Sometimes things don’t go as planned.  I seem to be consistently reminded of this in my chosen field. No matter how much planning and brainstorming I do, there will always be elements and circumstances that are out my control.  I was reminded of this yet again last night when I went out to shoot the “super dooper moon”.

If you don’t know, last night, and then again tonight, the moon is circling the earth at the closest it has been since 1948 and the closest it will be again until 2034. I had grandiose ideas of capturing it rising behind the Denver skyline.  I planned for it to be this epic skyline shot of the city I love with this giant moon hovering among the skyscrapers and tower cranes that make up the current horizon.

I did some refreshers on past night shots and moon images including one I took 13 or so years ago through a 800mm lens.  I packed my gear in the car and even invited my family to join me for a little urban night photography.

As we drove toward downtown i watched in the rear view mirror at the clouds that seem to appear on the horizon at the same time I was expecting to see the moon. After only a few miles it was clear that the moon was hiding and my plans to photographed it dissolved.

We turned around because in that moment i gave up.  (I’m not proud of it but i did) I decided that it was a bust so there was no point to subject my wife and I to the impending meltdown that happens in my kids as we push dinner later and later.

But here’s the kicker.  As we drove back to our house we finally saw the giant moon in all it’s glory rising in a way that seemed it was in front of the clouds.  Which i’m pretty sure is scientifically impossible.

It was too late to get to my planned vantage point so we raced to find a park, something to use with the moon to help anchor it.

A couple things I realized about super moons and photography.  The brighter it is, the less balanced the light and darkness is.  Meaning if i want to expose the moon to see the details like the images above, everything else is dark.  The other thing I knew, that was confirmed last night, is that the higher the moon gets the smaller it is.  So if you don’t shoot it early, it’s tough to really show the grandness of it.

Now, It’s my personality at times to just give up.  I fight that every day, continually trying to push myself.  Sometimes things don’t go as planned but if we pushed through, often, we find new ways, new ideas and new successes.

The only image I got last night is good.  I wouldn’t call it groundbreaking or life changing. Other than this post and Instagram, it may never end up anywhere.  But, when i look at this images of the moon, bright (too bright maybe) shining through the branches and leaves, I’m reminded that it’s always worth pushing ourselves.  It’s always worth trying to see things differently.  Maybe it’s symbolic? I’m sure if I thought for a second I could come up with some sort inspiring insight into the seeing the light or what ever…(feel free to borrow the image, if you ask, to create some sort of meme : )

So don’t give up.  Keep pushing yourself to make great things or do great things or be great.  Tonight i’ll try again.  I may find that epic shot i’m after or i might find something else.  But I do know this…. at very least, I’m still looking.  I hope I never stop looking.