Celestial Photography
Jun 11, 2016 10:51:00 #
Hey all, I'm going to try a different kind of photography by shooting a skyline at night with a full moon hovering just above the skyscrapers, and my attempt is to get the full moon and the stars in a night sky. My questions is this; in my previous experiments with trying to shoot a full moon at night all I get is a bright light that looks like a flashlight in the sky. I have tried several different settings and long Exposures closeups with a zoom lens, wide open apertures to try to capture this kind of shots. So can I get some expertise advise from some of you who shoots these kind of photos. I'm always trying to learn new avenues in photography, but sometimes I just plain get stumped. So that is why I ask questions....Thanks all!
Steve
Steve
Jun 11, 2016 11:00:47 #
Jun 11, 2016 13:22:30 #
Take 2 photographs, expose the first one for the skyline, expose the second one for the moon. In photoshop, use the blend if tool as illustrated here:
http://f64academy.com/replacing-skies-with-blend-if/?mc_cid=da3634397e&mc_eid=e7e511536b
Yes the video is for replacing dull skies with stock cloud images, but it will definitely work.
http://f64academy.com/replacing-skies-with-blend-if/?mc_cid=da3634397e&mc_eid=e7e511536b
Yes the video is for replacing dull skies with stock cloud images, but it will definitely work.
Jun 12, 2016 11:21:16 #
Sounds like you were going in the wrong direction. The moon is 100% reflected sun light and really requires a short exposure to capture, not longer. To get a good shot would require at least two shots, probably 3, layered. There is a very wide latitude in a picture like that, the moon takes one, the stars another and the city a third.
Jun 12, 2016 13:04:22 #
wdross
Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado
SteveC_ wrote:
Hey all, I'm going to try a different kind of phot... (show quote)
What you are trying to do is normally not possible with one shot. I would suggest three shots (a properly exposed moon shot, a city shot, and a moonless night star shot) and then Photoshop.
Jun 12, 2016 14:05:43 #
Steve - If you were on the moon in broad daylight (which is what you are seeing with a full moon) the daylight exposure would be the ISO for the shutter speed @ f16.
This is a good starting point on earth too. So at that exposure you will get very little in the dark. As others have mentioned, try several exposures and layer in photoshop.
This is a good starting point on earth too. So at that exposure you will get very little in the dark. As others have mentioned, try several exposures and layer in photoshop.
Jun 12, 2016 14:39:50 #
The moonless night sky is dark, and if you go outside from a well lighted house, you will take several minutes for your eyes to adapt to the dark. The moon is in bright sunlight, just as if you where shooting something in bright sunlight at noontime. Exposures of the moon showing contrast on the moon will be very close to exposures to what you use in bright sun at noontime. You will need two or more exposures at very different setting and mix to produce a moon with stars.
Jun 12, 2016 16:06:18 #
You are telling us in clear terms that your pictures of the moon are overexposed. I was going to make some suggestions but the article to which you have been referred to should clarify things for you and I do not believe I can do better than that.
Using three exposures for a night scene including the moon is also a very good idea and those pictures can be selected and do HDR.
Good luck with your project.
Using three exposures for a night scene including the moon is also a very good idea and those pictures can be selected and do HDR.
Good luck with your project.
Jun 14, 2016 01:16:56 #
Thanks everyone for your input and articles. I think that I have what I need to experiment with and work with to capture that amazing night shot.
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