DPChallenge: A Digital Photography Contest You are not logged in. (log in or register
 

DPChallenge Forums >> Individual Photograph Discussion >> How do I shoot the moon?
Pages:  
Showing posts 1 - 25 of 31, (reverse)
AuthorThread
07/31/2004 01:02:59 AM · #1
I wanted to get beautiful shots of the blue moon...so out I go, camera and tripod in hand. I used the timer on the camera to avoid shake. I used my camera's longest exposure (16 seconds) and had the aperture at f/8. It doesn't have a manual setting for the ISO (that I have found anyway). I tried all sorts of angles and points of view...so tell me...why does it look like this???? What the heck are all those pointy beams of light??? I tried the camera's night shot mode, but it won't let you change the shutter speed while in night shot mode. So I guess this camera is the problem (yeah..that's it...the camera...not the idiot behind it)????? LOL ;o)

Help, kind people, if you can...


07/31/2004 01:06:17 AM · #2
You're shooting way to slow. Follow the sunny 16 rule and adjust as needed for the exposure you want. I generally find shooting the moon at about f/8 at shutter speeds of about 1/250 or even faster. Don't let your camera meter the scene as it will expose for the black sky and overexpose the moon.
07/31/2004 01:06:17 AM · #3
ya gotta zoom in on the moon some more. if you zoom in the moon shouldnt have to use 16 seconds of exposure. if you have a spot meter, meter on the moon. it will show up WAY faster than that. also, those points of light are reflections off of the aperature blades in your camera. they show up during long exposures in narrow aperatures.
07/31/2004 01:26:05 AM · #4
I go manual mode so that I can tweak both aperture and shutter. (A tripod is a given).

First you want to Spot Meter on the Moon (helps the camera to help you).

I will always start with an aperture of F/5.6 and depending on the moon choose a shutter to start with:

Just coming up on the horizion the moon is soft and not so bright I start with 1/60sec.

High in the sky the moon is a lot brighter like tonight; I will start higher 1/125secs up to 1/250sec.

Once I can get detail to appear then I fine tune between the shutter and aperture.

I thought the same way in the beginning, felt I needed a longer shutter but kept blowning the moon out.

07/31/2004 01:26:39 AM · #5
...well, at least it looks like the moon this time. LOL

I don't know the Sunny 16 rule...what's that?

I found the ISO settings...changed it several times for several shots...this is the one that turned out to where you could tell it was the moon and not a glowing orb!

As far as metering, the camera only has 3 settings...center weighted, center spot, and multi-pattern. Which would be best?

Thanks for your help! :o)


edit...my neighbors think I've lost it...running in and out of the house, camera and tripod in tow, after midnight, mumbling about meters and f stops... LOL

Message edited by author 2004-07-31 01:28:09.
07/31/2004 01:32:16 AM · #6
I took this photo a couple nights ago. The moon was red with all the smoke in the air from the forest fires here in B.C. so it had a nice glow to it. This is also taken with my spotting scope at 45 x zoom. I assume it is blurry because of the smoke, I tried a hundred times and none were real clear This was taken at ISO 400 and 1.3 sec shutter. I don't have a F# to give you since the scope won't show that in the picture details. Things are clear out tonight and the moon is looking good so I will try for a better shot
07/31/2004 01:34:37 AM · #7
Originally posted by laurielblack:

...well, at least it looks like the moon this time. LOL

I don't know the Sunny 16 rule...what's that?

I found the ISO settings...changed it several times for several shots...this is the one that turned out to where you could tell it was the moon and not a glowing orb!

As far as metering, the camera only has 3 settings...center weighted, center spot, and multi-pattern. Which would be best?

Thanks for your help! :o)


edit...my neighbors think I've lost it...running in and out of the house, camera and tripod in tow, after midnight, mumbling about meters and f stops... LOL


Looking good, Laurie!! And I want to know the Sunny 16 Rule, too.
07/31/2004 01:37:47 AM · #8


Opps...forgot to tell you that your ISO will effect the brightness and shutter/aperture settings as well.

I shot this at IS0 50 so used a longer Shutter of 1/40 sec. and aperture of F/5.6 (Spot Metered).

This was with the PowerShot Pro1 with the 1.5x Teleconverter (300mm equivalent)
07/31/2004 01:43:34 AM · #9
Originally posted by Kylie:

[quote=laurielblack] ...
As far as metering, the camera only has 3 settings...center weighted, center spot, and multi-pattern. Which would be best?


Center Spot and put moon in that little box (or cross hair) in the center.

Your mighty close now...good job.

ED:typo

Message edited by author 2004-07-31 01:43:58.
07/31/2004 01:48:01 AM · #10
If I´m not wrong this quick challenge is not about the moon but about the blue color... Isn't it? or I have a bad interpretation of the words?

I think it talks about the moon just as the guest of honor of this challenge, but not as the theme itself.

Please, let me know your opinion.
07/31/2004 01:48:26 AM · #11
Originally posted by awpollard:


ED:typo


Andy - Great shot! Left you a comment.
07/31/2004 01:49:50 AM · #12
Originally posted by Llambo:

If I´m not wrong this quick challenge is not about the moon but about the blue color... Isn't it? or I have a bad interpretation of the words?

