Mysterious Moon
The mysterious moon. The full moon with rays casting shadows as if it were day. The illuminated rays stretch from the heavens across the lands below. I close my eyes, and travel. The nocturnal vibes invade my body, my heart, my soul. I hear the mystic, yet soft voice of the wind whisper in my ear, “the night is yours”.
The moon guides me, the stars tell me not to worry, guiding me towards a place unknown by the world, yet so familiar. I sit in silence in awe of the natural glow as if a comforting night light guides me down the hallway. Melodic sounds of swaying branches, crashing waves, or blowing leaves tell me the night is alive with beauty. They scream their joy. They sing life. Crickets hiccup their nocturnal sounds, bull frogs bellow in deep harmony and critters scatter under the brush here and there.
The moonlight disperses through my skin, through my bones, through my soul. I become one with the night. The sounds and stress of the day are a distant memory. Calmness sinks into me. Peace surrounds every bit of my being. I join the symphony of the night. I once again become human, I become the night; I feel the pains, and I feel the joys.
At last I feel warmth. I was a prisoner of the present – surviving through days, weeks, months, and years. Never knowing that what I missed most was inside my soul. The drums of the night were my heartbeats, the guitars spoke through my voice, the moonlit night shining in my eyes, and my surroundings revived through my skin.
Now I am back again. Whole. Centered. As One.
I have been photographing idyllic landscapes illuminated by the full moon for over ten years. A new book project is on the way.
I have been capturing landscapes under a full moon for over a decade. From Fredericksburg, Texas, to El Paso to Croatia and Venice and London to the Sahara Desert and Bali – I’ve been there. It’s been me, a tripod, a remote control and my camera all in the silence of the night.
Photographing scenes that would normally be pitch dark are illuminated in such a way that some viewers think the landscapes were captured during daytime. The shadows are different and at times have an ominous feel to them instead of the stark contrast during a full sun day. The colours and perception are richer, and for me, more meaningful.
I tend to like quiet at any given time. I also feel quite comfortable being alone. Don’t get me wrong. I’m a social sort of fellow but I thoroughly enjoy time and place just for me. Capturing landscapes and city scenes during a full moon are perfect excuses to excuse myself from the crowd. And in my mind, you’re never really alone being alone. I never feel isolated.
As I’ve traveled around the world, I’ve learned the full moon can be an auspicious time for both Hindus and Buddhists. Purnama is the term used in Bali. The Balinese believe the gods descend amongst Balinese Hindus to answer prayers and honour wishes. This is a comforting notion. I’ve begun researching what the full moon means to various cultures around the world because of my experiences with the Balinese and Bhutanese. If they believe the full moon has special powers, then others must look to the soft glow in the sky as something remarkable as well.
So, I continue capturing night images during the full moon or super moon with the idea that one day I’ll have a large enough body of work to present in an exhibition or book. This is a special project for me. I look forward to one day sharing what I’ve seen and captured with the world.