Yes, that’s right – the Golden Hour light provided near sunset can be extremely helpful in taking a nice shot of the visible moon. The waning sun’s effect on the sky has two effects, casting a pleasing tone on the moon as well as providing a well-lit backdrop. It’s harder to get a nice shot of the moon in a totally dark sky than it is in a nicely colored one.

Of course, both the tone of the moon and the tone of the sky are due to the sun’s effect on our atmosphere, not on the moon itself. Regardless of the “how”, the “what” is a pleasing tone of sky and moon that are more evenly matched than after dark.

If you like photography and have a good telephoto lens, try this sometime. I think you’ll be pleased with the result.