How to take pictures of the moon?

Moonrise and moonset photography can take some quite beautiful and influential images, but there are also some difficulties. It takes some extra preparation to take beautiful photos of the moon.

These are the basic requirements for lunar photography:

(1). Large zoom camera

(2) tripod

(3) information about the moon's time and direction.

(4) Good location and opportunities

First of all, plan a month's photo time.

The difficulty in taking pictures of the moon rising is that the time of the moon rising is very short, so there is no time to fiddle with the settings and try to achieve perfect exposure, metering and focusing. Therefore, we must know in advance the exact time and place when the moon rises on the horizon.

Second, cameras and equipment

Obviously, you will need a lot of zooming, which means that the telephoto lens can be a special lens for interchangeable lens cameras (digital SLR cameras, mirrorless cameras) or a part of the camera system.

If you want those clean photos, please consider using DSLR or mirrorless camera with APS-C or Quan Huafu (FF) sensor, which is better than consumer P&; S

The sensor on the camera is much larger and usually can take better photos.

Third, cameras and lenses are the best beginners to shoot the moon.

For beginners who buy digital SLR cameras for the first time, whether learning how to shoot the moon or other types of photography, the entry-level Nikon D3300 and Canon EOS.

700D is a good choice. If you want a more compact budget solution, please consider using the mirrorless Sony A6000, which is widely regarded as the most valuable for beginners and amateur photographers.

APS-C camera. Longteng 18-400 provides the highest focal length range (maximum zoom), which can be used for Canon and Nikon bayonet, but its optical quality is not as good as the original Canon and Nikon lenses.

Fourth, the skills of taking the best moon photos

(1). Select your month.

According to the time of year, the moon will rise at different points on the horizon. Similarly, the moon will be at different stages according to the time of the lunar month, and the full moon is a popular choice for shooting. Otherwise, consider shooting at any quarter of the moon, when you can still see most of the moon, but when it transitions from highlight to shadow, there will be a beautiful gradient.

(2). Include a theme

The moon itself is a valuable theme, but there have been many photos of the rise and fall of the moon related to the moon itself. If you have 600 points,

Millimeter lens, maybe you want to isolate the moon and capture as much as possible, and that's fine. Otherwise, why not increase the depth of the photo by including the foreground? The theme can be anything, a portrait of a person, a silhouette, a building or a mountain.

(3). Reduce the shutter speed

Lowering the shutter speed allows the camera to collect more light without increasing ISO, because it may be dark when the moon rises and the sun sets. About 30 to 60 years old

In minutes, the moon will light up, and you may need to increase the shutter speed.

(4). Use manual focusing

You need to be quick, so if you have no confidence in your autofocus system, your best choice is to focus manually. If you have

DSLR, then you may support the zoom-in assistant tool in live view mode and use it to fine-tune the focus to make the moon beautiful and sharp.

(5). Shoot in RAW format

The uncompressed original image format is very suitable for image post-processing. Use software such as Lightroom or Adobe Camera Raw and JPEG with the default camera.

In contrast, you can significantly improve image clarity and reduce noise, not to mention easily correcting any potential lens aberrations and geometric distortions.

(6). Use a small aperture

The aperture of f/9–f/12 should keep everything clear and in focus, but narrowing the aperture will reduce the throughput of the sensor and force the camera to increase ISO.

Or slow down the shutter speed. If your photo is blurred or noisy, try opening the aperture to a lower f value.

(7). Use a tripod

Using a tripod will greatly reduce the chance of motion blur.