May 3, 2023

Grace Ebert

Image © Stefano Zanarello, shared with permission

On a recent trip to Paris with his family, Italian photographer Stefano Zanarello traveled to the iconic Arc de Triomphe on an evening with a bright full moon. With a bustling street below, Zanarello waited about 1,300 meters from the famed monument, speculating that the celestial body would pass through the cloudless night sky and precisely position itself with the architectural aperture.

“In this kind of photo, the main important thing is the planning, since the moon walks on trajectories that change every day, so it’s fundamental to predict the trajectory and evaluate the shooting point, from with the moon is viewed in the wanted position regard another element, the Arc, in this case,” he tells Colossal, noting that he used the celestial planning software PhotoPills in the process. Within about 30 minutes of his arrival, the moon centered itself inside the neoclassical arc, allowing Zanarello to capture the short-lived alignment.

NASA highlighted the striking image in its Astronomy Picture of the Day project, and you can find more from Zanerello on Instagram. (via PetaPixel)

#architecture#moon#Stefano Zanarello

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. You’ll connect with a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about contemporary art, read articles and newsletters ad-free, sustain our interview series, get discounts and early access to our limited-edition print releases, and much more. Join now!