Stairway to the Moon

A long wooden boardwalk of broad plank steps rises toward the horizon beneath a deep blue sky, leading to a tall metal-framed lantern tower where a few tiny figures stand, with a pale crescent moon hanging in the upper right.
Three people and a bird climb the stairs leading to the Tidal Beacon sculpture on the Halifax Harbour, with the moon rising in the sky beyond. — J. Matthew Buchanan

The staircase at the Tidal Beacon in Halifax hides its climb quite well. Turns out, the scene on this beautiful Spring day hid something else from me—the moon. I had no idea it was in frame until I edited the photo later. Once I saw it, the stairs seemed to take on a new purpose, as if they rewarded those willing to make the climb with a better view of the moon.

That's not true, of course, but I can't help but think that the people at the top of the stairs likely noticed the moon while I was blissfully unaware of its presence.

Metadata

EXIF & IPTC
Published
November 2, 2026
Identifier
JMB-20260522D-0085
Camera Make
Canon
Camera
Canon EOS R5m2
Lens
RF28mm F2.8 STM
Focal Length
28mm
Aperture
f/8
Shutter Speed
1/400s
ISO
ISO 100
Captured
May 22, 2026, 12:42 PM
Exposure Program
Manual
Metering Mode
Multi-segment
Flash
No Flash
White Balance
Auto
Creator
J. Matthew Buchanan
Sublocation
Harbour Walk
City
Halifax
State
Nova Scotia
Country
Canada
Copyright
Copyright 2026 J. Matthew Buchanan
Rights Usage Terms
All use of this image requires a license from the copyright holder.
Copyright URL
Web Statement of Rights
Content Credentials
Software
Adobe Lightroom Classic 15.6
Edits
4 edits Color adjustments (Blacks, Clarity, ColorGradeMidtoneHue, ColorNoiseReduction, ColorNoiseReductionDetail, ColorNoiseReductionSmoothness, Contrast, ConvertToGrayscale, Dehaze, Highlights, ParametricDarks, ParametricHighlightSplit, ParametricHighlights, ParametricLights, ParametricMidtoneSplit, ParametricShadowSplit, ParametricShadows, Shadows, SharpenDetail, SharpenEdgeMasking, Sharpness, SplitToningHighlightHue, SplitToningHighlightSaturation, SplitToningShadowHue, SplitToningShadowSaturation, Texture, White Balance, Whites) · Cropped · Edited · Creative look applied
Signed by
Adobe Inc., November 2, 2026
Status
Verified · Inspect