in the summer was fishing, walking, and drive-in camping. Regards. Latiff.

feather (49848) 2009-01-15 7:15

Excellent moon shot John, and well exposed. Having your long zoom has enlarged it beautifully and it was still low enough in the sky so you could also include the trees. I'm imagining the other travellers tutting at your parked car as they were trying to get home. ;D
Kath

UlfE (8863) 2009-01-15 10:58

Hi John,

Beautiful full moon. I love the contrast between the warm colour of the moon and the more cold and greyish colours of sky and forest. The photo is a also a bit unusual since it taken when it is still not very dark. You could actually see every detail of the trees. Wonderful title and it is fascinating that we saw exactly the same full moon in Europe a few days ago. TFS and have nice day!

Cheers,

Ulf

kingurek (608) 2009-01-15 11:59

Hello,
Very nice image with this huge moon. I like the sharpness and soft coloured composition.

Congratulations and greetings

Kinga

Royaldevon (5824) 2009-01-15 13:40

Very interesting notes, John.
I love how these traditions are perpetuated for later generations. A 'Full Wolf Moon' sounds so much more interesting than just a full moon!

Lovely details of the moon, interestingly associated with the tree tops. In fact, the tallest trees appear to be in communication with the moon. What an unusual effect!

Kind regards,
Bev :-)

plimrn (19558) 2009-01-15 14:54

Hi John,
What a delight to come over the hill to such a lovely scene. We were out looking for a nearby place to capture a wire-free moon rise, perhaps with a reflection in one of the coastal lagoons. Alas the tide was very low and we ran out of time. Still it was a lovely drive. Actually around here, a moon set is a better bet than a moon rise. It too was lovely but we had a morning appointment at the hospital.

We've been there nearly every day for a test or a treatment since 12/28 but there have been no unpleasant symptoms, so we do well at staying in the present. Thanks for your good thoughts.
HLH, Pat

danyy (68088) 2009-01-15 22:28

Bonjour John,
the full moon with all the legends around it, often with the wolves.
A great shot with so magic lights in the sky, especially the moon itself.
J'aime bien l'ambiance que transmet cette photo.

Have a great week-end.
Daniel.

gunbud (27585) 2009-01-16 20:06

Hi John,
Lovely soft evening color and a fine job of zooming enough to get a clear shot of the moon along with the evergreen forest.
Love the title.
Regards, Tom

Flavia (10202) 2009-01-17 1:41

Hi John,

Great the way you cathced the moon! Its sharp and clear and its big size is very impressive. Is that result of the lens you were using? The bacgroung is not so interesting, but the moon in itself make already for a good picture.

Regards,

Flavia

Buin (36988) 2009-01-17 4:10

Hallo John!
A most atmospheric photo, a wonderful one. These black silhouettes of the trees in front of these pastel colours create a really stunning contrast and a truly mystic impression. A photo to marvel at ...
Greetings from cold, wet and grey Germany - and have a nice weekend!
Frank

bosskokoss (1602) 2009-01-18 4:09

Hello John. Fantastic view,nice colours and good sharpness.
Very nice photo. Regards Piotr.

Didi (35782) 2009-01-18 4:14

Hello my friend
If I were there in this moment I will say WAOUUUUUH !
Very nice ambiance in this cold winter composition.
I think that is was impossible for you to give more foreground.
Take care.

Charo (31651) 2009-01-18 13:31

Hello John,
I see you were very attentive to that day when the moon looks very close to Earth.
Excellent capture and great details.
Best regards,
Charo

bracasha75 (21707) 2009-01-18 14:01

Helo John
Very powerful feeling make this awsome moon shot and somehow little scary but only because moviemakers witch have use this ellement for horor movies
Very beautiful shot
TFS
Cheers,Braca

sothy81 (8496) 2009-01-19 15:36

JOhn, I like this a lot. Lovely full moon. I also like the natural colors of everything there. Very nice. I noticed that you now upgraded to 5D and all fancy L lenses. I am so jealous.

PS: now i am in the process of looking for a postdoc. So tough right now for me. I have not heard anything back yet. But I am hoping that I will get one. Then I will be able to upgrade to L lenses too ;-)

batalay (20712) 2009-01-20 16:55

Hello John,

The note is as engaging as the photo. I can understand that you would have scampered to get your monopod out to make this a lengthy exposure. Indeed, you could even have set the aperture to f/11 or smaller, as long as you had the monopod. But the resolution is quite good anyway. It must be very very cold there. In the Washington, DC area the day started at 20°F and hovered around 30°, not really conducive to standing outside during the inauguration/coronation.

Warm regards,

Bulent

jhm (81817) 2009-01-22 3:18

Hi John,

These 400mm lens is one of the best lenses of Canon, perhaps something to heavy, certainly the sharpness and quality are formidable.
The moon was wonderful here, with a very beautiful colour and you placed it very well, just above the trees.
That's a lovely shot.
Very well done, TFS.

Best regards,
John.

jemaflor (38911) 2009-01-23 10:11

Hi John,
Very well captured the full moon, good color and details on the moon, for the composition maybe the moon is too just on the same place with the tree ...

carper (64194) 2009-01-24 0:02

a nice one John,
the shot of the moon is very nice, well taken shot here, well composed, I like it. have a nice weekend.
regard jaap

riclopes (32869) 2009-01-24 2:10

Olá John, scary place to be then...full wolf moon in an isolated spot...The harmony of the composition is stunning. As if you had gently placed the moon on a throne, but without touching it. It glows so powerfully that it can float over the pinetree without falling down ;-) Very beautiful.
The date that this shot was taken attracted me, since one of the first shots I took with my new camera was precisely to this moon in the previous night from my balcony - just for fun, I added it in WS.
Have a nice weekend,
ricardo

[workshop] [compare]

paura (37896) 2009-01-24 3:55

John,
Uma beleza de imagem aqui, amigo. Os ajustes de exposição estão perfeitos e o resultado excelente.

Abraço

Paulo

Miha2ou7 (4887) 2009-02-02 15:38

Hey John,

A great description in the note, and a lovely photo. One can imagine why the image of wolves could be invoked in this kinda scene. Although a bit soft on the trees, the moon is well focused on and has some good textures.
Bet it was freezing, but was well worth it.

Best regards.

jwmunro (6561) 2009-03-14 20:08

Hello John -

Just cruising around this evening and I found this cracker-jack image. Well done! I do like the BG information on the moon names.

Thank you for sharing.

John

PS; thank you for the moon links.

claire526 (1261) 2009-05-30 21:46

Hi John,
Wow! great shot of the full moon. Great composition with a well defined focal point. I love the color contrast too. Cheers

Booz (13816) 2009-06-11 1:13

one side planet - I like full moon days - very magical shot
regards
Tomek

Angshu (33346) 2009-06-23 20:54

Dear John
It's been quite a while since I heard from you! Hope all is fine at your end! The moon is a beauty, very effectively composed above the tree tops. A simple scene, but a poetic one!
Best Regards
Angshu

pablominto (40056) 2009-06-24 22:27

Hello John,

Beautiful winter scene, with the full moon hanging low over the evergreens!
The tele compression makes the moon look so big, and captured with fine details...
A lovely composition, the atmosphere is well conveyed!

Greetings,
Pablo -

giorgimer (20750) 2009-07-17 13:34

Hi John,

impressive view of this wonderful full moon, good composition with the forest

TFS

Gio