How to remove a crescent moon. How to take a picture of the moon: An easy way to take moon pictures full of detail. What the photographer needs to know about the moon

The moon can be large and bright in the night sky, but, during shooting and when viewing a photograph, it seems completely faded, small and completely invisible. As a result, instead of a large and beautiful moon, we get only a faded white speck on a black background.

Fortunately, you can qualitatively photograph the moon, if you know some subtleties. The main thing in this shooting is to properly configure the camera.

One of the first rules in photographing the moon is the use of a telescopic lens. In this example, a Sigma 50-500mm telephoto lens was used. If such a model is not in your collection, then you can rent such optics at a photographic equipment store, or from a friend's photographer.

A tripod will also be needed during shooting. A tripod will help to avoid camera shake and blur in the photographs of the moon. Also, do not forget to check the weather forecast in advance - you can photograph the moon only in clear, cloudless weather. In addition, find information about the phases of the moon, find out when the moon rises, and what time will be the brightest.

If you live in big citywhere the light of the city can interfere with the shooting is not the best best place for photographing celestial objects. Try to go on a photograph of the moon of the country, where the air will be fresh, and the lights will not become an obstacle for you.

For taking pictures, it is best to set your camera to shoot in RAW format in order to get the most vivid and clear images. The quality of these photos will help you edit the pictures without loss of sharpness. When processing RAW images, the Moon will retain its texture, details and remain sharp.

These recommendations should be enough for you to take a photo of the beautiful moon. A little later, in our lesson we will tell you how to insert the resulting Earth satellite into any image using Photoshop, thereby creating magnificent landscape photos. Taking a photo of the night city landscape together with the moon is a difficult task, so the most reasonable and easiest way is to add the moon using a graphical editor.

Find out the phase of the moon

Check the lunar calendar and find out what phase the moon is currently at. For full moon position information, visit Moonconnection.com. Having all the necessary information, you can plan the shooting in advance by choosing the night when the full moon will be. A completely full moon will look most attractive in the frame.

Choose a Lens

A telescopic lens is important when shooting the surface of the moon. The lens used in this case - 50-500mm from Sigma is an ideal option. A tripod allows you to hold the camera in place, and a remote shutter release allows you to make a clear, not blurry shot. It will not be superfluous to set a timer.

Take a picture

Switch the camera to manual mode, and use manual focus on the lens. When choosing camera settings, there are two key factors that will help you take a high-quality picture. Since the moon is bright at the full moon, you can use a low ISO value, as well as the brightness of the subject and a large approximation to the subject allows you to shoot at relatively short shutter speeds. The following values \u200b\u200bwere used in the example: shutter speed 1/200 sec., F / 10 aperture and ISO200 sensitivity.

Use Live View

In the dark, focusing through the viewfinder will not be easy, so feel free to turn on Live View and work through the LCD display.

If the moon is bright orange in your photos, then switch the white balance with auto mode on tungsten lighting, or cloudy.

If you missed the full moon, it's not scary. You still have the opportunity to take a beautiful photograph of the crescent. A young month, or a crescent, can look great in photographs.

How to photograph the moon and add it to other night photos

Using the Photoshop graphics editor, you can add a picture of the moon to any other image.

Beginning of work

Launch Photoshop. Open the necessary picture of the moon and the image that you want to complement the frame of the moon. It is important that there is a large expanse of dark sky in this photograph.

Cut the moon

After choosing a photo of the moon, use the lasso tool. Use the lasso to circle the moon. Press Ctrl + C to copy and cut the earth satellite.

Night is not the best time for photography. But even at night you can find an interesting subject for shooting. There is such a thing - astrophotography, which means shooting celestial objects. A good option for, it's the moon.

So, we need: a camera (preferably a mirror, with interchangeable lenses), a clear starry sky, a lens with the maximum possible focusing distance, a very rigidly fixed tripod, and of course the subject itself :-)
It's better to shoot the moon in the late evening, but not at night. If you can catch the time when the sky is still blue, then the frame will turn out with a saturated blue color of the sky. If you are shooting from an open window and the street is cool enough, the frame may not work. Upstream air will sharply reduce sharpness, so it’s better to go outside.

Setting up the camera for photographing the moon:

The shooting technique is quite simple. We mount the camera on a tripod. Since the resolution of the lenses towards the center is better than along the edges, we place the moon in the center of the frame. We include the point size of the exposure on the moon itself.

It is better to shoot celestial objects in RAW format, later you can set the white balance in the converter. With exposure, you need to be careful, the moon moves quickly enough across the sky. So that it is not too short, you need to set the ISO at around 400 units and an aperture of about F8. And the camera will pick the shutter speed itself.

