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Re: Anyone else going to shoot moonbows this weekend?

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Anyone else going to shoot moonbows this weekend?
May 01, 2012 10:28AM
We'll be in the Valley starting this Friday night to take advantange of what's supposed to be the best conditions for moonbows at the falls for quite some time, plus a huge moon and the potential it has for popping up over Half Dome.

If you're at the parking lot for Sentinel Bridge and see the 6'3" guy with Hello Kitty stickers all over his tripod, you'll know it's me.
avatar Re: Anyone else going to shoot moonbows this weekend?
May 01, 2012 12:52PM
Alas, I'm going to be outdoors in another park in California on Friday night, watching a ballgame at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

I doubt I can capture a moonbow over at AT&T, but I probably can capture a shot of the full moon. wink

Have fun on Friday!
.
Re: Anyone else going to shoot moonbows this weekend?
May 01, 2012 01:02PM
Quote
plawrence
Alas, I'm going to be outdoors in another park in California on Friday night, watching a ballgame at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

I doubt I can capture a moonbow over at AT&T, but I probably can capture a shot of the full moon. wink

Have fun on Friday!
.

Thanks! I've ordered all my campsite cooking stuff, and we're bringing up some KILLER Monterey & SLO County wines, along with steaks, cheeses, etc...

We're saving a bundle by camping, so we're eating/drinking well.

If anyone comes up to us when we're grilling and identifies themselves as yosemitenews.info people, we'll be happy to wine and cheese them quite well.
avatar Re: Anyone else going to shoot moonbows this weekend?
May 01, 2012 01:52PM
Where will you be camping? Maybe I can drop by and say hi.
avatar Re: Anyone else going to shoot moonbows this weekend?
May 05, 2012 02:42AM
Quote
plawrence

Alas, I'm going to be outdoors in another park in California on Friday night, watching a ballgame at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

I doubt I can capture a moonbow over at AT&T, but I probably can capture a shot of the full moon. wink


And here's my photo from Friday night:
Re: Anyone else going to shoot moonbows this weekend?
May 01, 2012 02:02PM
I shot it last June, it was awesome with all that extra wet stuff.
avatar Re: Anyone else going to shoot moonbows this weekend?
May 01, 2012 06:04PM
I'll be at camp 4 on Fri and Sat nights.
Projects for this weekend:
  • Merced River Planning Meeting at Wawona on Friday
  • Gigapan from illilouette Ridge
  • Astro time-lapse ( Sentinel Dome or Washburn Point? )

If someone wants to try a meet, send me a PM



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/01/2012 08:14PM by qumqats.
Re: Anyone else going to shoot moonbows this weekend?
May 01, 2012 09:08PM
Quote
qumqats
I'll be at camp 4 on Fri and Sat nights.
Projects for this weekend:
  • Merced River Planning Meeting at Wawona on Friday
  • Gigapan from illilouette Ridge
  • Astro time-lapse ( Sentinel Dome or Washburn Point? )

If someone wants to try a meet, send me a PM
Won't the full moon make an astro time lapse difficult?
avatar Re: Anyone else going to shoot moonbows this weekend?
May 01, 2012 10:37PM
Quote
hotrod4x5
Quote
qumqats
I'll be at camp 4 on Fri and Sat nights.
Projects for this weekend:
  • Merced River Planning Meeting at Wawona on Friday
  • Gigapan from illilouette Ridge
  • Astro time-lapse ( Sentinel Dome or Washburn Point? )

If someone wants to try a meet, send me a PM
Won't the full moon make an astro time lapse difficult?

I'll find out! smiling smiley

((off checking rise/set times and phase))
drats! near full that's why you're moonbowing

My hope is that I can start the timelapse with the moon behind me, get the deep sky objects, and see the moon shadows shifting in the landscape.
The view to the east should have very little light pollution other than the moon.
This'll be my first attempt doing this, so it'll all be a learning experience.

