Introduction: Shooting the Moon - How to Photograph the Moon

By Garage Hobbyist
About: I like to tinker and make stuff. Whether it is metal, wood, or 3D printed, I love a good useful project. I try to recycle and reclaim materials where I can. It adds a bit of challenge to the design, but it hel…

The moon is the perfect way to get started in astrophotography and night photography. It is bright enough and large enough that it doesn't require long exposures and specialty equipment to get some amazing results.

Supplies

  • Camera
  • Tripod
  • Telephoto Lens
  • Remote Shutter Release (some cameras have apps that can do this)
  • Weight to hang from Tripod


Optional:

  • Photo Stacking software

Step 1: The Set Up

In order to get great lunar photos, you only need a few basic items.

Camera

Just about any camera will do as long as it has an option for a remote shutter release, or a phone app that can accomplish the same (a timer function can do in a pinch).

Lens

A telephoto lens with with a focal length of 300mm or more is sufficient. The full moon reflects plenty of light, so a fast, low aperture lens isn't necessary. I personally use a Sigma 150-600mm f5-6.3 lens. Most camera manufacturers offer an affordable lens around 300mm. Don't be afraid to rent a lens for a night or two, it is a great way to use some nice equipment affordably!

Tripod

A sturdy tripod is a must. While the exposure isn't too long, any vibration or movement will remove sharpness from your photo. Make sure your tripod is stout enough to support the weight of your camera and lens.

Keep your tripod as short as possible while still being able to use your camera comfortably. Only extend the legs as much as you need to, and extend the larger diameter sections first.

Lastly, try hanging a weight from your tripod to further steady it and reduce vibrations. Your camera bag can be used as a weight. You can also try a small tote with a couple rocks, bricks, or anything else you can find.

Remote Shutter Release

The last piece of the puzzle is a remote shutter release. If you use your hands to press the shutter button, you are going to introduce vibration into the photo.

Most camera manufacturers and aftermarket companies offer wired and wireless shutter releases depending on the camera's features.

A lot of camera manufacturers offer phone apps for cameras that have WiFi capabilities. You can control the camera with your phone and get a live preview of what the camera is seeing.

Since I am a Canon user, I use Canon's own app for controlling my camera while it is mounted to the tripod. Either the app or the remote will work fine. If you can't find a remote shutter release or app, you can use your cameras timer function to delay the shutter and allow the vibrations to dampen.






Step 2: Camera Settings

The camera settings for Lunar photography are pretty straight forward. You need to watch the shutter speed. If your shutter speed is too long, the moon will visibly move during the exposure, causing a soft and unclear photo.

Full Moon:

For a full moon, use aperture priority mode on your camera, and set it to f/8 or f/11, and ISO 100. If your exposure time is around 1/125 or 1/250 of a second, you are good to go. This will give you good detail of the moon's surface, and keep the shutter speed high enough to reduce vibration and camera shake. Use this as a starting point and adjust your settings to get the best results.

  • Shutter: 1/125 to 1/250th
  • Aperture: f/8-f/11
  • ISO: 100


Less than Full Moon:

Less than full moons are fun to photograph as well. You may need to slow the shutter, widen the aperture, raise the ISO speed, or a combination of all three from the above settings, but it is a good starting point. Less than a full moon means there is less light reflected to the camera. The moon isn't (hopefully) going anywhere, so you have plenty of time to experiment and make adjustments. Digital cameras don't require film or developing. You have instant results, so take a few photos and adjust your settings.


Lunar Eclipse:

Lunar eclipses may be the most exciting way to photograph the moon. They don't happen often, and the moon continuously changes through the duration of the eclipse. Since the earth is blocking the sun from the moon, there is a lot less light being reflected down to earth and your camera.

The settings for my Lunar Eclipse photo were as follows:

  • Shutter: 1/6 of a second
  • Aperture: f/6.3
  • ISO: 1600

Remember the part about the eclipse not reflecting as much light? These settings reflect that with the long shutter and High ISO setting. The good news is that modern cameras have much better noise cancellation, so higher ISO settings still can produce quality results. During an eclipse, keep in mind slowing the shutter speed down beyond 1/6 of a second can start to cause softness as the moon moves during the exposure.

Once again, digital cameras offer the advantage of instant feedback and zero development cost. Don't be afraid to try out different settings. Keep in mind, an eclipse is a timed event and your settings will need to change from beginning to end.

Daylight:

Did you know that you can photograph the moon in the daylight as well? During the day you can photograph the moon by itself, or incorporate it into landscapes or still life photos. The photo I have included her during daylight was taken handheld, 1/1000s, f/5.6, ISO 160 @320mm. Its not a particularly great photo composition wise, but it shows that you can incorporate the daytime moon into photos and still capture some pretty nice detail of the lunar surface.

Step 3: Post Processing

I won't go into a lot of detail on post processing. It will vary widely based on your camera, software, the conditions the photo was captured in, and personal taste. Just know that minor amounts of post processing can go a long way in making photos of the moon leap off the screen or paper.

Things to try:

  • Color Correction
  • Boost Contrast
  • Convert to black and white

If I am being honest, I like to use Lightroom's "auto adjust" feature to get things in the right direction, and then tweak those results to my personal taste. I don't have a fancy workflow or specific presets I like to use.

Don't be afraid to crop out some of the night sky. There is bound to be a lot of black void surrounding the moon in your shots.

Step 4: Optional: Stacking Photos

If you want to take your lunar photography a step further, you can try image stacking. Image stacking is exactly what it sounds like. You take a set of images, often taken one after another, and stack them on top of each other to form one composite image. I use Registax to automate the process. Registax could have an entire Instructable of its own and then some.

The photos shown here are a composite of about 60 photos combined into one. There are all kinds of ways you can process the stack of photos in Registax. The short version is that it takes the best parts of all the stack and combines them into one image. It finds reference points in the photos to line everything up automatically.

Step 5: Tips, Tricks, and Takeaways

The most important thing is to just go try it. I've said it a few times and I will say it again, Digital cameras provide instant feedback, and there is no cost for film or developing. Use this to your advantage.


  • Temperature will effect your camera, and your photos. Cool to cold weather is the best. Your camera's sensor will stay cool, reducing noise, and the atmosphere is more photo friendly when it is cooler.


  • Try to avoid light pollution. Large cities put off a lot of ambient light that will effect your astrophotography endeavors. The moon is bright enough to overcome city lights most of the time, but the more you can reduce it, the better you are.


  • Print some photos! I have a 20x30 black and white print of the moon hanging behind me on the wall as I type this, as well as a smaller print of the eclipse. Seeing your work framed and hanging is a fantastic experience. Most online print houses are affordable and often run great promotions. Get some of your work out of the computer!


  • Try taking a series of photos and experiment with stacking them. Registax is free and offers some interesting results that you can't otherwise get. Adding this helps break up the monotony of looking at hundreds of moon photos. Its also pretty cool saying "This photo right here is actually 60 photos I took and combined into one".