Full Moons Don't Cause Madness -- We Have Proof

Done Chasing the Super-moon

Every month, I get out with a camera and, attempt to capture images of the full moon.

It's usually a three night event and, sometimes the weather makes it impossible.

This photo was taken on the last of the three nights. I'm glad it's over.

Strong winds, dark clouds and low temperatures, made it a challenging experience.

Busting Myths About the Full Moon

 

 

Some investigation was required to see if, the phases of the moon, cause crazies to come out.

Over at BBC, they say the full moon doesn't really make any difference in people.

More folks get bit by dogs and horses, during the full moon but, that could be caused by mites.

Farmer's Almanac says, studies prove there's no connection between crazies and the moon.

And, Live Science reports, no connection between the full moon and folks acting crazy.

Mental Floss says, there isn't any psychological effect on people, caused by full moons.

If, you look at Science Line an urban myth, is what , they might call full moon wackiness.

Scientific American, debunks lunar lunacy, saying there's no evidence to support the myth.

A good one was, Universe Today, talking about the pull of the moon on gravity.

For example, some folks claim because, the moon affects tides, it must do the same to people.

Scientists say, your body gets more gravitational pull from your chair than, from the moon.

Maybe, this chair, I'm sitting on makes me crazy !

Moon Shot's Done Let's Go to Town !

Three nights in a row, I was up on the roof, freezing and shooting the moon.

Once it was done, I threw the camera in the office, without downloading images.

It seemed like a good idea, to get some antifreeze in my body and, check town for lunatics.

It was unusually quiet in the village last night so, the bartender showed me this video.

Piko Taro is all the rage, in Japan these days This version has almost 20 million views.

Listen to it. It's all in English and, my grandkids love it.

Video Compliments of Bar & Cafe Brasil

To prepare for an end of the year (Bonenkai) party with the family, I decided to rehearse.

The bartender shot this video with his iPhone and, I did the rest.

At home, showed it to the wife and, I asked her, "You think the full moon made me crazy?"

She said, "No. You act crazy, all the time."

Now, you know. The full moon, doesn't cause craziness. We have proof.

Field of Cosmos in Kin Town: Editor's Pick

This photo got an Editor's Pick in a contest for the month of February 2013.

It was taken as I was walking behind Nature Mirai, in Kin Town on the way to shoot the full moon.

 It's been so busy around here, I forgot all about photo contests, for this month.

So, I was kind of surprised when I discovered this photo went anywhere.

To make a short story long, there's something I have to tell you.

Remember that Lunacy Before the Full Moon thing I was talking about ?

Crazy Things Happen Before the Full Moon

Before I got to this field of flowers, I ran into some other photographers.

They were at another field of cosmos, taking photos of a pretty girl.

Shawn Miller, I met a few years ago and, he has been a guest photographer here a few times.

Chris Wilson, I've been following online, for quite awhile but, had never met in person.

Shawn introduced us and we shook hands.

Then Chris asks if he can take a photo of me. Being the shy person I am, I had to think quick.

So, I said "Sure, if you let that pretty girl stand next to me."

Click Click Click 

He starts shooting horizontal, vertical, left and right.

There had to be a dozen or, two shots taken of us in that field of cosmos.

It would have been nice if I had a hairbrush.  I wasn't prepared for modelling, ya know.

We have email contact now.  But, I bet there is plenty of editing to do with those photos.

That girl, Rie, he probably didn't have any trouble developing her photo.  She's a beauty.

Now, my scraggly-looking face may take some work.

When I go out to shoot the moon, I'm not the ideal photographic subject.

Chris promised me a photo from that night.

It would be a lot easier to just crop me out of the picture.  I can't complain.  

Kin Town's Cosmos got an Editor's Pick !

Checkout Chris Wilson's Travel 67 Website

Lunacy Before the Full Moon (Photo Essay)

Does the Full Moon Cause Lunacy ?

 

It has an effect on the tides and that causes strange things to happen in the animal world.

And, it got me thinking about some of the crazy things people do, too.

Just making preparations for tomorrow's full moon I had one heck of a day.

Wanting to get some camera practice in tonight, I deliberately, didn't drink last night.

So, I was up at the crack of dawn.  I promised the Missus, I'd go shopping today.

Shopping, to me, is worse than having root canals.  But, people have to eat.

It took a little convincing (the wife) that we would save a lot, if I went by myself.

By myself, means the front seat of the car gets loaded with camera gear.

Heading home with the trunk and back seat full of groceries got me smiling.

Going by myself must have saved me at least a hundred bucks.  Hah !

And, I spotted this Flame Vine growing on someone's house.

So, I whipped a U-turn and shot this photo to show how huge they get in Okinawa.

Feeling a little guilty about leaving the wife, home alone, I came up with a plan.

"C'mon baby let's go for a Sunday drive, after you put the groceries away", I said.

So, back up to the mountains of Motobu, I went for the third time in a week.

The Missus could see Buddha, natural rock gardens and all kinds of flowers.

Plus, she could read that Kanji on the rocks, beyond the bamboo.

Now, I know what it says.  It's the Long Life Rock.

Just when I was about to say "Mission accomplished, let's go home" I remembered something else.

We climbed up to the top of the hill and I introduced the wife to this sweetheart of a lady.

They got drinking green tea and chatting.

That gave me a chance to try and get some better photos of these critters.

A rare, endangered species is what they are.  I still want better photos.

But, this was enough for today.

Get out of the mountains without the wife filling the car-up with plants and flowers became the plan.

Getting ready for a moon shoot sometimes, requires a nap.

At home, I crashed from 4 to 5PM and was at my office by six.

If you look, real close, the moon is peeking over that orange-tiled roof.

It was 6:11PM when I took that wide angle shot.

Here's a photo taken by zooming with the Sigma 50-500mm lens, at 6:20.

Next, I played around with different compositions and crops.

People walk by and look at me like I'm crazy but, it's not lunacy; it's practice, to me.

 Running in and out of the office, I swapped cameras and lenses, a few times.

It all pays-off when it's time for the real-deal.

While I was in the office, I checked email a few times tonight, too.

 That's how I found out this Goat Fight photo essay was published.

Do you know how to capture a photo like that ?

Just lay down on the ground and, act like a lunatic, before a full moon !