The full Strawberry moon rose tonight just as we reached the Summer solstice – a phenomenon that occurs approximately every 50 years. With that knowledge in mind and clear conditions forecast, I planned out spots from which to shoot the full moonrise. After much deliberation, I decided on Castle Rock as my destination and hoped to shoot the moon against the familiar rocky face of the outcropping.
I reached Castle Rock 30 minutes early and used the time to walk over to Nashua Avenue to watch the sunset. I was treated to some nice color and a composition including Old North Church which I hadn’t shot in years. With that accomplished, I walked back towards Castle Rock and the Strawberry moon. I reached my destination in time to plan out a spot and then realized as the first hint of the moon appeared that I had chosen incorrectly. I quickly walked back up the path to the overlook and found a better position from which to photograph the moonrise.
Once there, it was a matter of waiting for the surprisingly pink Strawberry moon to rise above the layer of haze and then move to find the perfect composition juxtaposing the ancient face of Castle Rock against the once-in-fifty-years view of the full moon rising on the Summer solstice.
About the Strawberry Moon
Though tonight’s full moon started off as the color of strawberries, one of the names for the June moon was actually given by the Algonquin tribes because it occurs right at the height of the season when strawberries are harvested. Other names for this month’s full moon are the hot moon and the rose moon.