Can you think of a better place to try? hot smiley
Re: Anyone else going to shoot moonbows this weekend?
May 02, 2012 06:40AM
Re: Anyone else going to shoot moonbows this weekend?
May 02, 2012 08:32AM
Quote
qumqats
I'll be at camp 4 on Fri and Sat nights.
Projects for this weekend:
  • Merced River Planning Meeting at Wawona on Friday
  • Gigapan from illilouette Ridge
  • Astro time-lapse ( Sentinel Dome or Washburn Point? )

If someone wants to try a meet, send me a PM

Hmmmmmm.... I'll have to check some charts, but now I'm wondering how 1/2 Dome and the full moon would look from up on Illilouette Ridge.

Of course, since the moon will be largest at 2335 hours, that would also mean figuring out a way back down.
avatar Re: Anyone else going to shoot moonbows this weekend?
May 02, 2012 11:19AM
Quote
tanngrisnir3


Hmmmmmm.... I'll have to check some charts, but now I'm wondering how 1/2 Dome and the full moon would look from up on Illilouette Ridge.

Of course, since the moon will be largest at 2335 hours, that would also mean figuring out a way back down.

Usually though, a full moon "looks" the largest when it's just above the horizon.

.
Re: Anyone else going to shoot moonbows this weekend?
May 02, 2012 11:22AM
This can be really useful in figuring out for a given location where the moon and sun will be at a particular time. There is a desktop version which is free if you don't want to buy a mobile version.

http://photoephemeris.com/
Re: Anyone else going to shoot moonbows this weekend?
May 02, 2012 02:54PM
Quote
vitaminC
This can be really useful in figuring out for a given location where the moon and sun will be at a particular time. There is a desktop version which is free if you don't want to buy a mobile version.

http://photoephemeris.com/

One of the best progams for Moon/Sun calulations. Also on there is an app called moon seeker and sun seeker that is usefull when at the site.

I'll be on north dome for the next full moon. From that vantage point it should be fantastic.
Re: Anyone else going to shoot moonbows this weekend?
May 02, 2012 02:57PM
Remember folks, that the actual day of the full moon, it rises AFTER sunset. So if you want to get shots of the landscape lit by the setting sun, AND a nearly full moon in the shot, you have to do it the day before the calendared full moon day.
Re: Anyone else going to shoot moonbows this weekend?
May 07, 2012 07:48AM
Well, due to a last minute cancellation from someone out of state who were were going to pickup at LAX and travel with, we didn't go.

From pics and reports I've seen, friends of mine are estimating that, in Cooks Meadow alone there were well over 250 photographers, and likely over 1000 in the Valley at various spots that night.

Really glad we turned to our plan B, which was the Anza Borrego vicinity and, esp. and as always, the incredible Salont Sea.

Found and shot the 3 Sisters, finally, and am REALLY happen w/the results and that we were there. Not Yosemite-related, so I'll post them on me Flickr page.
avatar Re: Anyone else going to shoot moonbows this weekend?
May 07, 2012 08:47AM
Quote
tanngrisnir3

Not Yosemite-related, so I'll post them on me Flickr page.


Go ahead and post a few photos on the General Discussion forum of this site, if you like:

http://yosemitenews.info/forum/list.php?1

.
Re: Anyone else going to shoot moonbows this weekend?
May 08, 2012 09:08PM
You were probably wise, or lucky to have missed it. Unfortunately the moonbow has somewhat gone the way of the firefall...something that used to be fun but is now a sea of photographers (looking very serious and protective of their territory that they stake out hours in advance) with massive tripods and pricey gear. Over the past 6-7 years I've watched it get more and more crowded, and I can't imagine what it would have been like on Saturday night.

I was there that week, but left Saturday morning and it looked like a mile of cars lined up at the 140 entrance, about 11AM on my way out. I did go up to the fall on Friday night, and there were tripods lined up solidly along the back, with intent-looking faces protecting their spot while they discussed lenses etc. We plopped down right behind the rocks, I put my little camera on a shortened tripod, and had a good time while we waited. The moonbow was not spectacular in comparison to some years, and I doubt that Saturday was any better since there was a limited amount of mist.


