A few things I've learned from taking moon shots. Some may argue these points but they work for me. Super-fast shutter speeds and/or high ISOs aren't always necessary for a good moon shot.
The shot below (cropped) was taken at 300mm, 1/60 sec at f/8, ISO 100.
1) Shoot at dusk. A bit of ambient light in the sky makes the moon easier to expose at low ISOs. You can adjust white balance and increase blacks in PP to create a black sky. I did this in the shot below.
2) Shoot when the moon is low in the sky. The radial velocity to our line-of-sight is lower than when the moon is directly overhead (i.e. the moon appears to move slower) making it easier to expose at lower shutter speeds.
3) Always use a sturdy tripod and remote shutter to eliminate shake. Hand holding will NOT cut it.
4) Expose by metering directly on the moon and then stopping down at least 2 full stops.
5) We tend to think a full moon is the ideal time to shoot. Actually a partial phase (such as below) can be much more effective. The "limb" (i.e. line between dark and light) helps to accentuates details in the area it crosses.
The shot below (cropped) was taken at 300mm, 1/60 sec at f/8, ISO 100.
1) Shoot at dusk. A bit of ambient light in the sky makes the moon easier to expose at low ISOs. You can adjust white balance and increase blacks in PP to create a black sky. I did this in the shot below.
2) Shoot when the moon is low in the sky. The radial velocity to our line-of-sight is lower than when the moon is directly overhead (i.e. the moon appears to move slower) making it easier to expose at lower shutter speeds.
3) Always use a sturdy tripod and remote shutter to eliminate shake. Hand holding will NOT cut it.
4) Expose by metering directly on the moon and then stopping down at least 2 full stops.
5) We tend to think a full moon is the ideal time to shoot. Actually a partial phase (such as below) can be much more effective. The "limb" (i.e. line between dark and light) helps to accentuates details in the area it crosses.
Last edited: