Photographer Daniel Alford shares some tips for shooting the moon, including tips on timing, shutter speed and the ‘Looney 11’ rule
Image by Daniel Alford
Conditions
With a bit of luck, a clear sky will give a great view of the full moon. If you can get out into the countryside away from light pollution and haze, this will be a big help. Moon rise is a great time to do this, just after sunset during “blue hour’, when there’s more chance of seeing the moon in a shade of pink, yellow, orange or red.
Camera settings
Shooting in RAW on a full frame DSLR will give you the best resolution. This will come in handy later, for cropping the image in Photoshop or Lightroom to effectively extend the zoom. Don’t forget to sharpen the images here, too.
Tripod and shutter remote
The camera needs to be as stable as possible, especially when using a long lens photographing something very far away. Using a good tripod and remote shutter release (this stops you nudging/jolting the camera) will ensure the images are nice and sharp.
Telephoto lens
If you want to capture the detail on the surface of the moon, then a telephoto lens is essential. Anything thing between 300mm and 600mm will work, but the longer the range the better. I use a Sigma 150-600mm.
Looney 11 rule
Following this rule to set your manual camera settings will keep you in good stead. Similar to the ‘Sunny 16’ rule for taking photographs in bright sunshine, the ‘Looney 11’ rule is a good starting point. This method tells us to set our aperture at f11, ISO at 100, then use the cameras shutter speed to adjust the exposure to create the desired effect. Of course with anything creative, rules are made to be broken. For example, for these images I used a wider aperture and higher ISO, which allowed more light into the lens.
The next Full Moon takes place 27 April and is referred to as the Pink Moon. Find out Full Moon dates for the rest of the year on the Royal Observatory website.