This one took some planning…

I’ve captured many images of the Marblehead Carnival over the last 15 years but knew I had the chance for a unique shot this year with the anticipated full moon rising on the second night of the Junior class carnival.

I spent quite a bit of time over the last two days scouting the anticipated path of the full moon and finding locations that would bring it within the frame of the ferris wheel. I arrived at Devereux an hour before sunset and did more planning, lens checks and waited. And waited.

The moon was supposed to rise at 8:05 and the sky appeared clear but I had yet to spot it at 8:30 so I walked towards the beach and was rewarded by an orange glow. I quickly returned to my spot and waited for the moon to rise and then for the ferris wheel to stop while letting on new riders.

With this frame I had everything in place – the bright full moon, a lone passenger on the ferris wheel ride and the sign for fried dough below. This was a two shot composite as it was impossible to capture both the ride and moon in perfect sharpness in a single frame. But other than blending the two, the moon was not adjusted in position.