Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

I love catching the full moon just as it's rising or setting. For me, there is much more interest in including the moon as part of the landscape, especially because it just looks bigger

Please feel free to share photos here if you also enjoy shooting the moon this way, as well as any tips - such as apps you use to determine location or times.

I check sunrise/moonset times on http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneDay.php However, I've learned that times are not exact, and will vary because of terrain. And when the moon is this close to the horizon, believe me, every second counts!

1. Shot last winter just after sunrise. Unfortunately, when the moon is just hanging there, looking so large, it appears to be "photoshopped" - lol. Even though it touched the horizon only a minute or so later, by then it was too brightly lit by the sun to be well seen.

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2. Another winter shot, this is moonrise shortly after sunset. The flattened look is the moon disappearing into heavy cloud cover. Other issues I've encountered with shooting the moon low on the horizon are haze, smoke or other bad air obscuring.


3. and 4. My moonset just after sunrise and UHH user dansmith's dramatic interpretation!

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Dr.Nikon Loc: Honolulu Hawaii

Moons and planes are my favorite ..., you did an excellant job ....thnx for sharing ...

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

This is a participatory (learning) thread, Dr. Nikon. Please feel free to post moon photos taken at sunrise or sunset and offer suggestions. Thanks!

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Yes, I'm shamelessly bumping the topic - lol. No one out there with photos of moon during daylight hours, no advice to share? Bummer!

CathyAnn Loc: Apache Junction, AZ

I wish I did have some that are worth looking at. lol! I took some handheld and blew it! However, I'm going to post one of them.

This was taken last Wednesday with my Nikon Coolpix P610 set at 24.2mm, f/8, 1 second, ISO 1600. The camera was set on "Scene", "Moon", and I didn't know what to expect. Well... I should have because I know better than to shoot something like this handheld. All I did in processing was to crop it for a better composition and try to get come clarity, and I know that tree is never going to get any.

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Dixiegirl Loc: Alabama gulf coast

Here's the story behind mine, Linda: I was shooting the USS Alabama from the causeway over Mobile Bay and just happened to turn around and look in the opposite direction. This is what I saw. I had no idea there was going to be a full moon that evening, so this is an accident. LOL Tripod used for rather long exposure of 4.00sec, f/14, ISO100. Your shots of the full moon are beautiful, BTW, and creative as all of your images are.

Please try the DL

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CathyAnn Loc: Apache Junction, AZ

Linda, how do you typically set up your camera for such a shot under sunset/sunrise conditions? Do you spot meter and focus on the moon or do something else? Is bracketing and combining the resulting pictures the way to go? I notice that in your pictures, the moon and everything else is in perfect focus.

CathyAnn Loc: Apache Junction, AZ

You shot is beautiful, Donna. Do you recall what you focused on? Last night when I was taking shots of the moon rising, when I focused on parts of a tree, the moon was blurred and blowout. And when focusing on the moon so its features are visible to the camera, the parts of the tree were blurred. Is it just a trade off depending on what we're trying to capture for that particular shot?

Linda, on your last two pictures the moon and scenery are in focus.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

A one-second exposure would be tough to hand-hold, for sure. Were you able to get any shots last night? I hoped to take moonset this morning, but it was overcast.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Thanks for joining in, Donna. I appreciate your sharing this beautiful image. How fun that the moon was a surprise! Bonus shots are always delightful.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

There is no need to bracket if you shoot when there is a lot of sunlight, such as my first and last shots. Most everything was equally - or close to equal - bright. The darker the conditions, the less ability the camera has to capture both moon details and landscape details.

At that point you'd have to do a composite of two photos: exposed for moon and exposed for landscape. With my photo #2, I believe I used exposure compensation to lower the exposure (I was probably on shutter priority, hand-holding); otherwise, the image would have been lighter than I wanted.

My camera is set up to do center-weighted metering, I believe. I always try to be aware of whether I might want to use exposure compensation, or change one of the settings.

This past year I've been mostly setting my aperture and shutter speed, and letting the camera set ISO.

On photo #3 I believe I focused on the trees. The distance from me to the trees allowed for the moon to at least "appear" to be well detailed. Yes, it would be a trade-off if your tree is quite close.

Below is link to a depth of field calculator. I could only find the P510 as reference. Plug in the camera make, f/stop and focal length. Try distance to subject (your tree) as 100 feet. Look at the depth of field (right side info). Now change the calculator to show that you were standing just 10 feet away. Wowsa!

http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html

On #1 I should have used smaller aperture (it was f/9 on a dslr). If all looks sharp, that is likely due to shooting in raw, and using Nik and PS Elements for pp

Dixiegirl Loc: Alabama gulf coast

Thanks so much, Cathy. I wasn't really aiming for the moon, so I metered for the scene and focused about 1/3 into the picture. If I'm shooting for the moon, I meter for the moon so I can get some detail of the moon's surface.

Dixiegirl Loc: Alabama gulf coast

I think maybe my shot would have been better, Linda, if I'd helped the moon out a bit and moved it down just a little. LOL

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

If anyone wishes to expand on (or correct) my lengthy comments to Cathy, please do!!