I have always had an affinity for the moon. Ordinary things, harmless by the light of day, can enchant or terrify the mind when seen from the perspective of the moon’s glow. When I was a kid, my mother always said that I was like the moon. I never really knew what she meant, but I liked that comparison then and still do today.

The moon is associated with power, magic, romance, and mystery. Studies have shown distinctive behavioral differences in people, animals, and plants when the waxing moon grows to full. Who hasn’t held their breath in awe at the sudden sight of a spectacular moon, or shuddered with just a tinge of fear when alone outdoors with a full moon framed by dramatic clouds? Toss the sun into the mix and things definitely get a bit strange.

I’m referring to the latest lunar eclipse - a total eclipse at that. A lunar eclipse occurs only when the moon is full and if it passes through some part of the Earth’s shadow (A solar eclipse occurs when the moon is new - or dark - and the moon comes between the sun and earth). Because of the moon’s orbital tilt, lunar eclipses are not a monthly sight. You’re more likely to catch a partial eclipse than a total one, but when everything is in order, the total eclipse can be an impressive sight, with colors changing from almost turquoise to orange to deep red.

There’s an old saying, If I didn’t have bad luck, I’d have no luck at all, that summed up my plans to capture the perfect lunar eclipse in photographs. Here in the Piedmont area of North Carolina, we are blessed with a mild winter climate, cloudless sunny skies, and clear nights on an almost daily basis. The one time it wasn’t going to happen was on the night of the lunar eclipse. Normally that would have been good because our hot, dry summer left us in a drought and rain is welcome. However, the dark clouds rolling along throughout the night gave us a tease instead of much needed moisture. Because the sky was in motion, I had a slim chance of getting a few shots of the moon between patches of thick cloud cover, so I thought I’d give it a go.

Outside on my deck, I had a perfect view of the moon (when the clouds moved out of the way). There was a distinctive energy in the air that our neighborhood dogs and cats must have sensed because the animal noise was non-stop. A chilly breeze combined with the restless animal sounds set the perfect tone for photographing a lunar eclipse. Now if only the clouds would cooperate and give me a decent shot.

The moon played peekaboo with me during the shoot, but I managed to get a few photos of the early phase between the clouds. After that it was hit or miss with my Fuji digital camera’s timer going off exactly as the clouds took their place in front of the action. When I finally had a patch of clear sky, the neighbor’s cat let out a loud yowl that startled me enough to knock the tripod just as the timer was going off. I lost the shot and caught the tripod before it landed, but Cat kept yowling, which then brought my three dogs onto the scene. Always game for an adventure, the boys raced out into our fenced yard barking like never before, encouraging the already noisy neighborhood beasties to join them in a cacophony of howls, yelps, and meows.

I took that as a sign to flee the scene and went inside to revise my plan. By then it was just after 10 p.m. The eclipse would peak about 10:26, and I still didn’t have a great photo. I traded the easy-to-use Fuji for my digital SLR Olympus and thought I’d give it one more try. After rounding up the wild bunch, offering biscuits to get them back in the house, I was ready for action. I set my sights on the muted orange-red moon, and the camera on consecutive shots. No timer here, I was going to do it myself to get at least one good shot of that elusive heavenly body. The clouds were thicker now, but I found my window of opportunity, pointed and shot at the same time the screen went black. I forgot to charge the battery and it died after focusing. There was no time to get a fresh one as the clouds were settling in for the night.

Sighing, I plopped down onto one of the deck chairs and watched Mother Moon wink good-bye as the clouds covered her again. I didn’t get my perfect photo, but I did see some of the lunar eclipse and chalked it up to experience - an erratic one, but interesting nonetheless.

© 2008 Barbara Dolny

Photograph of Feb 2008 lunar eclipse by Barbara Dolny