There’s something magical about a full moon rising on a warm summer night. You stand in a field, watching the glow appear behind the ridge, growing brighter and bigger by the second. And then—suddenly—the moon slips over the edge, shining in all its brilliance.
The funny thing is, no matter how many apps or tools we have today, the exact spot where the moon will rise always feels like a surprise. You know the general direction, but not the exact point where you should point your camera. That unpredictability makes it even more exciting.
This summer, I grabbed my Nikon Z8 and the 100–400mm lens and headed up the hill behind my house. My plan was to film the moonrise in 8K, so I could crop into 4K later without losing detail. The tricky part was the white balance. At first, the moon glowed with this incredible pumpkin-orange color—much warmer than its usual gray. I wanted to capture that glow before it slowly faded into the pale, almost black-and-white look you see higher in the sky.
While I was filming, I noticed aircraft in the distance, approaching Zürich airport. A couple of times in the past, I’ve been lucky enough to catch a plane crossing right in front of the moon—so I quickly switched settings: 8K, 120fps, ISO adjusted for the bright moonlight, and shutter speed at 1/240s.
And then it happened: an aircraft cut across the moon’s face! You can even see the shimmering hot air from the engines. What a sight.
I thought that was it for the night, but photography has a way of surprising you. Back at my house, I suddenly realized the opportunity for a second crossing. I hurried to set up the tripod, refocused on the moon, and hit record. Moments later—boom! Another aircraft crossed perfectly in front of the moon.
Nights like this remind me why I love photography. You never know exactly what you’ll capture. But one thing is certain: on a clear summer evening, the moon never disappoints.
