Super Moon Sail

Chicago, 2023

Limited edition fine art print of 6 – One of my favorite, most technical shots of my photography career. In late August 2023, the conditions were perfect for the “Super Moon” to rise over Chicago’s Navy Pier lighthouse. I arrived early to get a decent idea of how I wanted to compose the scene. Using a star tracking app, I found where the moon would break the horizon. Since this was my first time shooting the moon in such a technical way, I wanted to get things perfect. When photographing the moon, you have to bracket the moon’s exposure with another photograph of the foreground. It is impossible to get them both with the desired exposure in one shot. All was ready to rock, and it hit the horizon perfectly. When you are trying to compose the perfect shot, it is surprising just how fast the moon rises off the horizon. I took shot after shot, then noticed a sailboat making its way toward where I was shooting. It was chaos in my brain. You only get one shot at something like this. I didn’t want to miss this opportunity. Now that it has come together so wonderfully, I am pleased to share Super Moon Sail with the world.  Photo © copyright by Derek Nielsen.