Who has not been captivated by a full moon? It is a powerful force of nature, and when there is a full moon, it has an impact on the earth in many ways. People since the beginning of time have been captivated by it. In fact, the moon has been a central part of many myths and legends across different cultures precisely because of how powerful it is.
On Thursday last week, did you see the full moon?
I first saw the full moon as it was shining brightly through trees on the horizon (above). It looked magical and amazing. It was a cold evening here in northern Virginia. The air was clear and brisk, and there were absolutely no clouds. It was a perfect evening to photograph the full moon.
As the moon rose above the trees, I photographed it with my Nikon D800 and 600mm lens with a 1.4 teleconverter. The results were spectacular. If you click on the above image, the craters and other features of the moon are very clearly visible.
This weekend, I photographed the pair of Barred Owls again and captured the female sitting on her nest. I will post those images later in the week. Yesterday, I photographed a pair of Ospreys building their nest at Leesylvania State Park. Spring is definitely here, and I am enjoying it, along with the birds.
Stephen L Tabone Nature Photography 
Great picture Steve. A couple of cool and timely tidbits regarding the moon…
1 – The full moon that you witnessed was the one that set the date for Easter this year. Easter is always the first Sunday after the first full moon, after the Spring Equinox.
2 – We can be grateful for the moon, that Gru (from Dispicable Me) did not really succeed in his quest to STEAL the moon. We just watched this movie, in 3D, last weekend. I give the movie 4 stars (or moons) – excellent movie.
Finally, HAPPY EASTER!
I clicked on the moon image and almost jumped back from the screen; the clarity and details are simply amazing. I was looking for the planted flag left by the astronauts when they visited the lunar surface. This is another level of photographic accomplishments. Super ,
Your comments and advice have always been appreciated. Thank you.
Only NASA could get a better shot of the moon. Now you have captured my two obsessions (separately, of course)…the moon and the white squirrel, Genevieve. Actually, after hearing the owl hoot for such a long time, it was fun to see what he looks like too. Thanks, Steve!
The moon was lovely last week but your images of it show how really spectacular it is with all its nooks and crannies. And the owls … I have never seen them so these images were simply amazing! What a stunning creature and its no wonder I’ve never seen it, the coloring and pattern of the feathers make the owl the camouflage expert! He is both terrifying and beautiful at the same time. Great, great photos!!!
Thank you Anne. The Barred Owl gets its name from the barred (camouflage) feathers across its body.
Wow, what a magnificent view of the moon, sharp and clear with detail! The through-the-trees view is magical, the full moon capture is superb. I cannot even begin to get such detail in any moon shot I take — Olympus doesn’t even have a lens with that reach available anymore.
Thank you for the feedback and comment. I am ready for the next lunar eclipse.
Amazingly beautiful photos as usual! Thanks for sharing!
Fabulous shot! The irony for me was that I was with birders at dusk near Braddock Bay, Lake Ontario that night watching for the mating dances of Woodcock. As we were returning to the cars we noticed the dramatic moon on this perfectly clear night. By that time, given that I was cold and the moon was getting high, I didn’t set up for a shot (which I’ve been wanting to do for the past year). You’ve re-motivated me to make a comittment to be out for the next full moon rise (preferably before 10 PM).
Thank you Steve, but even though you passed up shooting the moon, you witnessed and photographed the mating dances of the Woodcock. I would have traded places with you, since the full moon will rise again next month.
Stephen,
I have never seen the moon this clearly. Wonderful full moon picture.
I am sure you are enjoying Nikon D800! I managed to pre-order but mine, if I am lucky, will come in 1-2 months! Oh, Lord!
Looking forward to seeing the pictures of the pair of Barred Owls and pair of Ospreys.
I went to the Blackwater Refuge yesterday and witnessed the beautiful sunsets!
Kee
As you can tell from my photos and blog articles, I am very pleased with the performance of the D800. Hope yours comes soon so you too can enjoy its amazing capabilities. Sunsets at Blackwater can be gorgeous. Hope you captured it digitally.
STEVE http://www.stabone.com http://www.stevetaboneblog.com Sent from iPad (typos included)
Love the full moon zoom in capability. The detail is awesome.
Carol