How to remove a crescent moon. How to Photograph the Moon: An easy way to capture moon shots full of detail. What a photographer needs to know about the moon

The moon can be large and bright in the night sky, but when shooting and when viewing a photo, 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 take a good picture of the moon if you know some subtleties. The main thing in this kind of shooting is to set up the camera correctly.

One of the first rules in photographing the moon is to use a telescopic lens. In this example, a Sigma 50-500mm telephoto lens was used. If there is no such model in your collection, then you can rent such optics in a photographic equipment store, or from a photographer you know.

You will also need a tripod while shooting. A tripod can help prevent camera shake and blur in Moon photos. Also, do not forget to check the weather forecast in advance - you can take pictures of the moon only in clear, cloudless weather. In addition, find information about the phases of the moon, find out when the moon is rising and what time it will be brightest.

If you live in big city where city light can interfere with shooting is not the best the best place for photographing celestial objects. Try to go on a moon photography in the countryside, where the air will be fresh and the lanterns will not interfere with you.

For photography, it is best to set up your camera to shoot in RAW format in order to get the brightest and clearest images. The quality of such photos will help you edit images without losing sharpness. When processing RAW images, the Moon will retain its texture, detail and sharpness.

These guidelines should be enough for you to take a photo of a beautiful moon. A little later, in our tutorial, we will tell you how to insert the resulting Earth satellite into any image using Photoshop, thereby creating magnificent landscape photography... Photographing a night cityscape along with the moon is a challenge, so the most reasonable and in a simple way will 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 in at the moment. For full information on the position of the moon, visit Moonconnection.com. With all the information you need, you can schedule your shoot in advance by choosing a full moon night. A completely full moon will look the most attractive in the frame.

Choose Lens

A telescopic lens is essential when photographing the lunar surface. The lens used in this case, a 50-500mm from Sigma, is ideal. A tripod will keep the camera in place, and a remote shutter release will allow you to take a clear, 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 your camera settings, there are two key factors that will help you do high-quality snapshot... Since the moon is bright during a full moon, you can use a low ISO setting, and the brightness of the subject and getting closer to the subject allows you to shoot at relatively fast shutter speeds. The following values were used in the example: shutter speed 1/200 sec., Aperture f / 10, and sensitivity ISO200.

Use Live View

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

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

If you missed the full moon, that's okay. You still have the opportunity to take a great photo of the crescent moon. A young month, or crescent moon, can look great in photographs.

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

With the help of the graphic editor Photoshop, you can add a snapshot of the moon to any other image.

Beginning of work

Start Photoshop. Open the desired image of the Moon and the image that you want to complement the frame of the moon. It is important that there is a large area of dark sky in this photo.

Carve out the moon

With the moon photo selected, use the lasso tool. Use the lasso to outline the outline of 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 to shoot. There is such a concept - 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 is 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 shoot from an open window, and it's cool enough outside, the shot may not work. Upstreams air will greatly reduce sharpness, so it's still better to go outside.

Setting up your camera for photographing the moon:

The shooting technique is quite simple. We set up the camera on a tripod. Since the resolution of the lenses towards the center is better than at the edges, we place the moon in the center of the frame. Turn on the spot exposure size for the Moon itself.

Heavenly objects are best shot in RAW format, the white balance can later be set in the converter. You need to be more careful with shutter speed, the moon moves quickly enough across the sky. To keep it from being too short, you need to set the ISO around 400 and the aperture around F8. And the camera will select the shutter speed itself.

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

When shooting with a large zoom and long focal length, the image resolution may not turn out too high. Do not be discouraged if the quality of the picture is not suitable for printing, it may well be suitable for publishing on a blog on the Internet or for printing in a magazine. Shooting the moon will give you invaluable experience in shooting different objects from a tripod in low light. The specifics of shooting objects 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 always attracted the attention of people. 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 uncover their simple soap boxes (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 learning to photograph the moon.

