How to Photograph the Moon

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Ah! The Moon looks so beautiful in the sky.  Have you ever tried photographing the moon and almost always ended up with a white blob in the picture? Does the beautiful moon with all its details and contours turn into a white ceramic like disc in your photograph?

Well, my friend there is a technique to photograph the moon. It is not very complex and is definitely not a technique which is limited to professionals using DSLRs.  Even a normal (P&S) point and shoot camera can capture a detailed moon; at least it will have some details and not be a white blob.

For starters, if you are not bothered about tack sharp images and too much detail, a small change in the metering settings will do wonders. All you need to do is change the metering setting to “Spot Metering”.  You may read about the different metering modes and their significance here.  After changing to spot metering mode, a crosshair will appear in the center of the frame. If you are using live view, you can see changes in the lighting of the scene in real-time, depending upon where you place the crosshair.

It works like this:

a. The whole frame becomes darker, when the crosshair is kept on the bright spots in the frame.

b. The whole frame becomes bright, when the crosshair is kept on the dark spots in the frame.

You can get pretty decent pictures of the Moon using a P&S by just switching to Spot Metering mode.

The Extra Mile

To capture sharp and detailed images requires a little more effort. Things you will need:

1. Tripod or use a stable platform.

2. Remote release or use the delay timer (2 seconds should be OK).

3. A zoom lens (preferably > 250mm) or a decent telescope.

4. Clear sky!

You may use the following settings on the camera to get best results.

1. Set the camera to lowest possible ISO (usually ISO 100 on most cameras).

2. Set the aperture to f/11.

3. Set the shutter speed to 1/125 – 1/250. Shutter speed will actually vary according to the lighting situation. Try a few shots with different shutter speeds and compare the results.

4. Set the focus to infinity or better use auto focus to set the focus first pointing towards the moon and then switch to manual focus and don’t change it.

Using a Telescope

A T-mount adaptor is needed which attaches your DSLR to the telescope. This adaptor basically mounts on the DSLR in place of the lens. There are different varieties of adaptors available specific to the SLR brand, The adaptors vary according to your DSLR and Eye-piece diameter. Any good telescope manufacturer like Meade or Celstron makes these adaptors. There are some 3rd party universal adaptors also available, which are cheaper

Steps:

1. Attach the T-mount adaptor to the DSLR.

2. Insert the adaptor tube replacing the eyepiece of the telescope.

3. Set the SLR in manual mode as there will be no auto focus.

4. Focus using the telescope focus knob.

5. Use a remote trigger or set the delay timer to capture each shot… because even a miniscule shake compounds into a Richter 9 seismic activity.

I captured the above using my Meade 2090 telescope (unboxing video) . EXIF for the image – ISO 200, Exposure: 1/400 sec.

Remember that the best shots of the Moon are not necessarily of the full Moon. A partially lit moon when captured gives a 3D look by enhancing the craters on the edge.