Six String Supermoon

The moon rises, as a full supermoon, above the Veterans Memorial Bridge over the Maumee River in downtown Toledo, Ohio.
The moon rises, as a full supermoon, above the Veterans Memorial Bridge over the Maumee River in downtown Toledo, Ohio. — J. Matthew Buchanan

Technically, only four of the “strings” are crossing the moon, but it takes six to contain it by my count, and I couldn’t resist that title.

This shot was the result of months of planning. I wanted to catch the supermoon on its rise while crossing the cables of the bridge, also while the sun was still setting to provide some natural light to the landscape and to give me enough shutter speed to freeze everything. I initially wanted to wait for a break in traffic on the bridge but quickly realized that wasn’t going to happen during the roughly twelve minutes it took for the moon to cross the cables.

This photograph gave me a lot of satisfaction when I made it, watching a months-long plan come together. And that plan came together after the weather had ruined many earlier attempts to get a supermoon shot in Florida. The weather will work out down there one of these years, but, for now, I’ve got this one from Toledo. It’s one of my all time favorites.

Technical Notes

I literally planned this shot for months. I considered various locations around downtown Toledo, but ultimately decided to set up right outside my office. Turned out to be perfect. I don’t shoot the moon very often, but there’s something exciting about watching it break the horizon and rise along the path you expected (thanks PhotoPills), right on schedule.

Elsewhere

  • Flickr Featured in Flickr Explore on November 8, 2025
  • Flickr Featured in Flickr Explore on December 24, 2025
  • Photo Arts Club of Toledo 1st Place, November 2025 Digital Open, Intermediate

Metadata

Published
April 16, 2026
Camera Make
Canon
Camera
Canon EOS R5m2
Lens
RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM
Focal Length
343mm
Aperture
f/5.6
Shutter Speed
1/500s
ISO
ISO 2000
Captured
November 5, 2025, 6:25 PM
Exposure Program
Manual
Metering Mode
Spot
Flash
No Flash
White Balance
Auto
Creator
J. Matthew Buchanan
Sublocation
Downtown
City
Toledo
State
Ohio
Country
United States
Copyright
Copyright 2025 J. Matthew Buchanan
Rights Usage Terms
All use of this image requires a license from the copyright holder.
Copyright URL
Web Statement of Rights