I've always been fascinated by low water crossings on Texas county roads, especially when riding my motorcycle and spring rains have the river running high, sometimes overflowing the road.
This particular crossing of the San Gabriel River is one of my favorites and for years I have wondered how to best capture its essence.
The June full moon gave it magic!
The San Gabriel River
Upstream from the low water crossing, the San Gabriel is the pinnacle of peace and tranquility, the pooling water with ducks & insects floating above and fish swimming down below.
Downstream, the hearty Spring rains transform it into a gushing torrent as the water passes through gaps in the concrete boundary and ever so gradually scours the rocks until they are smooth.
The June Full Moon, which is the lowest on the horizon, is the perfect way to bring a touch of magic to the scene. The moonglow transforms the dark night into a majestic moment in time.
Both are interesting pictures of the same place. Which do you prefer?
Our nearest neighbor, the Moon
After the Sun, our Moon is the brightest object in the sky, reflecting the light of our Sun. The amount of light that it reflects from the Sun depends on what “phase” it is in as it revolves around the Earth. One complete revolution around the earth is 29 ½ days and moon rise/set is about 50 minutes later each day.
The good news is that it is reliable and predictable to determine when it appears and how bright it will be. That light will determine how many stars you can see… a full moon means fewer stars and a moon means more stars.
The Phases of the Moon
The phase of the Moon is determined the position of the Moon in relationship to the Earth and the Sun.
The Moon reflects sunlight and the phase indicates how much of that light is reflected back to the Earth.
🌑 New Moon is dark and always rises at sunrise
🌓 First Quarter is bright and rises near noon
🌕 Full Moon is the brightest and rises at sunset
🌗 Last Quarter is bright and rises near midnight
See more from timeanddate.com by clicking on the button below.
Experiment!
Now you know how to plan around what type of Moon you want to see.
Pick when you’d like to see a vibrant full moon lighting up the landscape, a delicate crescent sliver above or no moon at all so that you can see more of the stars.
Observe the Moon each night for a month and see how the light upon it changes.