Rise Of The Full Moon Master

[Faustina Bartsch]

Myrules for moon photography are simple: capture detail in both the moon and the landscape in one click (no blending of images for exposure, or to upsize or reposition the moon), and appreciate the moment.

I enjoy using the moon as a simple accent to a wide angle scene, but when possible, I also try to photograph the moon big, the bigger the better. And each time I do capture a big moon, I try to figure out how I might capture it even bigger the next time.

Of course increasing the focal length to increase the size of your moon decreases the field of view correspondingly. One of the most difficult parts of pairing a large moon with a specific landscape subject is finding a vantage point distant enough to fit the terrestrial subject and the moon. For example, there are some great views of Half Dome on the east side of Yosemite Valley, but the longest focal length I can use there and still fit all of Half Dome is around 150mm.

Coordinating all the moving parts (moon phase and position, foreground subject alignment, subject distance, and rise/set timing) requires a little advance work. Once I choose a subject to go with my moon, I try to find the most distant view of that subject. Then I need to figure out when that location, my distant subject, and the moon all align.

With a terrestrial subject identified, I do my plotting and mark my calendar for the day I want to be there. That often means waiting a year or more for the alignment I want. The location I monitor most closely for a possible full moon alignment is Yosemite, which has a wealth of prominent subjects and distant vistas.

The recent Super Blue Moon was an opportunity to get out and do some Lunar photography. The moon always looks especially large when near the horizon and despite this being an optical illusion it is a lovely time to be out and watching as a full moon rises. Being low in the sky the light is travelling through a lot of atmosphere so gives a lovely warm colour as shown in the top image with a stilt in the reflection.

It is however not a good time to try to take detailed images of the moon as the thick atmosphere causes a lot of distortion. Waiting until later in the evening with the clear cold sky we had on the day gave a great opportunity for some telephoto close-up images. First thoughts may be that photographing at night with a telephoto you must need a tripod. The fact of the situation though is that the moon is in full sunlight so it is no different than shooting during the day. I have had excellent result with the Nikkor Z 800mm f6.3 VR S hand held in the past so made a series of images with the lens including using the 1.4x and 2x teleconverters. These following images are all the full frame captures.

The ability to get repeated sharp shots while handholding a 1600mm equivalent telephoto lens is incredible. The combination of lens VR with IBIS in the Nikon Z9 is fantastic. Finding the moon initially it swims a little in the viewfinder but once focus and VR is engaged the view stabilises solidly and allows repeated sharp images to be captured. When using a tripod the the rate at which the moon moves across the sky requires reframing and locking down between shots and tracking handheld is much simpler and more efficient.

We'll explore our local environment as the landscape shifts from day to sunset to night, learning about the ways in which both flora and fauna shift along with it. Learn about bats, night blooming flowers, owls, and other nocturnal creatures through engaging activities. Hiking through some of Griffith Park's primary bat and owl habitat, we'll also explore the ways in which our own eyes adjust (or don't) to darkness with a couple of fun games.

We will avoid using headlamps or any other light source as much as possible, but the nearly full moon will rise early enough to provide us with ample light to show us the way on this wide and mostly flat Griffith Park trail.

EgaltInformationSpeciesDragonAffiliationDragon MastersOccupationNinja (formerly)

Martial arts teacherFirst appearanceThe Blood Moon (dream)

71809 Egalt the Master DragonLatest appearanceThe Final Game (flashback)HabitatRealm of Oni and Dragons[1]GenderMaleStatusAliveVoiced byAndrew FrancisEgalt is one of the two Dragon Masters, alongside Rontu. He is a teacher for the Rising Dragon Technique. He teaches Lloyd, Kai, Nya, and Arin until the latter's lack of skill in Spinjitzu led to him accidentally striking Egalt, leaving him temporarily half-blind, which ultimately forced him to demote Arin to be taught under Rontu. Eventually, Kai, with help from Nya, achieves the Rising Dragon technique before being turned to stone by the Blood Moon, but reverted after the ritual. At some point, Egalt trains Zane before being approached by Lloyd to be the Ninja's master in the Tournament of the Sources, but refused and gave him a lesson to achieve mastery.

