How to Photograph the Moon

"Learning how to photograph the moon can also brighten your career! Here's how!"

It can be a tricky experience to photograph moon, but you can do that with little help! Remember, there are various aspects involved in taking a photograph of the moon. It is not very simple to get a picture of the moon. You need to adjust the light and the exposure settings of your digital camera.

Also the shot is obviously going to be taken in the night and so you need to ensure that the night time shot is as effective as a day time photograph is. Since all these aspects are involved in moon photography, it is quite a task for a beginner to take an impressive picture of the moon.

Equipment Required to Photograph the Moon

The equipment should be the first concentration for the people and you should have some of the basic equipments. These include a good quality camera, a tripod, and also a strategic location.

The camera should be of good quality because the adjustments of the shutter speed and the exposure are very important while learning how to photograph the moon, else the picture of the moon may look blurred.

The tripod is also important in as it gives the required support to the camera, and the picture thus taken comes out a lot better than the one taken without it. Your location is also important, else you may not be able to capture the beauty and splendor of the moon through your digital camera.

There are few more tricks and tips involved while you are learning how to photograph the moon:

1. The exposure: The moon is an object that shines with the help of the sunlight. This should be taken into consideration when you are photographing the moon. If the exposure is on the higher side, then the image may look blurred. Similarly, if the exposure is not adequate, the image will surely look messed up.

   The best thing would be to use the manual controls. So set the camera to manual control first. Expert photographers recommend using longer exposure as opposed to autoexposure. If the moon is at its brightest phase, you can use an f/16 aperture and set the shutter speed to ISO 100.

   It makes sense to experiment with different aperture settings and go up to f/11 in case you want to underexpose your image. You must avoid using long exposures as moon's position changes rapidly in the sky. In addition, you should use the right type of tripod that can follow the movement of the moon.

2. Taking trial pictures: With the digital cameras ruling the world of photography, it has become easier for people to photograph the moon with minimal cost. A person does not need to click a picture and then develop the picture to learn if the photo of the moon is perfect.

   Click pictures of the moon with various adjustments and also at various zoom levels and check if the picture is perfect. This will help the young budding photographer to learn the best method of how to photograph the moon. Different photographs of the moon at various shutter speeds will help you to take the best pictures.

3. Capture various phases of the moon: There are different phases of the moon that need to be considered by the photographer while taking a picture of the moon. The full moon will be best shot by setting the shutter speed to about 1/250 second at ISO100. At the same time, the half moon can be best shot if you set the zoom at 300 mm level.

4. Patience: The photographer should have a lot of patience while taking a picture of the moon. The moon can be hidden partially or fully by clouds that are passing through the sky and this should not make the photographer nervous or impatient. Remember, patience is one of the most important qualities that you need to learn.

   There are situations where things may go beyond the photographer's control and spoil the photograph. In fact, clicking a picture of the moon helps you learn the art of being patience.

These are the various aspects that are involved in learning how to photograph the moon.

The satisfaction and the happiness of creating something tangible that can be stored is simply fabulous. As people try to learn various tricks and the intricate details involved in photography, one of the most basic things that every photographer should learn is how to photograph the moon.

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