How to photograph the moon

How to photograph the moon broken down step by step with camera settings and gear.

My friend called me last night and asked me, Edin how do I take photos of the moon? I guess when I am out shooting I do not always think about how to shoot certain things, I just go on automatic mode and get shooting.

The moon can be a bit tricky to shoot, however, it is not hard and it does not to be complicated.

The most important thing to remember, there has to be a full moon out there. Here are the things you need.

  1.  A tripod I use my MeFOTO tripod it is nice and sturdy and can hold my heavy Nikon D800 with my Nikon 70-200 lens.
  2.  A zoom lens, for this I recommend something 300 zoom plus. I do not have one so I used my Nikon 70-200. It works well.
  3.  A camera, I use my Nikon D800 but any camera that can be put in manual mode will work.

Now here are the settings you will need. Please remember that these will vary as you zoom and depending on how bright the moon is.

Settings: 1/160 sec f5.6 ISO 100 remember to be on a tripod. These zoom lenses can be very touchy and if you are not on a tripod your image will be blurry.

And that’s it guys, the trick is to play with your settings until you get the correct exposure. Remember to shoot the moon on a clear day and of course, during a full moon. Try to remember the settings as these are really good settings to get you started. Possibly even get you the shot that you want.

One last thing, remember to have fun out there and to experiment with different compositions. If you find a really cool tree try to incorporate it in there somehow. Its all about having fun guys. Drop me a line below, I’d love to hear your experiences photographing the moon. Have you ever done it?

How to photograph the moon

 

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