Paul Blake has waited more than four years to capture this perfectly positioned shot of a full moon in the centre of Rutherglen's Main Street.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
It's no mean feat, in fact, given the ever-changing tilt of the moon's axis - but that's a science lesson for another day.
Instead, Blake happened to be in the right place at the right time on the evening of Saturday, June 22 - after a hell of a lot of "sussing out", pouring over weather apps and speculating about how it might all line up.
"Dodging trucks and traffic", the intrepid photographer positioned himself in the middle of the road at the western end of town - and voila, he got the shot with a 600mm lens.
Over the weekend, people from across the world were treated to a strawberry moon - the name for the full moon in June.
But this month's full moon has happened at the same time as the Friday, June 21, winter solstice - a once-in-two-decade occurrence.
Now, while many may have been left expecting a red or pink-coloured moon in their skies, the true origin of a strawberry moon lies beyond its colour.
"In the northern hemisphere the moon is known as a strawberry moon due to the fact the strawberries are ripe to be harvested at that time of year," Blake explained.
"In our hemisphere, it is more accurately known as the Cold Moon."
That being said, Blake and his partner and fellow photographer Ann Killeen were more concerned about location when it came to chasing the moon.
"I've been trying for four years - since we came close the last time - to have the full moon line up in the centre of Rutherglen's Main Street," he said.
"That perspective of it coming up in the centre of the street is something I've always envisaged - a bit like the (well-known shot of the) full moon rising behind the Byron Bay lighthouse."
While Killeen "was racing around a vineyard" trying to get the picture-perfect shot of the moon behind the iconic Rutherglen Wine Bottle, Blake took his chances on the short window of opportunity for "Moon on Main".
He knew straight away he had the shot.
And while he admits there's always plenty of friendly rivalry between himself and Killeen, when you get the shot, you celebrate the moment!
What started off as a hobby "many moons ago" (if you'll pardon the pun), has developed into a shared passion, Blake admitted.
Still, at the end of the day, the moon's magic isn't what truly captivates Blake.
"I love doing wildlife, birds in flight - that's my real passion," he admitted.
However, if we're talking out-of-this-world experiences, Blake admits he has his own vision splendid.
His dream is to one day capture that rare moment the International Space Station (ISS) transitions across the face of the moon.
"It's just that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," he enthused.