Originally from the Realm of Oni and Dragons, Egalt became a Dragon Master with Rontu, focusing on training dragons and occasionally humans in ninja skills. Unfortunately, Egalt's interactions with humans during training were consistently negative, leading him to develop a strong aversion towards them and decide to exclusively train dragons moving forward. However, the Forbidden Five aimed to conquer the realms, posing a threat that Egalt and Rontu could not ignore. In response, Egalt and Rontu devised a powerful technique known as the Rising Dragon, specifically designed to counter Shatterspin. Their journey took them to Mysterium, where they encountered Gandalaria, a powerful sorceress who dedicated days to crafting a spell capable of banishing the Forbidden Five. With the spell completed, Egalt and Rontu unleashed the might of the Rising Dragon, successfully defeating the Forbidden Five and banishing them to the Nether-Space. In a final act, Egalt and Rontu erased all memory of the Forbidden Five, sealing their dark legacy within the confines of the Shadow Dojo. His and Rontu's actions became tales among the dragons in the Wyldness that they even named a mountain after the former, Mount Egalt.

During the Test of Unity, Egalt engaged in a fierce battle with the ninja. The ninja realized that by placing heavy boulders in the bucket, the weight will pull down the chain attached to it, ultimately opening the gate. The ninja's Elemental Powers and Spinjitzu prove to be a major distraction for Egalt. Meanwhile, Wyldfyre, Sora, Lloyd, and Kai work together to place the boulders into the bucket, gradually opening the gate. As the team nears success, Arin attempts to add the fifth boulder but is unexpectedly grabbed by Egalt's claws and thrown aside. Quick on her feet, Nya stepped in and threw the boulder into the bucket, successfully fully opening the door. With the Test of Unity successfully completed, Egalt and Rontu congratulate the ninja for passing all three tests. Egalt, putting on his straw hat, took a moment to explain to Lloyd the nature of the three tests. He revealed that most people fail to overcome the Test of Fears, which involved navigating through the Phantasm Cave. With everything clarified, Lloyd inquired about the ancient teacher he had heard about, asking for their whereabouts. Egalt commented that Lloyd lacked intelligence, but Rontu kindly clarified that they were the exact teachers the ninja were searching for.

Arin was skeptical about the idea of dragons being ninjas, but Egalt strongly believed that dragons are the ultimate ninja. Lloyd then shared a vision he had from the Source Dragons. Egalt immediately accused Lloyd of lying, stating that Source Dragons only intervene in serious mortal matters. Lloyd argued that this situation may be one of those serious matters, explaining that the ninja need to learn how to counter Shatterspin. Egalt questions why, as it had been forgotten. Lloyd revealed that Ras trained Cinder and planned to free the Forbidden Five. This shocked Egalt and Rontu, who later inform the ninja that they were the ones who defeated the Forbidden Five. Egalt continued, mentioning a powerful spell they used to exile the Forbidden Five from the realms. Recalling Lloyd's mention of the Wolf Masks, Egalt and Rontu note that those masks can only be from the Shadow Dojo, which they ensured could only be accessed with Source Dragon energy. Sora added that Ras may have obtained energy from the Source Dragon of Energy after persuading Imperium to hunt Source Dragons for him. Egalt pointed out that if a Source Dragon was captured, darkness would poison the world.

Lloyd believed that the Dragon Masters fighting alongside the ninja will ensure victory. However, Egalt and Rontu express doubts about teaming up with the ninja because of how old they are. Egalt questions Rontu's decision to train the ninja, calling the ninja weak. Despite Egalt reminding Rontu of his oath to not train humans due to a past incident, Rontu emphasized the urgency of the situation with the potential return of the Forbidden Five. She argued that everything they have worked for would be in vain if they do not act. Reluctantly, Egalt agreed to train the ninja, hoping he won't regret his decision. Arin's excitement was tempered by Egalt's warning about the dangers of overconfidence, which the Forbidden Five could exploit. Egalt acknowledged that the ninja had received good training but emphasized that they still have much to learn. He warned that failure on the part of the ninja could spell doom for the Merged Realms.

Following the ninja's combat displays, Egalt directed Lloyd, Kai, Nya, and Arin to accompany him for a lesson in Rising Dragon, as they are Second Fang Ninja. Nevertheless, Egalt believed it might be a waste of his time.

Egalt emphasized to the ninja that while strength held significance, intelligence, love, kindness, and motion were even more crucial. To illustrate the importance of motion, Egalt provided an example using the Rising Dragon technique, highlighting that when utilized correctly, motion could surpass strength in terms of power. Egalt advised the ninja to eliminate all unnecessary motion and strive to be as still as the mountains. Despite the ninja's belief that they have achieved stillness, Egalt countered by stating that the world and the universe were constantly in motion. Egalt further explained that even within the body, various organs are in constant motion. Motion, according to Egalt, was vital as life itself cannot exist without it. The ninja were encouraged to embrace and feel the motion within themselves. Finally, Egalt revealed that by aligning one's own motion with that of the universe, they would successfully execute Rising Dragon.

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