There is such a problem: when shooting objects with a large focal length, any even the slightest vibration on the camera will very noticeably affect the resulting frame. Therefore, it is recommended in such cases to use the trigger cable or remote control remote control. If the camera does not assume such functions, then you can simply use the shutter release delay. The stabilizer when shooting the moon, if the camera is on a tripod, it is better to turn off, because it can only do much harm.

When shooting with a large zoom and a large focal length, the resolution of the picture may not be too high. Do not be upset if the quality of the picture is unsuitable for printing, it may well be suitable for publication on a blog on the Internet or for printing in a magazine. Shooting the moon will allow you to gain invaluable experience shooting with a tripod of different objects in low light. The specifics of shooting objects located on the ground in low light conditions are exactly the same.

Well, now I bring to your attention ideas for a photo shoot with the moon - moon tricks :)

moon tricks

moon tricks

moon tricks

Moon always attracted people's attention. The mysterious distant planet has always been surrounded by clouds of myths, rumors and secrets. Sometimes lunar landscapes are so beautiful and expressive that even novice photographers uncovered their simple soap dishes (or mobile phones) in the hope of capturing this miracle. Unfortunately, the results of such spontaneous filming are often more than depressing. In this article we learn to photograph the moon.

When is it better to photograph the moon

It's no secret that the moon can be seen even during the day. Sometimes a narrow sickle suddenly appears in a clear cloudless sky, sometimes a little more. But never in the afternoon we will not see the full moon. why?

Everything is very simple. To see the full moon, we must have the sun on the opposite side, that is, beyond the horizon. Therefore, we must have night or at least evening. Photographing the moon during the day is not very interesting. She's faded, dull and expressionless.

On a dark night, the easiest way to photograph the moon. She is bright, clear. Since the sky around it is almost black, you don’t have to worry about somehow conveying its color.

The most intereny, but at the same time difficult to perform, are shooting the moon at sunrise or sunset at dusk. Usually, these are the most picturesque paintings. Imagine a quiet summer evening, all the work in the garden is already finished, you look up from the garden and suddenly you see a large full moon above the horizon, bright and yellow, like a polished copper coin.

If you are more a photographer in your soul than a gardener, then you immediately wash your hands off the greasy chernozem, grab your camera and rush behind the village to take this magical landscape against a forest, a river or something else quite beautiful.

Indeed, if you know how to photograph such landscapes correctly, they are simply excellent.


My brother, the famous photographer Artyom Kashkanov, shows
how to photograph the moon

How to photograph lunar landscapes

When shooting at dusk, all novice photographers have the same problem. I'm not talking about the fact that some people shoot such landscapes in auto mode with a flash :)

We are talking about the fact that the moon in the evening sky is a fairly bright object. If you set up your camera so that the evening landscape will turn out well, then instead of such a bright and beautiful moon, the photograph turns out to be just a white spot. If you shorten the shutter speed, then the moon itself will turn out very well, but the landscape will be very dark, barely distinguishable.

Moreover, if a photographer sees a real landscape in front of him with a large and beautiful Moon, which one wants to photograph without stopping, then in a photograph it usually turns out to be just a bright little dot.

What to do?

What is the best way to photograph the moon?

Alas, I would be the last villain if I said that a beautiful moon landscape can be obtained even using the camera mobile phone. At some stage in the development of technology, this will probably be possible, but now we need something more serious.

For shooting the moon, it is better to use a film camera with a telephoto lens. Why film? Everything is very simple. The dynamic range of the film is much wider than the same parameter, even for professional digital engineers. Thus, in order to get a beautiful photo of the Moon against the background of the evening landscape, get your old Zenith, stomp into the store for photographic film (sensitivity no more than ISO 100) and get somewhere a telephoto lens. Naturally, all this had to be done in advance, and not rush around the evening city in search of an open photo store where they sell film.

However, the moon can also be removed with a digital SLR, if you know how.

Next, I bring a few photographs that I took from the balcony of my own apartment. Using these photos as an example, you can understand what parameters should be set when shooting lunar landscapes. Photos are given without any computer processing.

Photo 1. Time 7:59. ISO 320, shutter speed 1/50, aperture 5.6, focal length 400 mm.


Despite the fact that the sky was already bright, I had to make it darker due to a shorter shutter speed. Otherwise, instead of the moon, a bright spot would turn out.

Photo 2. Time 8:09. ISO 100, shutter speed 1/30, aperture 4.5, focal length 100 mm.

I hope you remember the rule: the lower the sensitivity, the less the matrix noise, the better the photo. In order to make the city, the shutter speed is increased. The result is obvious - the picture on the moon is not readable.

Photo 3. Time 8:27. ISO 100, shutter speed 1/100, aperture 4.5, focal length 100 mm.

