My First few moon shots

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donaldjledet

Senior Member
A few from the other night.


DSC_0830.jpg
 
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donaldjledet

Senior Member
Thanks all, It means a lot coming from people who know what they are talking about.

Now question I have is it better to shoot the moon when its first getting dark and its just starting
to rise? Or should you wait till later in the night?
Again thanks for all the replies.
 
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Don Kuykendall_RIP

RIP :(
I tried I don't know how many times to get a good shot on the moon. I would pick the best night, no clouds, not to hot and not to cold. I would set up the tripod and get ready. Never would get a really shot. It would also be slightly out of focus or blurry. One night i had been out shooting all afternoon and was just getting home. It was dark and the moon was beautiful So I just threw up the camera and shot. I didn't even bother to see how I had it set. I went in and uploaded all the shots from the day onto the computer and started checked the day's shots. The moon was at the end. IT WAS PERFECT!! Grabbed the camera and checked everything.
Single Point Focus
Spot Meter
Program
ISO 400 I think
Minimum shutter speed 1/250 sec

That all makes sense now that I think about it. Everything was just on the moon with no regards to the dark sky. Just the bright moon.

I have tried it a number of times since and it always works for me. The only shot that has been better was when I set it on Continuous fire and got like 5 shots back to back and then did focus stacking with them in PhotoShop. It was sharp as a tack that time.
 
Roy1961

Roy1961

Senior Member
Contributor
i also have better success with hand held!??? i thought the ISO was to be 100 as its basically shooting at the sun light?? i shot mine in Manual mode.

good first timers by the way
 
K

Kodiak

Senior Member
That's a tricky set of questions…

The strategies are many but here are some tips:

The moon is reflecting +/- 18-21 % of the sunlight. although this looks not much, it is
a lot more light than all that comes from the rest of the cosmos added all together!

My best moon shots (this does mean the ones I like but the ones that sold most often!)
• were systematically takes at dusk or dawn (where the moon may appear a lot bigger),
• quite low, where I may compose the moon with some land (mountains, waters, forests,
and the ever beautiful clouds/fog, etc),
• better full or first/last crescent,
• Aperture Priority,
• matrix metering,
• ƒ8-11,
• min. 1/30 s. (the faster the better) adjust ISO which is of lesser importance, lower is better,
• 200 to 800mm lens, (I shot mine between 500 and 800mm)
• focus at the horizon plus a tad or the moon minus a tad.

Granted, there will be some fiddling required depending on the conditions (and they are never
the same!) but don't wait until it's too dark… unless you want a pitch black sky!

Have a good time!
 
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S

STM

Senior Member
donaldjledet said:
Darn, just remembered is it also better to shoot it in shutter mode are aperture mode?
Click to expand...

Actually you do not need any automation at all to shoot the moon, in fact it is much better to shoot it in manual. The exposure for the moon is the same as that of the "bright sunny day" rule of thumb here on planet earth; 1/ASA @ f/16. For example, 1/100 @ f/16 at ISO 100.
 
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