When is the best time to photograph the moon

It's no secret that the moon can be seen even during the day. Sometimes a narrow crescent suddenly appears on a clear cloudless sky, sometimes a little more. But we will never see the full moon during the day. 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 a night, or at least an evening. Taking pictures of the moon during the day is not very interesting. It is faded, dull and expressionless.

The moon is easiest to photograph on a dark night. It is bright, clear. Since the sky around her is almost black, you don't have to worry about how to somehow convey its color.

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

If at heart you are more of a photographer than a gardener, then you immediately wash your hands of the oily black soil, grab your camera and rush to the village to shoot this magical landscape against the backdrop of a forest, river or something else, quite beautiful.

Indeed, if you know how to properly photograph such landscapes, they turn out to be simply excellent.

My brother famous photographer Artem Kashkanov shows
how to properly photograph the moon

How to photograph lunar landscapes correctly

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

The point is that the moon in the evening sky is a fairly bright object. If you tune your camera so that the evening landscape itself turns out well, then instead of such a bright and beautiful moon, you just get a white spot in the photo. If you shorten the shutter speed, the Moon itself will turn out very well, but the landscape will be very dark, barely distinguishable.

Moreover, if a photographer sees in front of him a real landscape with a large and beautiful Moon, which he just wants to photograph without stopping, then in the photograph it usually turns out to be just a bright small 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 lunar landscape can be obtained even using a camera mobile phone... At some stage in the development of technology, this will probably be possible, but now we need something more serious.

It is better to use a film camera with a telephoto lens for taking pictures of the moon. Why film? Everything is very simple. The dynamic range of photographic film is noticeably wider than the analogous parameter even of professional digital cameras. This way to get beautiful photo Moon against the background of the evening landscape, get out your old "Zenith", stomp into the store for a photographic film (sensitivity no more than ISO 100) and get a telephoto lens somewhere. Naturally, all this had to be done in advance, and not rush around the evening city in search of an open photo shop where they sell film.

However, it is quite possible to shoot the Moon with a digital SLR if you know how.

Below are some 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 light, I had to make it darker due to a faster 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 noise the matrix, the better the photo. In order to make a city, the shutter speed is increased. The result is obvious - the drawing 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 gets 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 bearable 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. Notice that as you get closer to the horizon, the outlines of details on the surface of the Moon become more blurred and the edges more jagged. This is due to the effect of "jitter" in 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 larger the Moon appears. 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, the sky and the earth are slightly "cropped".

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, but had casually thrown my glance in that direction, I would have been quite surprised and would have wondered for a long time what kind of dome appeared on the horizon. After all, the details on the surface of the moon are now completely indistinguishable.

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

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

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

If I had noticed this situation earlier, when the sun has not yet completely set, the picture would have been even more interesting. Theoretically, nothing is impossible and for you to make such a photo. You just need to properly calculate the date when such a combination will be possible, guess so 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, get some 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 long focus lens and a tripod. The most important thing is not to miss the moment of the beginning of the eclipse. Unlike a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse is a long process and, accordingly, it begins very smoothly.

Then it is worth filming all the 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 slightly lengthen the shutter speed:

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

Then, in 2004, it seemed to me that this photograph was quite clear and of high quality. However, I no longer think so.

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

The moon is so large that it can be easily captured with a conventional telephoto lens, and is also bright enough to use shutter speeds fast enough to avoid the need for a tracking mount.

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

Knowing how to photograph the moon starts with getting a long zoom lens so you are close enough to capture 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.

Don't worry if you don't have a DSLR or mirrorless camera, as various bridge cameras also offer huge zoom lenses.

A tripod is also necessary to avoid camera shake when taking pictures of the moon. Also check the weather forecast in advance, as of course you need a clear and cloudless sky to photograph the moon.

Rent a lens

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

Pollution in big cities can sometimes interfere with a clear and clear picture, so consider going somewhere clearer to photograph the moon.

Look online for charts showing moonrise times, and if possible, wait as late into the night as possible for the sky to be completely dark and the moon bright and clear against a black background.

