I had a strong positive response to my recent photo of the Crescent Moon over the Statue of Liberty. Both ABC 7 NY and Fox 5 NY television stations picked it up on their Facebook and Instagram feeds. ABC 7 NY said, "Sometimes a photo simply takes your breath away. " Fox 5 NY called it "A sight to behold."

I wanted to share the story behind this photo since there seems to be some misconception about the amount of time and energy that is needed to pull something like this off. The short answer is, these shots don't just happen. This particular shot was planned at least two months in advance. I have to consult the tools that I have to show me the phase of the moon (e.g., crescent, full, new, etc), along with the location and elevation of the moon rise or set, as well as its alignment with objects/landmarks on the ground. The reality is, there is only one place and time where everything lines up perfectly to get a photo like this. I have - if I am lucky - a 10 minute window to capture such an image, although the precise alignment happens for only a few seconds. So everything had to be made ready in advance for that one moment in time.

This was second attempt in as many days to get the shot. The first attempt the night before was thwarted by clouds on the horizon. The weather is a big variable in this kind of photography. So even with all the right planning and preparation, I can still walk away empty handed. This particular photo required a total of three hours round-trip drive time - and $32 in tolls - to get from my home in Northern New Jersey to the location in Brooklyn where this needed to be shot. Because the moon rises and sets approximately one hour later each night, the second attempt had me out until well after mid-night (I have learned to go on less and less sleep as my career progresses.)

I also need special equipment to make these photos happen. I use a Canon 20 megapixel digital SLR that has very high sensitivity settings. But the camera isn't enough - I also need a very long telephoto lens to capture all the detail in the moon. The lens I use is a 150-600mm zoom lens that allows me to record details that are far away as if they are close up. This is why the moon looks so big in relation to the Statue in this photo. There is no Photoshop trickery going on here. The magnification of the lens let's me get up-close and personal even with objects that are actually very far away.

Now honestly all that preparation and planning is easy compared to what I encountered when my friend and arrived at the shooting location that night. The location is in a very old and industrial section of Brooklyn. Normally Brooklyn is gorgeous - I wouldn't hesitate to recommend anyone thinking of New York City to check it out. And like all cities, there are some less than desirable areas within it. This particular spot is surrounded on three sides by a 15 foot cyclone fence. Since there's no way around it, we were forced to try to shoot through it. Not only that, but the fence is topped with prison-grade razor wire, some of which has come loose and now dangles dangerously close to where we need to setup the camera (so close, in fact, that on my last trip I actually tore a hole in my jacket on my way out.)

If that's not enough, the end of the street is overgrown with thick weeds and covered with trash, making it difficult to get a firm footing for both people and tripods (all these nighttime shots need to be taken with a tripod - it is impossible to keep the camera steady enough otherwise to get a clear shot). This location also has broken glass and rusty nails everywhere. (I got a nail in my tire the last time I was there.) But wait, there's more. The wind from the water is particularly crazy in this spot - it blows very erratically and makes getting a steady shot even from a tripod very difficult. Plus in the winter (I was there in both December and January), the cold wind off the water is particularly wicked. One time I was shaking so bad from the cold, I almost couldn't work the camera buttons! And the best part is the downed power line that runs right through the spot. I assume it is dead, but I have no idea. Monday night I had to literally limbo to get underneath it because of the delivery trucks parked in the spot. Two large delivery trucks for the local beverage distributor were backed up to within four feet of the cyclone fence, meaning we had only about three and a half feet of room to shoot in. Good times!

But despite all that (and more - I didn't even go into the type of people who frequent this area at late at night), I got the shot. I'm usually very pre-occupied while I am shooting, trying to make sure all my camera settings are correct and what-not. But this time I was able to pause for just a moment when I first saw the moon peek through the clouds. I was completely enthralled by the beauty that was unfolding before me. Like ABC 7 NY said, it took my breath away. I am so grateful I made the effort to go back another time to get the shot. And based on the overwhelming positive response I've gotten on Social Media, tens of thousands of other people are too.

Statue of Liberty Crescent MoonStatue of Liberty Meets the Crescent Moon

ABC 7 NYABC 7 NY

FOX 5 NYFOX 5 NY Camera and LensCanon DSLR and 150-600mm telephoto lens