Photographer Captures Spectacular Moon Behind Olympic Rings in Paris

As excitement builds for the Paris Olympics, one photographer has already taken a shot that is a contender for picture of the Games.

Greg Martin toiled for a spectacular set of images showing a full Moon rising behind the Olympic Rings which are attached to the iconic Eiffel Tower.

He tells PetaPixel that he was helped by friend and astrology enthusiast Ignacio Lagger whom he collaborated with to plan the shot on Sunday evening.

“Two days prior to us going to the Trocadero [a viewing platform for the Games] to capture the shot, Ignacio sent me a photo of the angle of the Moon in relation to the Eiffel Tower and alerted me to the possibility of us maybe getting the trifecta alignment!” Says Martin.

Martin and his friend used an app to identify the ideal vantage point.

“Obviously shooting the Moon we have to be aware that it moves at about a speed of one kilometer per second [0.6 of a mile] and it makes it quite challenging to line up the various positions,” explains the photographer.

“We therefore identified four locations to capture the Moon in different points on the Olympic Rings.”

Martin had to make prior arrangements to gain access to the Trocadero which is part of the secure Olympic zone.

Once on the ground, the South African photographer had to contend with cloud cover which he describes as a “pain.”

“Funnily enough, there was another photographer that was there who was capturing the same image but decided to leave due to the cloud cover after the Moon was about 50% through the rings,” says Martin.

“I decided to try my luck and stay a little longer to see if the Moon would show its face one more time. Luckily, at exactly 11:11 p.m. the Moon popped out from behind the cloud right in the middle of the Olympic Rings.”

Martin works for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and is the President’s photographer-in-chief while also working as a senior producer in digital content production. He is thrilled with the reaction to his Moon photos.

“The take-up on the photos has been absolutely incredible,” adds Martin. “Never did I think for one minute that there would have been so much interest.”

“Obviously, as I work for the IOC I was wanting to get a nice image in the lead-up to the Games that can showcase an iconic location,” he continues.

“What makes me really happy about the image is that everyone has appreciated the overall over the world and it is a great way to start off what is going to be an inspirational Olympic Games that will be more urban, more sustainable, and more inclusive. Hopefully, there is more to come from this!”

Image credits: Photographs by Greg Martin.