Waxing Moon

[IanWeatherburn]

...or is it Waning. Hmm, never mind. Anyway, I've been struggling to get a decent shot of the moon for a while now (must have taken 50 pictures - I guess that's not that many really?)
Anyway, this was taken this morning in the early hours (05h54 - if you care to look at the EXIF information) and I'm quite pleased with it.
I really struggle with:
a. Focus
b. Exposure
c. ISO
So anyone care to add their 5c to help me, please feel free.
(for a bigger version of this picture go to my StickMan Gallery at deviantArt
http://www.deviantart.com/view/16889877/)

[JaertX]

Just my opinion, but I think it's way over exposed . . at least two or three stops. Were you 1/10 @ f/22?? I think try 1/60

[IanWeatherburn]

I'm slowly starting to figure that when doing these type of shots to completely ignore the camera exposure info?

[JaertX]

I'm slowly starting to figure that when doing these type of shots to completely ignore the camera exposure info?

Yeah, I don't think you can even really spot meter and get them to come out right.

Check these out:

1/200@f/8:
http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=64164

1/400@f/8:
http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=64092

Plus many, many more. My first few moon shots I took with a fully manual camera and no light meter. I had an entire roll of film trashed!

[robertwgross]

You could try some flash.

At first, you will say that is a joke, because the flash won't reach the moon with any intensity. Correct.

However, the flash might illuminate the tree in the foreground. It might make it interesting composition. If it is a moon shot, then the moon needs to fill up the frame more. But if you put some interesting tree or tree outline or cliff in the distant foreground, then sometimes it makes it more of an artistic composition.

I watched a pro photographer one time in a campground. He set up his Nikon camera with about a 600mm lens on a second tripod, and he aimed it off at nothing in the distance. Since there was nothing there but empty sky and a mountain ridge, I was curious as to what he was going after. He told me to stick around for about an hour. OK. An hour later, the moon rose behind the ridge, and then one tree on the ridge was silhouetted against the moon. Just enough of the sunset light was there to illuminate the tree. Snap.

---Bob Gross---

[RbrtPtikLeoSeny]

Nice story, I wish I could see that shot! Must have been a gorgeous moon shot. Also, that picture of the moon at 1/400........ AMAZING! Taken with nothing more than a 300mm lense? Well done! I'm going to give it a try myself during the next full moon.:D

[IanWeatherburn]

Any better like this? I feel it loses too much detail. This was taken at 1/4s

[JaertX]

Any better like this? I feel it loses too much detail. This was taken at 1/4s

It depends on what you're looking for. You are losing detail in your shadows, but that's typically considered better than losing detail in your highlights. (so a photography professor once told me)

The moon is still blown out.

[IanWeatherburn]

Thanks for the feedback. A really tricky subject matter - the moon. Most of the really good shots that I have seen are taken through telescopes or composites (which I shall try next but do consider it a bit of a cheat).

Cheers.

[IanWeatherburn]

JaertX - just went and looked at your pictures now. They are very very well done - so you have given me some more inspiration - it can be done. Well done mate. Lucky with digital we can just keep on snapping - no wasted film! Gotta love it! On the other hand, with film maybe you learn quicker because it's more expensive to make mistakes! :D

RobertWGross - Thanks for your feedback too. The flash sounds like an excellent idea too. Don't know why I didn't think of it. Will certainly give that a shot.

Thanks guys for all the input. I'm learning a lot...

[JaertX]

JaertX - just went and looked at your pictures now. They are very very well done - so you have given me some more inspiration - it can be done. Well done mate. Lucky with digital we can just keep on snapping - no wasted film! Gotta love it! On the other hand, with film maybe you learn quicker because it's more expensive to make mistakes! :D

RobertWGross - Thanks for your feedback too. The flash sounds like an excellent idea too. Don't know why I didn't think of it. Will certainly give that a shot.

Thanks guys for all the input. I'm learning a lot...

I'd hate to take credit for something I didn't do! Those aren't mine, just a few shot's I found that I liked and were exposed correctly.

Make sure and let us see what you come up with!