What I have been looking for in a classic lighthouse-moon photo is a really big Moon.  To make that happen you need to be pretty far away from the lighthouse.  Finding locations to make this happen is a challenge. 

When I checked the full Moon for December 2023, and saw that it was the day after Christmas, a day Chris and I would likely be driving back from Chesapeake to Charlotte, I jumped into lighthouse research mode.  It wasn't long before I settled on Cape Lookout.  Among the classic Outer Banks lighthouses it is unique for its bold diamond pattern.  This seashore is beautiful and the geography provides numerous vantage points for the camera. (if you have a boat)  The lighthouse is on the southernmost tip of the Cape Lookout National Seashore, which extends southwestward from Ocracoke in a near perfect arc and then ends with the barb shaped tip hooking slightly back to the east.  Just looking at the map makes it clear why this location has had a lighthouse since 1812.  This lighthouse has stood here since 1859.  The technology has changed to LED lighting but the beacon still flashes every 15 seconds - night and day. 

Getting to the seashore requires a boat.  While there are public ferries running to Cape Lookout and the surrounding islands, our unique schedule required a private boat for hire.  I discovered Reel Tangled Charters and contacted Captain Steve Stone.  He was away visiting family for Christmas but planning to head back on the 26th.  I gave him the details and he said he could make it work.  Now we just had to hope the weather would work.  

The good news was that the temperatures would be relatively mild.  The bad news was a rain storm was on its way and small craft wind advisories had been issued for the 26th.  We both kept an eye on the weather and by the morning of the 26th Captain Steve felt that the winds would not be a problem, given that the trip was all in-shore and protected by the outer island.  The remaining concern - would it be too cloudy?  It will be what it will be!

The complete journey was a pretty quick trip - under 2 hours - with about 30 minutes to get to the spot, 40 or so minutes on site and 30 to get back.  I knew that the Moon would rise at 4:36pm, be first visible above the trees about 4:39, and align with the lighthouse at 4:46.  Once you see the Moon (if you see the Moon) things move pretty quickly.  I had calculated the exact location and had the plan registered in the Photopills app on my phone.  The shoreline had changed quite a bit from the map satellite photo. It at first appeared as if I would be standing in the water.  But moving slightly farther away - checking GPS location in Photopills - I settled on an alternate spot on dry land.   

The lighthouse is 163 feet tall on ground that is 5 feet above sea level.  The Moon had an apparent size of 56 feet.  The distance from the camera to the lighthouse was 6,320' allowing me to frame the shot nicely with a focal length of just under 600mm.  It was amazing to see the Moon first appear and then intermittently disappear and reappear in the narrow slivers of clear sky while the lower clouds moved quickly from right to left across the scene.  It would have been ideal for the Sun to peek through at our backs during what should have been a "golden hour", but it was not to be.  Still, I love the stormy mood of "The Cape Lookout Lighthouse and the Christmas Moon" and I hope you do too.

Thanks to Reel Tangled Charters - Captain Steve and his first mate Hunter - for an excellent trip.  He even anticipated the need for waders for Chris and me to use for the short wade through the shallow water to the beach.  We hope to be back soon and spend more than 2 hours on amazing Cape Lookout.