As the sky becomes brighter and brighter, it becomes possible to convey not only the image on the surface of the moon, but also the landscape below it. If you slightly modify the “ground” in Photoshop, you get a pretty good picture.

Photo 4. Time 8:28. ISO 100, shutter speed 1/100, aperture 5.6, focal length 400 mm.

This picture was taken almost immediately after the previous one. The only thing that has been changed from the settings is focal length and, accordingly, the diaphragm. Please note that as you approach the horizon, the outlines of parts on the surface of the moon become more blurry and the edges more torn. This is due to the effect of "trembling" of the atmosphere.

Photo 5. Time 8:40. ISO 100, shutter speed 1/160, aperture 5.6, focal length 400 mm.

The closer to the horizon, the moon seems larger. However, the less clear it turns out. We look at the Moon through a thick layer of air, which, unfortunately, is not as transparent as we would like. In this and the next photo, heaven and earth are “cropped” a little.

Photo 6. Time 8:44. ISO 100, shutter speed 1/160, aperture 5.6, focal length 400 mm.

And in conclusion, here is such a fantastic picture. If I had not seen the whole process, and accidentally cast my eyes in that direction, I would have been quite surprised and wondered for a long time what kind of dome appeared on the horizon. After all, the details on the surface of the moon can now not be distinguished at all.

Than closer moon to the horizon, the more rapidly its "fall" becomes. This is the moment when the photographer must be very attentive and shoot the most interesting moments. For example, the passage of the moon behind a pillar, etc.

The sun and moon in the frame at the same time!

This photo was taken with a regular, and not at all professional Canon EOS 300D digital SLR with the simplest whale lens. However, let's forget for a second about the technical shortcomings of the survey and be surprised: both the Sun and the Moon are present in the frame:

If I had noticed this situation earlier, when the sun had not yet completely set, the picture would have been even more interesting. Theoretically - there is nothing impossible for you to take such a photo. It is only necessary to properly calculate the date when such a combination will be possible, guess that the weather is good and - go ahead.

How to photograph a lunar eclipse

If you become aware that a private will take place soon, or even better, total eclipse of the moon, this is a great reason to spend a night in nature, breathe fresh air and, at the same time, do great shots. Photographing the moon during an eclipse also has a number of secrets and features.

Of course, you understand that you need to arm yourself with a telephoto lens and tripod. Most importantly, do not miss the moment the eclipse begins. Unlike the solar one, a lunar eclipse is a long process and, accordingly, it begins very smoothly.

Then it is worth removing all phases of the eclipse, including the moment when one narrow sickle remains from the moon.

By the way, even during a total lunar eclipse, you can still see the dark part of the moon. It is visible due to sunlight passing through the earth's atmosphere and partially scattered by it. Your camera will see this especially well if you extend the shutter speed a bit:

Here it is worth paying attention to the fact that the use of high-quality optics and matrices can significantly affect the result. For example, take a look at this photo:

Then, in 2004, it seemed to me that this photo is quite clear and high quality. However, now I don’t think so.

Being the brightest and largest object in the night sky, the Moon is an excellent object for use as an introduction to astrophotography.

The moon is so large that it can be easily removed using a conventional telephoto lens, and it is bright enough to use the shutter speed fast enough to avoid having to use a tracking mount.

But even though the moon is relatively easy to photograph in the night sky, you still need to use the right methods and careful planning to get good shot.

Knowing how to photograph the moon begins with getting a long zoom lens so that you are close enough to capture the details. A 70-300mm telephoto lens is a great starting point, but if you really want to fill the frame with the moon, you might need a super telephoto lens.

Do not worry if you do not have a SLR or mirrorless camera, as various bridge cameras also offer huge zoom lenses.

A tripod also needs to avoid camera shake when shooting the moon. Also check the weather forecast in advance, because, of course, for photographing the moon you will need a clear and cloudless sky.

Rent a lens

Unlucky to have a hefty zoom lens in your collection? You can easily rent beautiful pieces of glass such as Calumet or Lenses For Hire.

Pollution in big cities can sometimes interfere with a crisp and clear shot, so consider traveling somewhere where the air is cleaner to take a picture of the moon.

Look on the Internet for graphs showing the time of moonrise, and if possible, wait until late at night as much as possible so that the sky is completely dark and the moon is bright and clear against a black background.

We pulled our equipment into the backyard half an hour before midnight so that everything was ready for our shooting at the top of the page.

When you're ready to go, make sure your camera is set up so that you shoot in raw format. This will give you the image quality you need in order to be able to crop your final image to get closer to the moon, as well as edit exposure, contrast and sharpness to more clearly display details on the surface of the moon.

Besides being beautiful in and of itself, a large, bright moon shot can be useful. After you follow our steps and get a clear image, we will tell you how to add your moon masterpiece to night landscapes in Photoshop.

