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Sunday, March 16, 2014

Moon Photo Tutorial

Several have asked for a tutorial for taking moon photos - so here we go.

First you need your supplies - a camera - a tripod and a moon.

One day last week we went for a ride in the sunshine and I noticed the moon was out - so hoped it would be visible from our deck when we got home - and there it was - so I've got my moon.
The camera - Canon PowerShot 30SX IS - which will zoom to 140X - and a tripod 
A tripod with a very long neck is helpful - so you don't have to bend  too much 
An articulated view finder screen is a must for me when photographing the moon 
The tripod must also tilt - so you can aim at the moon 
Turn the camera in the general direction of the moon 
Find the moon - this might take a little doing in the daylight - as it doesn't show up at first on the screen 
Take a test shot of the moon - just to make sure you can see it.

Zoom in - focus - and shoot!  That's about all there is too it. I use the auto setting for night shots in a dark sky - and scenery setting for daylight - my camera does the rest.
The most important item is a tripod - with such a high magnification your breathing and slight body movements are also magnified and blurry pictures are almost a guarantee if you don't have the tripod 
A helper was needed for this tutorial - to take the pictures of the big camera I used my little hot pink camera - she's a helpful little camera and stronger than you think - I dropped her in a bowl of ice water one time (trying to take pictures of blanching peaches for peeling) and after quickly removing the battery and the card and using a hair dryer on her, she lived in a bag of rice for over a week - and was good as new.  She mostly lives in my pocket - for those spur of the moment photos.

And now some other moon shots - taken on other days

The darker the sky - the better the craters show up in the photos

Taken by my friend Franni, in Florida - we have the same camera
 

One of my first moon shots - it was the harvest moon and dozens of photographers gathered at a lake just blocks from our house - we waited and waited - our cameras on the tripods - trying to guess exactly where the moon would rise. Don spotted it first - and he wasn't even taking photos.  Such excitement - the moon rises fast and you have just a few moments to get the effect of the color and the size of the harvest moon.  I caught it just as it came up over the  nearby hills - and the next shot it was already above the trees.


Nearly night sky
Daylight moon

And a couple more of my favorite moon collages
The moon rising over our roof
 I hope this answered your questions - if you have more - feel free to ask.


9 comments:

  1. These pictures are amazing and beautiful. Lovely!

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  2. Awesome moon shots. I love the colorful Harvest moon! Gorgeous photos. Thanks for sharing the tips.. Enjoy your week ahead!

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  3. These are breathtaking photos! You did an outstanding job with them. Tanks so much for the tutorial. I don't have a camaraderie right now. A using my phone and my IPAD, but I really love your camera!

    xo

    Sheila

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  4. Great moon shots. i have never used a tripod and they sound like a lot of work besides. So far i have been lucky with moon shots. Somedays their perfect and somedays not11
    Your shots are great. MB

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  5. Really beautiful moon shots, JoAnn. Love the harvest moon just coming above the treeline. And the shots with craters - wonderful!

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  6. Great tutorial! Thanks! And, of course, spectacular shots of the moon. Now I've got to unearth my big, bulky tripod and start putting it to use.

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  7. Really spectacular JoAnn - I need to get my tripod out and try this - but it must warm up first!!

    Mary

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  8. Amazing shots, JoAnn. You are such a professional! I need a new camera and a tripod. Thanks for the tips..Happy Monday..Judy

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  9. Beautiful camera work JoAnn, The picture of the Harvest Moon are spectacular. Thank you for these very useful tips on how to get a great picture of the moon. I knew it wasn't my fault the long distance shots I take (of the moon or anything else) are always blurry. I need a good tripod! And maybe a better camera would help too. Also a little training on composition for taking the perfect picture wouldn't hurt either.

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