Surely more than once you have raised your eyes, you have been surprised by the beauty of the night sky and you have wanted to capture it for the memory with a photograph, but then you look at it and the result is not what you expected. So that this does not happen again, we bring you a series of tips to photograph the moon in the best way.
Our satellite has fascinated humanity since its inception, so it is not surprising that even today it continues to be one of the main protagonists of photography enthusiasts and especially of those who practice night photography and astrophotography. You might be interested in the metal puzzle.
night photography
Night photography is one of the photographic modalities that offers the most spectacular results , since it allows us to portray scenes and objects that the human eye is not capable of visualizing; but at the same time, it can also become one of the most difficult disciplines to master , since nothing can be left to chance and a large number of parameters have to be controlled.
Tips for night photography
To make it much easier for you to get started in this amazing branch, we have compiled a series of tips for night photography that will be of great help and will allow you to obtain snapshots to be proud of in your first photo sessions :
- Use a sturdy tripod.
- Use a trigger or timer.
- Always shoot using manual focus.
- Use aperture priority manual or semi-automatic mode.
- Use the lowest ISO possible.
- Use the RAW format to be able to edit the photographs later.
- Take test photographs to adjust the parameters.
- Use the technique of bracketing or exposure bracketing.
- Play with the shutter speed to obtain static or moving scenes.
- Experiment with Bulb mode.
How to photograph the moon?
And there is no better way than to practice night photography than by photographing our satellite, since this is the closest object to the earth and the one that offers us some very interesting and varied scenes. But how to photograph the moon to achieve spectacular images? Know more about metal puzzle solutions.
First of all, clarify that you can also photograph the moon during the day , but to obtain good results it is best at night , which is why we recommend it as the protagonist of our night photography sessions.
After this we will see how to photograph the moon step by step and what aspects we must take into account.
Preparations for photographing the moon
If you want to get a good picture of this satellite it is important to know when to photograph the moon . And we are not referring to whether it is day or night, there are many other factors that influence when taking a good photograph. As we have already mentioned, in night photography nothing is random.
Knowing the lunar phases will be of great help to us when deciding when to go to take the photographs and where. Depending on the result we want to obtain, we will have to carry out the session on one date or another.
It is also important to take into account the weather forecast, in this way we will avoid unpleasant surprises. There is nothing worse than planning a photo shoot and being surprised by the rain or finding yourself with a sky completely covered by clouds.
Similarly, the environment where the session is going to take place also plays a very important role. It will not be the same to photograph the moon in the city, where there is a lot of light pollution, than in an open space where the full depth of the night sky can be captured. The choice of one location or another will depend on the result we want to obtain and the degree of prominence we want the moon to have.
equipment to photograph the moon
All of the above is useless if we do not have the right equipment to photograph the moon. How many times have we taken a photograph of the sky with a compact camera or mobile phone and the result we have obtained is a dark image with a small dot? Check out the mini puzzle.
So that this does not happen again, let’s go to what is the best equipment to photograph the moon :
- Camera. The best cameras to photograph the moon are SLRs or DSLRs, although bridge or mirrorless cameras can also be a great option. At Cash Converters we have a wide variety of second-hand digital photography, so you can choose the equipment that best suits your needs.
- Tripod. This tool is essential for night photography, since when using longer exposures any movement can be captured in the image. If you still don’t have one, in our stores you can find a second-hand camera tripod at the best price.
- Goal. The choice of objective will determine the final result of the photograph. Ideally, to make the moon appear larger, use a telephoto lens with a focal length of at least 200mm. We know that these can be quite expensive, so we recommend opting for second-hand photographic lenses like the ones we have at Cash Converters, which, in addition to being at a great price, come with a two-year warranty.
- Trigger. If you have ever wondered how to photograph the moon without blurring the image, the remote shutter release or control is the answer. Although it is not an essential element, it does make a difference when it comes to obtaining a professional image or an amateur one, since it avoids the vibrations caused by pressing the shutter. You can always choose to use the timer, but in our catalog you will find a lot of remote controls for second-hand cameras for a very low price.
Parameters for photographing the moon
Once we have decided the phase of the moon that we want to photograph, know the weather, have selected the perfect location and have all the equipment, it is time to adjust the parameters of the camera :
- ISO. To prevent the photo from having noise, the ideal is to try to shoot with the lowest ISO that the camera allows, although sometimes due to sky conditions or the type of lens it will be necessary to increase it slightly.
- Opening. The best way to photograph the moon is to use a medium aperture. Although each lens has a different diaphragm opening, the ideal is to shoot with parameters that oscillate between f/8 and f/11.
- Shutter. Although it may not seem like it, the moon moves, and it does so at a fairly fast speed. Therefore, it is very important to play with the shutter speed to achieve bright and sharp images. A good starting point can be a speed that oscillates between 1/60 and 1/125, and adjust depending on the rest of the parameters and the result that we want to obtain.
An example of a camera setting to photograph the moon could be: ISO 100, aperture f11 and shutter 1/125.
Composition to photograph the moon
The moon, as we have already mentioned, is an excellent protagonist for our night photographs. And it is very normal that at first you only want to take snapshots in which no other object appears.
However, over time, when you have completely mastered how to photograph the moon, you will see that this satellite can give much more play than it appears at first and that depending on where it is located in the frame it can transmit a thing or other.
How to take photos of the moon with the mobile?
In order to never miss the opportunity to capture incredible images, it is important to know how to take photos of the moon with your mobile, since we will not always have the camera with us.
And although a few years ago this could have been an impossible task, today thanks to the advancement of technology it is possible to obtain very decent photographs of the moon with a smartphone .
The vast majority of latest generation mobiles already have a night mode and also a manual mode, which will allow us to be able to control all the parameters as we would in a camera. Always avoid HDR mode, to achieve greater control and performance of the mobile camera.
Before shooting, check that the flash is deactivated , otherwise the flash of light will interfere with the image and we will obtain a completely black photograph.
In addition, many of them also have a built-in telephoto lens , with which we can get much closer to the moon. If your phone doesn’t have a telephoto lens, don’t worry, as there are accessories that can be adapted to any smartphone model.
The same thing happens with tripods, which we can also find on the market in a wide variety specifically for smartphones. As with the cameras, these will be very useful for us to achieve greater stability in our photographs of the moon.
Finally, avoid using the mobile’s digital zoom, although it may be tempting to take a picture with the moon larger, as this will cause your image to be less sharp due to noise.
With all these tips you are ready to go out and photograph the moon, both with a camera and with your smartphone!