Aug 12
3
Easy Steps To Photograph The Full Moon
A well timed email came in this week asking about full moon photography. It really is very easy but there are a few key steps. Nice sharp shots of the moon are fascinating on their own and if you like to create compositions with digital processing programs like Photoshop Elements they add a great background for those with a creative bent. Try this:
Full Moon over Assateague Island, Va. Spot metering, f16, 1/180th. Gordon Campbell www.swfloutdoorphotography.com.
1- A tripod is a must for a steady composition and sharp exposure. Use a 2 second self timer or shutter release to take quality control a step further.
2- A DSLR is really necessary and your biggest zoom is best. Got a 300mm or larger? You’re in.
3- Lots of times the moon will tend to over expose if shot on Program mode because it’s so much brighter than the background. You’ve got to be familiar with shooting in Manual mode.
4- Get started like this: Minimize your ISO which some find counter intuitive. Then spot meter on the moon while choosing an aperture of f11 or so to establish depth of field and set your shutter speed accordingly. I prefer manual focus as your auto focus may struggle or even fail at night. You’re set.
5- Keep in mind that your best photos will occur when the moon rises just before dark giving you the largest most colorful target possible. Experiment a little ’til you get it right- good luck. Gordon.
Full moon composition. Royal Tern with moon selected and blurred for a proper back drop. Gordon Campbell www.swfloutdoorphotography.com.
Professional Photography from Ft. Meyers & Sanibel to Naples, Marco Island and the Everglades.
gordon@SWFLOutdoorPhotography.com
copyright 2012 Gordon Campbell www.swfloutdoorphotography.com.
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