This one, shot a little earlier, looked too much like daylight for me, but shows the bow up a little higher where it first appears.


On Friday there were a lot of folks who just sat down and enjoyed it, but I would imagine Saturday had a forest of tripods covering the whole area for the lower fall. I assumed the upper fall bow on Friday would be either minimal or non-existent, since there wasn't a huge amount of mist, so I didn't check it out.

Anyway, if you're trying next month, if there's enough water, the best nights should be a Sunday or Monday, so the crowd may not be so bad. But unless there's a bit more snow, the fall may be too small (last year it snowed on us in the valley in mid-May, so it's not impossible).

While it's fun to go there and try to get some photos, I don't get the seriousness of some of them that attend. These things have been photographed so many times that there's nothing original... it's better just as something to do and have a good time.



Gary
Yosemite Photo Galleries: http://www.pbase.com/roberthouse/yo
Re: Anyone else going to shoot moonbows this weekend?
May 09, 2012 07:11AM
Quote
Sierrafan
You were probably wise, or lucky to have missed it. Unfortunately the moonbow has somewhat gone the way of the firefall...something that used to be fun but is now a sea of photographers (looking very serious and protective of their territory that they stake out hours in advance) with massive tripods and pricey gear. Over the past 6-7 years I've watched it get more and more crowded, and I can't imagine what it would have been like on Saturday night.

I was there that week, but left Saturday morning and it looked like a mile of cars lined up at the 140 entrance, about 11AM on my way out. I did go up to the fall on Friday night, and there were tripods lined up solidly along the back, with intent-looking faces protecting their spot while they discussed lenses etc. We plopped down right behind the rocks, I put my little camera on a shortened tripod, and had a good time while we waited. The moonbow was not spectacular in comparison to some years, and I doubt that Saturday was any better since there was a limited amount of mist.


This one, shot a little earlier, looked too much like daylight for me, but shows the bow up a little higher where it first appears.


On Friday there were a lot of folks who just sat down and enjoyed it, but I would imagine Saturday had a forest of tripods covering the whole area for the lower fall. I assumed the upper fall bow on Friday would be either minimal or non-existent, since there wasn't a huge amount of mist, so I didn't check it out.

Anyway, if you're trying next month, if there's enough water, the best nights should be a Sunday or Monday, so the crowd may not be so bad. But unless there's a bit more snow, the fall may be too small (last year it snowed on us in the valley in mid-May, so it's not impossible).

While it's fun to go there and try to get some photos, I don't get the seriousness of some of them that attend. These things have been photographed so many times that there's nothing original... it's better just as something to do and have a good time.

Thanks for the report. I'm getting really tired of certain places in the Valley getting overly crowded and territorial, so I've just stopped going to/caring about them. Tunnel View and Valley View rank high amongst them. Besides, once you've shot it well, who cares anymore? I plaster my tripod with Hello Kitty stickers to make people uncomfy being too close to me, and I've found that a small, select number of people will engage my in conversation about them. The arrogant, preening manner of some enthusiasts is getting tiresome, though.

Glad I missed out. I got stuff like this instead ;-)


3 Sisters Dawn #2 With Moon by tanngrisnir3, on Flickr
avatar Re: Anyone else going to shoot moonbows this weekend?
May 09, 2012 07:18AM
Quote
tanngrisnir3
The arrogant, preening manner of some enthusiasts is getting tiresome, though.

a - Gorgeous photo of the Sea - Tanks for Sharon

b - I'm in the same camp w/r to "photographers"



Chick-on is looking at you!
Re: Anyone else going to shoot moonbows this weekend?
May 13, 2012 08:36PM
Upper fall...not enough mist and a zillion photographers compared to last June! (!) (Sat)

Now I realize what perfect conditions I experienced last year....both with the amount of water and position of the Big Dipper.



(I do still have to look at my photos, though...)
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