Wednesday, September 3, 2014

How to Shoot the Moon

Moon - Waxing Gibbous, 68% Illuminated, Sept 3, 2014

NOTE:  Be sure to click for a larger view and make sure your device is set to its brightest setting.

To get a successful shot of the moon you first need stable atmospheric conditions.  Also, if shooting in extreme heat or cold you'll want to acclimate your lens to those conditions before shooting.

Next, mount your camera to a sturdy tripod and set it up on solid ground.  I was able to set mine up in the backyard next to our sidewalk so that I stood on the sidewalk with the tripod in the grass.  This way, the chance of me inducing any shake into the rig was minimized.

The settings I used were manual mode, 1/250 @ f/8, ISO 100, matrix metering, mirror up (MUP) with cable release.  The camera/lens combo were the Nikon D7000 and Nikon 300mm f/4 + TC-14EII making for an equivalent fov of 630mm when compared to full frame.

The only thing I did in Lightroom is add 0.3 exposure and +35 clarity.  All other settings were left alone.  I only shoot in raw mode.

Give it a try and let me know how it turns out for you.



4 comments:

  1. Wow how beautiful. It would make a great poster. Laurie

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    1. Thanks, Laurie. I'm eyeing a blank wall in my office that needs something on it. Maybe the moon.

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  2. Im finally seeing those "city lights' mom mentioned!

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    1. LOL!!! Well, now you know what to look for. Gotta say, though, that when I pulled this up to reply to you I found it a bit hard to look at. It's a bit dull and dark. I could have at least brightened it some. Glad I've got other postings of moon shots to look at.

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