Quartzsite, Arizona, is a small town of only a few thousand people. Until the snowbirds arrive.
In January and February the tiny town hosts over 1.5 million tourists, most of them RVers.
We arrived a few days before the giant RV show which is held in the town every year. We picked out our spot a little ways away from everyone else in one of the many BLM (Bureau of Land Management) grounds where you can boondock for free.
But as the show time got closer, more and more RVs showed up. Only a couple of days before I made this photo, this land was empty.
I thought the RVs made an interesting foreground to the spectacular full moon.
Please click the image to view a larger version.
This is a single 0.4 second exposure made with my new Sony NEX6 and the 55-210mm lens.
Beautiful ARIZONA MOON Anne!!! Miss my old State!! Lookin on heading back in May…too cold back in New England for this old buck ! 🙂 Love your work Anne….
Thank you so much for your kind comments, George, I’m glad I could do your old state proud 🙂
Hi Anne
I do a lot of Moon pictures my self have found it very difficult to get foreground and Moon in focus in a single image. So I was wandering how you did it with a 4 sec. shutter. your picture has flags which appear to be blowing in the wind and they are not blurred. By any chance did you do a layered picture in post operation. In any case you got a great shot. Wish I was their. To much snow here.
Hi Bob, no it’s not 4 seconds, it’s 0.4 seconds. The trick is to photograph the moon while it is still twilight. If you wait until night the contrast is too high and you end up with a white blob. This photo is a single exposure. I made it at f/22 which is what gives it the large depth of field making both the foreground and the moon in focus. I hope that helps!
Hi Anne
It pays to look closer before making a comment. You touched on some very good points. I have a moon rise chart that I watch for optimum time to go out. I try to pick a location ahead of time. Using a compass I know what the location the moon will rise. You have to be in the spot ahead of time as the moon rises very fast. You also must know that the moon does not rise at the same compass heading all year long so take compass reading a few days early. I some times use a gradual density filter to help reduce the brightness of the moon to help even out the exposure. Have you tried a night exposure with just the light of a full Moon? You will get some great shots as the camera picks up a slight sunset glow. Sorry about getting so wordy. BOB
Hi Bob, no worries about being wordy 🙂 I love getting comments. You know, I don’t think I have done a night shot under mooonlight! Now I have something new to try. Thanks for the idea and the comments.
Thanks for sharing the Full Moon over RVs in Quartzite. And the photo tips, too.
Question: If you switched to Sony Nex-6 from a large DSLR, any regrets? I’ve been thinking about downsizing, but finding it difficult to make a decision. Several options out there, each with its own serious shortcomings.
Hi Mike, No, no regrets! I love the NEX6. The only drawback is the lens availability, so I will still use my DSLR for wildlife photography.
Great shot Anne! Never got around to taking one of my own when we were in Q.
Safe travels!
Thanks Steve and Dianne! I hope we can get together when we’re back in Victoria.
We’re at Fort Camping at Fort Langley until June 2nd but will be commuting back and forth to Victoria for appointments and family visits. Hopefully we can connect.
Safe travels!
I love how big & yellow the Moon is when it’s that low on the horizon.
Hi Devlin, yes it makes a big difference when the moon comes up during twilight and when there is something in the foreground to give it scale. Thanks for your comments!
That is one GORGEOUS full moon. This is an amazing photo. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much Mary! Your comments are always appreciated.
Beautiful images, Anne. The full moon brings back memories of driving through the dessert in Mexico back in the early 70s and saw a full moon. It blew me away!!! The stars must be amazing where you’re at as well. Happy shooting & RVing, Sharon
Thank you very much Sharon!
Great shot and and I love all your work.. We winter in Bouse and I got a pretty good shot of the moon that night also… I enjoy your tips and have been taking picts for a long time but can always and I mean always learn new ways of creating a keeper..
Thank you so much Richard, I really appreciate your comment.
Wonderful photo! I’m envious. 😉
I’ve read and heard about Quartzite over the years, but we’ve never been.
Anne – This was the first year I was out with our Montana 5th wheel to the Montana Owners Club campsite in Quartzsite. I remember a couple of the glorious moonrise, in fact one blonde camper thought they were witnessing a
second sunrise.
For a second I thought that was my silver truck in the foreground, but it wasn’t.
We had such a great time there, that I’ve volunteering to be the assistant wagonmaster for the January 2015 gettogether. If you’re there again, I insist that you come by the group, ask for me, and let’s talk photos and RVing over a glass of your favorite beverage!
Rainer Mueller
Oceanside CA
“Have camera, will travel”
Hi Anne,
Your series “I am changing my life” is a great read; I love it! Finding Canadians who are doing this lifestyle is not easy – but you and your husband do it well. Also, congrats on all the beautiful pictures!
Question about BLM camping: while I know it is free for Americans, is there a fee for Canadians camping on BLM?
Thank you,
Chantal
Hi Chantal, no it’s free for us too! I’m glad you’ve been enjoying the blog, thanks for your visit and comments.
Thx 4 sharing. Loved it.