The Moon

**stepheno** · 03-02-2007, 09:35

Taken this morning about 6.15am. It's a first for me so any feedback welcome. I was expecting to have quite a long shutter speed but they just whited out, so I was surpised that the following exif took a reasonable shot

f11, 1/250, ISO125, 100-400 at 400mm with IS off on a tripod with remote.

P-E · 03-02-2007, 09:43

I've never tried a moon shot myself......looks a v/good shot to me

Apologies for the lack of an in depth critique stepheno.

fionaB · 03-02-2007, 09:51

super shot ! first time i did a moon shot i thought the same regarding settings.
nothing to critique on this, but sometimes taking the moon just a few days before its full can bring out more details in craters etc.

Fi

**stepheno** · 03-02-2007, 10:16

Thanks P-E. Fiona, appreciate the comment about not a full moon. Will definitely try again.

**Dabhand16** · 03-02-2007, 11:55

Nice image, Stepheno. Not much to add to Fi's comment really.

I remember a similar shot posted a while back, using the same lens, I think. Was it Whipspeed? That shot was taken at a differnt time of the lunar month because as Fi said, there was more contrast on the surface.

**stepheno** · 03-02-2007, 12:03

Thanks Graham. I've just had a look at Whipspeed's - it's belter.

Rob Barron · 03-02-2007, 14:26

You're not the first to think you need a slow shutter speed for these shots Stepheno. That is why so many photos of night landscapes with the moon in lovley detail look so strange. People take a long slow exposure for the landscape but then find they have a white blob where the moon used to be. Taking the moon can be done very easily with 1/1000th of a second at f5.6 (no need for anything smaller as the depth of field is immaterial for something that far away!

I definitely agree with Fiona though about not taking full moon as it is always flat and dull despite showing all the points of interest like the meteorite craters, the various 'seas' like Mares Tranquilitatum (Sea of Tranquility) and so forth. The fact is, just like a portrait where you wouldn't have the light straight into the person's face because you'll wash out any shadow which in turn gives detail, the mountains and craters of the moon look pretty flat when seen straight from the top in a bird's eye shot (which is virtually what you are seeing when you look at the moon).

A 3/4 moon showing the wonderful craters and mountains casting shadows puts loads of texture into the moon as well as having a more interesting shape. If you get the right conditions and lunar position, you can sometimes get a 3/4 moon but still see the full disc in the shadow area which makes a great shot.

Back to this one though, as far as full moon's go, when you want to capture a full 'map' view of the moon, this is pretty much as good as you'll get so you've done well here. Getting the lighting spot on and the focus perfect so you capture each part in detail is not always easy but this could easily be printed in a textbook to overlay Rand's Lunar Map onto

Good work,
Rob

**stepheno** · 03-02-2007, 19:20

Thanks for the feedback, Rob

Rob Barron · 04-02-2007, 01:45

Popped out tonight to grab a shot hoping it would not be completely full so I could show you what I meant. It wasn't quite full but close to it on the wane but if you look at the top edge you can see a bit more detail around the craters because of the shadows.

Crater Tycho is stronger too (that's the one that looks like a white spot and has striation lines coming out from it. In this picture it is near the bottom and to the right but it is sometimes left and sometimes central depending on the lunar phase and relative earth position. We always see the same face of the moon but not always at the same angle of rotation, hence it often looks different.

In case anyone is interested, the famous Sea of Tranquility (where the lunar landing took place in 1969) is virtually central about quarter of the way down. You can sea two 'seas' (which are of course dry plains, not water seas) which are attached to each other a bit like two eyes in this position. To the left is the Sea of Serenity and next to it is the Sea of Tranquility

Ok, with that bit of completely and utterly useless piece of information, I shall shut up and go to bed!Hope the bit at the top at least makes some sense

**stepheno** · 04-02-2007, 09:18

It does, thanks Rob.

skipper954 · 06-02-2007, 05:11

Very cool, Rob. Thanks for all the info. I have photographed the moon several times, but have never considered the various phases and resultant shadows.

See, one is never too old to learn

skip

**Markulous** · 06-02-2007, 07:38

Think it needs a little Curves/Levels but looks pretty good, as moons go!

kyberman · 06-02-2007, 20:50

just like to ask if you used a flash for this moon shot and what was the camera?