We pulled our gear out to the backyard half an hour before midnight so everything was ready for our shoot at the top of the page.

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

In addition to being beautiful in and of itself, a large, bright moon shot can be helpful. After you follow our steps and get a crisp image, we'll walk you through how to add your moonlight masterpiece to night landscapes in Photoshop.

While creating a well-lit night landscape that also includes a well-defined moon is challenging, it's very easy to add a moon in Photoshop and we'll show you how to create a dramatic composition in five easy steps.

Step by step: how to photograph the moon

Image 1 of 4

Image Credit: Moon Connection

1. Find out the phase and choose the correct date

Start by figuring out when and where the moon will be visible in the night sky, as well as how much sun will illuminate it (an area known as phase). On many meteorological websites, such as the Moon Connection, you can easily find a lot of information about the times and positions of the moon's rising and falling, as well as its phases, or use an app like The Photographer's Ephemeris. A perfectly full moon like the one we're filming has the most visual impact.

Image 2 of 4

Image Credit: Digital Camera World

2. Zoom in

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

Image 3 of 4

Image Credit: Digital Camera World

3. Tune in

Switch the camera to manual and the lens to manual focus. Your exact exposure will vary depending on conditions, but in manual exposure mode, start at ISO800, a shutter speed of 1/250 sec, and an aperture of f / 5.6. Adjust the ISO or aperture to see details on the surface clearly. Avoid using a slower shutter speed when adjusting settings. 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 evaluating focus can be a problem. The best way Focus - use Live View, then zoom in and carefully manually focus on the surface of the moon.

Make the moon bigger

Image Credit: Thomas Quinto on Unsplash

When deciding when to shoot the Moon, it's also worth remembering that it is not always the same distance from Earth. Its orbit is elliptical, so this distance varies at different times. When the full moon is closer than 220,000 miles (360,000 km) from Earth, it is called a super moon. There isn't much difference in size and brightness between super and micromoon, but even a small change can change your shots. To receive detailed information about the moon, try the Moonrise and Moonset calculator.

Missed the full moon?

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

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

Beware of condensation

Image Credit: Kym on Unsplash

As temperatures drop at night, you often find that any moisture in the air will condense on any of your outdoor gear.

On a tripod, in a bag, or even off-camera, this can be frustrating, but not disastrous. When it forms on the lens, viewfinder, and rear screen, it becomes a real problem.

You can minimize the chances of condensation forming by giving your device some time to acclimatize gradually, rather than taking it straight out of a warm car or home into the cold air, but you will find condensation forming on many evenings anyway, so bring a lot with you. clothes and cleaning kit.

Probably everyone who is fond of photography has tried to capture the moon. Not everyone succeeds in doing this the first time. Most often, you get a blurry picture or a bright point on a black background. There are a few simple rules that will help you get a good shot of the moon.

If you are wondering how to photograph the moon, you can be sure that this does not require expensive equipment and professional skills. All you need is a camera with 10x optical zoom and the ability to adjust shutter speed and aperture. You can even 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 tends to shine very brightly, and with these settings only a bright spot will appear in the picture. Photographing the moon is like photographing a light bulb in a dark room. The camera's exposure metering makes a mistake in such shooting conditions and it must be compensated for at least one stop in the negative. This will capture some of the details. To take a good shot of the moon, you need to close the aperture.

Excerpt

Shutter speed is too slow in night mode. As already mentioned, using it will not give the desired result. In addition, the camera cannot be held stationary when shooting with hands, and vibration will cause blur. A good shot will be obtained using a fast shutter speed. It should not exceed 1/350 of a second.

When to shoot?

There is a misconception that the moon should be photographed at night. The most spectacular shots are taken at dusk or dawn, when the sky is lightly illuminated by the sun over the horizon. Each month there are days when the moon is clearly visible in the sky even before dark.

The largest size of the moon occurs immediately after its rising. This is due to the peculiarities of the atmosphere. The first half hour after the moon appears in the sky is the ideal time to get crisp, detailed images.

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