Although creating a well-lit night landscape, which also includes a well-defined moon, is a daunting task, it’s very easy to add the moon to Photoshop and we will show you how to create a dramatic composition in five simple steps.

Step by step: how to photograph the moon

Image 1 of 4

Image Credit: Moon Connection

1. Find out the phase and select the correct date

Start by figuring out when and where the moon will be visible in the night sky, and how much it will be lit by the sun (an area known as phase). On many meteorological websites, such as Moon Connection, you can easily find a lot of information about the time and position of the moon's rise and fall, as well as its phases, or use an application such as Photographer's Ephemeris. A completely full moon, like the one we are shooting, has the greatest visual impact.

Image 2 of 4

Image Credit: Digital Camera World

2. Zoom in

Once you have decided on the right time to shoot the moon, the technique is pretty simple. You will need a lens of 300 mm or more to get a reasonable size in the frame. A tripod will keep your camera stationary, and remote shutter release will further reduce jitter - if you don’t have one, set the camera self-timer for a few seconds in the setup menu.

Image 3 of 4

Image Credit: Digital Camera World

3. Tune in

Switch the camera to manual mode and the lens to manual focus. Your exact exposure will vary depending on conditions, but in manual exposure mode, start at ISO800, shutter speed 1/250 s and aperture f / 5.6. Adjust ISO or aperture to see details clearly on the surface. Avoid using slower shutter speeds when setting options. This will blur the moon. These hidden dangers are easy to forget.

Image 4 of 4

Image Credit: Digital Camera World

4. Focus

The moon will not fill the frame, so focus estimation can be a problem. The best way focus - use the Live View mode, then zoom in and carefully manually focus on the surface of the moon.

Make the moon bigger

Image Credit: Thomas Quinto at Unsplash

When you decide when to shoot the moon, it is also worth remembering that it is not always at the same distance from the Earth. Its orbit is elliptical, therefore this distance varies at different times. When the full moon is closer than 220,000 miles (360,000 km) from Earth, this is called a super moon. The difference in size and brightness between the super and the micro moon is small, but even a small change can change your shots. For more information about the moon, try the Moonrise and Moonset calculators.

Missed the full moon?

You can still get a decent moon picture - the crescents take beautiful pictures, and three quarters of the moon show good detail of the crater.

You will need to indicate your location, which will allow you to find all kinds of useful information, such as sunrise and sunset times. On this site you can also find out about a much rarer event - the lunar eclipse. This can be a stunning sight, because during a total lunar eclipse, the moon can transform into a luminous red color. During this event, the moon is much less bright than when it is lit by the sun, so you need to use a higher ISO value or a wider aperture. But the results can be overwhelming.

Beware of condensation

Image Credit: Kym on Unsplash

As the temperature drops at night, you often find that any moisture in the air will condense on any of your equipment outdoors.

On a tripod, bag, or even outside the camera, this can be unpleasant, but not fatal. When it is formed on the lens, viewfinder and rear screen, this becomes a real problem.

You can minimize the chance of condensation by giving your device some time to gradually acclimatize, and don’t take it directly from a warm car or house into the cold air, but in many evenings you will find that condensation forms, so bring a lot of it clothes and a cleaning kit.

Probably everyone who enjoys photography has tried to capture the moon. Not everyone can do it the first time. Most often, a blurry picture or a bright dot on a black background is obtained. There are a few simple rules that can help you take a good picture of the moon.

If you are wondering how to photograph the moon, you can be sure that this will not require expensive equipment and professional skills. All that is needed is a camera with tenfold optical zoom and the ability to adjust shutter speed and aperture. You can do without a tripod.

Exposition

The most common mistake when photographing the moon is that many are deceived by the surrounding darkness. No need to set the night mode and take long exposures. The moon, as a rule, shines very brightly, and with these settings in the picture you get only a bright spot. Photographing the moon is like taking a light bulb in a dark room. The camera’s metering makes a mistake in such shooting conditions and it must be compensated by at least one step in the negative. This will capture some details. To take a good picture of the moon, the diaphragm needs to be covered.

Excerpt

In night mode, shutter speed is too slow. As already mentioned, its use will not give the desired result. In addition, the camera cannot be held still while taking it off hand, and vibration will blur. A good shot will be obtained when using a slow shutter speed. It should not exceed 1/350 of a second.

When to shoot?

There is a misconception that the moon needs to be photographed at night. The most spectacular shots are taken at sunset or at dawn, when the sky is slightly illuminated by the sun over the horizon. In each month there are days when the moon is clearly visible in the sky before dark.

The largest size of the moon happens immediately after its rise. This is due to the atmosphere. The first half hour after the moon appears in the sky - this is the ideal time to get clear, detailed pictures.

 

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