French belfry in front of the moon
https://www.flickr.com/photos/julienlooten/
Copyright: Julien Looten
The Sun of the Golden Lion, crowning the summit of the Belfry of Arras (France), meets the Moon...
First and foremost, it's essential to stress that this image is entirely authentic, free from any manipulation, trickery or intervention by artificial intelligence.
This photo has been on my mind since I started photography... I'm not going to hide it, it was a challenge, even a nightmare.
I shot several moonrises over emblematic monuments in the Hauts-de-France region (northern France), such as Laon Cathedral and Mont Saint Eloi. What these monuments had in common was their elevated position, making them visible from afar. The Arras Belfry, on the other hand, is nestled in a bowl, surrounded by buildings and vegetation, making it almost invisible from a distance. In the Middle Ages, the belfry had military functions: the bell rang the opening and closing of the town gates and the building was used as a prison.
Every full moon was an opportunity for me to search desperately for the perfect vantage point to capture the Belfry with the moon rising perfectly behind it. I'll spare you the hours spent calculating the various astronomical positions (time, altitude, orientation, phase of the moon, etc.), the miles travelled along barely passable paths in search of the perfect angle, as well as the vagaries of the weather (clouds on the horizon, humidity, etc.)... real challenges to overcome…
Finally, after many strenuous attempts, the long-awaited moment arrived. About 4 km from the Belfry, between Achicourt and Dainville, the Moon, illuminated at 83%, rose precisely at 9.05pm (03/10/2023), standing perfectly behind the Belfry. At this crucial moment, I had no room for error... I had my eyes riveted both on the moon (a magnificent sight to the naked eye) and on the camera mounted on the telescope...
The lion is the emblem of the town of Arras, and at the top of the belfry a golden lion was installed at the request of Louis XIV (the great sun king), hence the sun in the lion's hand. This coincides perfectly with the moon. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the belfry was voted France's favourite monument in 2015.
I hope you like the result.
Equipment used:
- Skywatcher 200/1000 telescope
- NEQ6 Pro Goto
Canon 6D Mk 2
Single exposure: 1/3 s