12-12-2024 4:06am

Photographer Allison Kelly Frames Moon Shots as Fun Challenge

Lesley Misko Editor

by Allison Kelly

I learned long ago that you can't get good pictures of the moon without a fancy camera with a super zoom lens and fast shutter speed. Since I’ve had severe juvenile rheumatoid arthritis for 52 years, my arms and hands are not up to the task of handling such a big camera. The smaller point-and-shoot version works much better for me.

I discovered that November is the best month for taking photos of the moon; the key is to get the shots while it is still light outside. I was driving through our Christmas tree fields in my golf car in 2009 when I took my first decent photo of the moon before nightfall.

We have trees surrounding our house (our property is called Wooded Acres), so you have to wait until most of the leaves have fallen off of the trees to get an unobstructed view of the moon, especially if it’s low on the horizon. Or, if you want a more interesting shot, you can capture the moon through the bare tree branches or just above or next to some late colorful foliage. Framing moon shots with natural borders is a fun challenge.

I recently tried to get some pictures of the supermoon. When I spotted it, it was big and bright but too low on the horizon for me to get a good angle and too dark to get a clear shot.

* Despite living almost her entire life with severe juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, Allison has always enjoyed the outdoors. Growing up on a family Christmas tree farm – she could literally go over the river (creek) and through the woods to her grandmother’s house – instilled a love of nature in her at an early age. As an adult she uses a mobility scooter or power chair to get up close to nature and take photos that she turns into note cards available for sale at Engage Arts Studio, 1005 Gravel Pike, Schwenksville, or at her online shop at www.noteworthynaturephotos.com.