No perfect moons allowed!

People, people!  All of us with our cameras trekking out into the night attempting to photograph the PERFECT super-moon.  All of us trying to find the right f-stops and apertures and ISO’s and support for our shaky cameras.

So many of us coming home in dismay and upset, peering at our imperfect photos of the super-moon, cursing the photographic equipment, slaying our lack of technique (or for some of us–never even reading the manual–bad, bad…) 

Some of us peering at the perfect super-moons on other Internet sites and blogs and despairing, yay–despairing–that we shall never, ever, ever be able to photograph outside in the dark.  Never, ever be able to feature the perfect orange moon portrayed against the sea, the rocks, an old barn.

If this is your scenario, do not turn away from your photos.  Do not hide them in shame and guilt and disgrace.  Do not press “delete” in indignant pain and annoyance. Nay! 

There is nothing more beautiful in the world that an imperfect moon.  (All those perfect moons–they’ll have their moment to shine, for sure.  But the imperfect ones shall remain in our hearts and memories forever.)

Here’s what you must do.  Tonight, vow that you will only take pictures of imperfect moons.  Forget your tripod.  That would be too perfect.  Instead, use the roof of your car.  Run, exhilarated, into the night–chasing the elusive moon as it arises in the sky!

If your mind disagrees–but, no, I must get a perfect shot that will show the incredible orange beauty of the super orb in the sky–say:  NO.  No perfection.  We are out to celebrate imperfection!  No perfect moons allowed! 

Let’s go.  You first.

OK, I will go first, to show you the imperfect exquisite gorgeous fabulous lovely wonderful squiggly impressionable foggy misty unclear unfocused moons which shall reveal their imperfect secrets to us now:

Oh look at how the moon squiggles, how it winks, how it splays itself across our hearts!

 

Oh look at how it diffuses, how it attempts to embrace the entire night sky! No sharp clear concise moon here. None needed.

 

(This one is almost too perfect for our liking--we probably should refuse to show it. But you can see some imperfections if you peer closely enough.)

 

Sometimes, some people like to wear make-up to hide imperfections.  Photographers like to play in software programs like Picasa and Photoshop to enhance photographic strengths and minimize weaknesses.  Some folks approve of this and some folks don’t.  Some people call it “lying” (C’mon, just show us the imperfections!) and other folks call it art.

Let’s go dabble in our Picasa software and paint up the moon a little.  Not because our imperfect moons need it, mind you!  Because we want to play with color and hues and sharpening and all the other neat little tools.  Because art and imperfection like to dance under the full moon.

How about a really imperfect moon masquerading as the sun? What do you think? Can it get away with it?

 

This one put on its Native American regalia and is dancing around the midnight fires. I'm sure.

Ooo la la! Show me some more imperfection, baby!

Finally, here’s a trick question.  Let’s see how much you know about moons.  Question:  is the following photo a moon or a sun?  And how do you know?

When we can't even decide if it's a sun or a moon...

Please, let’s not forget to celebrate imperfection when it comes our way.  Sure, OK, if perfection comes visiting, let it in and admire it.  But let’s dance outside in the driveway with our imperfect suns and moons, our imperfect eyes and faces, our imperfect photography and words.  Let’s howl like coyotes beneath the imperfect moon.  Let’s not complain if our fellow coyote is yipping imperfectly.  Let’s not complain when clouds obscure the sun or moon.  Clouds further enhance imperfection, you know.

Hurray for the perfection of imperfection!