I think it talks about the moon just as the guest of honor of this challenge, but not as the theme itself.

Please, let me know your opinion.


YES, I agree with you. I am assuming it just got people inspired to learn about shooting the moon, but the challenge is BLUE!
07/31/2004 02:00:12 AM · #13
Originally posted by Kylie:


YES, I agree with you. I am assuming it just got people inspired to learn about shooting the moon, but the challenge is BLUE!


...yes...I know it's blue, not moon...I just thought I would try a moon shot since the challenge reminded me of the whole blue moon thing...LOL

I haven't lost it completely...yet. ;o)
07/31/2004 02:00:44 AM · #14
Now it's clear to me...it doesn't have to be the moon. Lately, the moon has been behind the clouds frequently here in Thailand.
07/31/2004 02:06:35 AM · #15


As luck would have it...clouds roll in just as I start to really experiment. Oh well, maybe next blue moon... LOL ;o)
07/31/2004 02:09:04 AM · #16
Originally posted by Kylie:

Originally posted by laurielblack:

...well, at least it looks like the moon this time. LOL

I don't know the Sunny 16 rule...what's that?

I found the ISO settings...changed it several times for several shots...this is the one that turned out to where you could tell it was the moon and not a glowing orb!

As far as metering, the camera only has 3 settings...center weighted, center spot, and multi-pattern. Which would be best?

Thanks for your help! :o)


edit...my neighbors think I've lost it...running in and out of the house, camera and tripod in tow, after midnight, mumbling about meters and f stops... LOL


Looking good, Laurie!! And I want to know the Sunny 16 Rule, too.


It's a rule of thumb for getting an approximate exposure in sunny conditions when you don't have a meter. Since the moon is merely reflecting sunlight, the rule can be used, with some adjustments. Generally, just set your lens to f/16 and set your shutter speed at 1/ISO. You can do a google search and come up with dozens of sites that explain it. Here's one that I ran across: //www.davidrichert.com/sunny_16_rule.htm

Message edited by author 2004-07-31 02:09:48.
07/31/2004 02:09:57 AM · #17
Originally posted by laurielblack:



As luck would have it...clouds roll in just as I start to really experiment. Oh well, maybe next blue moon... LOL ;o)


Hey, I like these! We knew you knew it was BLUE - but just couldn't resist a chance to dumbfound those neighbors!

Message edited by author 2004-07-31 02:10:22.
07/31/2004 02:12:39 AM · #18
Originally posted by Kylie:

Hey, I like these! We knew you knew it was BLUE - but just couldn't resist a chance to dumbfound those neighbors!


Of course! Have to keep them guessing...

And thanks for the sunny 16 explanation, SoCal69...now I have to do the math (ARGHHHH!!) since my camera only goes up to f8... LOL ;o)
07/31/2004 02:23:17 AM · #19
Originally posted by laurielblack:

And thanks for the sunny 16 explanation, SoCal69...now I have to do the math (ARGHHHH!!) since my camera only goes up to f8... LOL ;o)


If you only can go to f/8 (4 times the aperature/light area from f/16), then your shutter speed would be 1/(ISOx4)... I think LOL. Anyways, it's just a general guideline... you will have to adjust up/down to get the exposure you want, especially with something as tricky as the moon.

Edit: missed an f stop in between... LOL

Message edited by author 2004-07-31 02:28:00.
07/31/2004 03:20:17 AM · #20
If you think you can take all the tricks you announce you are going to shoot the moon. If you make it you win the game, but if you lose even one trick you go back double your bid.


07/31/2004 03:51:37 AM · #21


this is the shot i got tonight. :)
07/31/2004 03:59:15 AM · #22
Originally posted by laurielblack:

... And thanks for the sunny 16 explanation, SoCal69...now I have to do the math (ARGHHHH!!) since my camera only goes up to f8... LOL ;o)

Perhaps "The Ultimate Exposure Computer" with make it a little easier to understand and use. Includes charts for the math-challenged. :p

David
07/31/2004 07:03:49 AM · #23
Originally posted by Britannica:

Includes charts for the math-challenged. :p

David




...and thank you for your thoughtfulness for the village idiot!
07/31/2004 08:55:15 AM · #24

I took this picture of the Moon using an 80 MM Refractor and holding my camera at the eyepiece. I used a 30MM eyepiece at about 20 power. Also used the Macro function and the Exposure time was over 1/1000 of a second. It was taken during the day at about 6:00 O’clock. I took the blue sky out and used a bit of contrast to make it look more like I took it at night. This was done a couple days ago so I can’t use it for a challenge and (of course) they are predicting cloudy skies here in the northeast the next couple days. When I take a picture directly from the camera I use a tripod and a fast enough Exposure to pick up detail from the moon. It is daylight, on the Moon, so the speed has to be fast as if the picture was taken during the day.
jm
07/31/2004 09:24:40 AM · #25

Here is the original shot.
jm
Pages:  
Current Server Time: 03/28/2024 08:26:06 AM

Please log in or register to post to the forums.


Home - Challenges - Community - League - Photos - Cameras - Lenses - Learn - Prints! - Help - Terms of Use - Privacy - Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2024 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 03/28/2024 08:26:06 AM EDT.