NOW.............

PlasticSpanner · Jun 20, 2005

Is the best time to get a photograph of the moon!

Taken from the space section of the BBC's website.......

"June sees the first of three months' worth of large full Moons. This is due to the oval shape of the Moon's orbit. Every month the distance from us to our lunar neighbour varies from 348,294 km to 398,581 km, which affects the size of the Moon in the sky. This month the close orbit point (known astronomically as perigee) is just one day after the full Moon."

It's 50,287 KM closer that at it most distant point! What a zoom that'll save!

voodoocat · Jun 20, 2005

Now is the time to photograph scenes illuminated by the moon. It's as low in the sky as it will be all year... providing a wonderful light source.

fadingaway1986 · Jun 20, 2005

Does this apply to people on the other side of the globe to the US? or would our best time be december?

Can anyone give me any tips for photographing the moon? I have tried a couple recently but all I get is very blown out whites

PlasticSpanner · Jun 20, 2005

It's a global event that applies to the whole world.

When I photograph the moon I never beleive my camera meter and stop down or increase the shutter speed a bit. Best to try bracketing a couple of stops either way & write down what you do so that next time you'll have a starting point.

voodoocat · Jun 20, 2005

It would be reverse for the southern hemisphere. Moon will be highest in the sky for our friends to the south.

fadingaway1986 · Jun 20, 2005

Thats what I thought - thanks!

EmergentFungus · Jun 21, 2005

I looked out of my window last night before I went to bed and saw a great moon. Full, slightly yellow and foggy. I thought I'd look at it through my film camera zoomed right in and it looked good, but I was dangling out of the window to see it and couldn't hold the camera steady. I'll try again tonight, but should I try and steady myself and get a long exposure, or will a short one do? I ask as I am new to film SLR...used to mid range digital.
Cheers.

iSellJerseyShore · Jun 21, 2005

I am going to step outside and setup my camera on the good ol tripod and see what I can capture..... It's lunch time at 4:30am

-iSellJerseyShore

Ant · Jun 21, 2005

EmergentFungus said:
I looked out of my window last night before I went to bed and saw a great moon. Full, slightly yellow and foggy. I thought I'd look at it through my film camera zoomed right in and it looked good, but I was dangling out of the window to see it and couldn't hold the camera steady. I'll try again tonight, but should I try and steady myself and get a long exposure, or will a short one do? I ask as I am new to film SLR...used to mid range digital.
Cheers.

Same thing here. I had it framed in my 50-500mm lens and it looked excellent, large and very clear. Didn't want to get dressed again and have to go outside to set up the tripod so I'm hoping the sky will be as clear tonight.

Rob · Jun 22, 2005

You don't need a very long exposure to get the moon - it's brighter than you think and it moves a lot faster than you think as well! I've found that some shots can be as short as 1/500th and still get a good exposure.

Rob

EmergentFungus · Jun 22, 2005

OK, cheers. I couldn't see it last night, clouds got in the way.

Ant · Jun 22, 2005

Hmm. Managed to get a few shots but I was a bit disappointed with them.

Anybody know what's the best aperture to use?

ferny · Jun 22, 2005

I've noticed the moon is massive lately!

I'd disagree about now being a great time though. Full moons never look good. They don't have the shadows to show up all the details of the craters.

A moon shot should be fine hand-held. Spot meter on the moon itself.

binglemybongle · Jun 22, 2005

Being a newbie and all:

What kind of zoom do you need to be getting a decent shot of the moon? I suppose i mean size.

Also can anyone recomend film type or speed that gives best results?

EmergentFungus · Jun 22, 2005

Well Ant has a 500mm zoom and they're bloody well expensive. Mine is a mere 85mm and I was going to take the picture at dusk, with a little light in the sky. I had it zoomed right it and it was about the size of a 50p coin and was just to the right of a sillhouette (sp?) of a tree. That's the best I could do with my lens.

Hopefully the clouds won't be in the way tonight.