How do i do this?

[lemonart]

So I am taking this astronomy class and I have to take multiple pictures of the moon in different phases in a slightly darker than dusk sky.

I'm assuming I may have to do multiple exposures (one for moon one for landscape). Anyhow I've never done this before. Any help on how to execute this would be appreciated. At the end I need to hand in a single landscape with multiple moons (ie. one picture)

Gear I'm planning to use:

D7000
Tokina 11-16
Perhaps my 70-300 telephoto
Tripod

 

[Bynx]

Just expose for the moon and forget the sky which will look dark as a result of the bright moon. If your camera does multiple exposure take half a dozen shots, 15 minutes apart. Make sure there is enough room to get them all in as the moon moves from left to right.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Yes, one image you will expose for and focus on the moon, in the next you can expose and focus on your landscape. Then merge the 2, via layers.

 

[KmH]

You combine the several photos using image editing software like Photoshop or GIMP, using layer masks. The moon is about 250,000 miles away so you do not need a small lens aperture to get deep DoF.

Your 11-16 would be useless if you want the moon to have an scale in the image so the actual moon phase can be seen.

Next is understanding that the moon is reflecting sunlight and is very much brighter than a slightly darker than dusk sky. While you can capture the moon's phase, you will not be able to capture moon surface details and dark landscape details. The dynamic range will be to great for your image sensor to capture.

Next is understanding that when the moon is new, it is very near the western horizon at sunset (or close to the sun), and sets about 52 minutes late each subsiquent night. At full moon, the moon rises on the eastern horizon at sunset, just as the sun is setting on the western horizon.
If you think about it you'll soon realize the moon can only be full at that time.

That all defines the waxing moon phases. that occur between new and full moon.

Waning moon phases all occur after sunset between full moon and the next new moon, and again the moon rises on the eastern horizon about 52 minutes later every night. So if you shoot a full moon right after it has cleared the eastern horizon at say 9:30 PM, to shoot the moon in the same part of the sky several nights later it will be several hours later. Just 2 nights after full moon, the moon will rise about 1.7 hours later than it did the night it was full. Four nights later it will rise about 3.5 hours later or 12:30 am the next morning.

 

[KmH]

Just expose for the moon and forget the sky which will look dark as a result of the bright moon. If your camera does multiple exposure take half a dozen shots, 15 minutes apart. Make sure there is enough room to get them all in as the moon moves from left to right.

That won't get the different moon phases, which is on a 28 day cycle.

To shoot the different moon phases will require skipping several nights between each shoot.
http://www.moonconnection.com/moon_phases_calendar.phtml

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Two examples:

 

[lemonart]

Ya I don't have to do all moon phases. I simply have to do either 4 consecutive nights or any 4 nights during this lunar cycle.... At the same time each nigh. I also have to do a single 3 hour session (4 shots, 1 per hour) on one night.

The landscape needs to be in the picture an labelled. I could use my 24-70 and do a panorama, but I figure the 11mm will be fine if I kill a bit of the distortion... Though even the teacher suggested a wide angle lens.

The way most people are doing the assignment is simply drawing the moon in over a landscape... But I have decent gear and i have a passion for this, so I figured I'd just do it all in photos!

The layering idea sounds like the best way to get foreground and moon/star detail all in one go.

To clarify, if I am doing the layering I would get a good landscape shot, then each night place my camera in the same place and expose for the moon. Then add a new layer with each new photo?

How would I get each layer of moon to show through?

Lem

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

You could take the landscape image each night as well, no biggie.
This would ensure your skies match for merging.

But yeah, you just select around the moon, copy, and paste to the landscape. Or select around the moon, inverse deletion, delete. Or just put th moon layer on top of th landscape and erase everything on the moon layer, except the moon.