8 Steps for Awesome Full Moon Photos

Photo Credit: Heather Hummel Photography

This month is a Blue Moon month. Needless to say, Facebook News Feeds, Instagram, and Twitter are aglow with blurry white blobs! Tossed into the bunch are gorgeous images of the full moon, perhaps reflecting on waters or rising over a mountainside.

(Note that while new smartphones now accommodate shutter speed technology, which is amazing, this article speaks to using a DSLR camera, which has control of ISO, shutter speed (including Bulb), and aperture settings.)


With so many opportunities to photograph a full moon in a given year, there are many chances to improve full moon photography skills where you can go from the white blob in the top photo to the crater defined full moon images below:

From this:

White Blob!

To this:

Photo Credit: Heather Hummel Photography

Here are 8 steps for photographing the Full Moon. They are a foundational place to start, and depending on individual results, can (and should) be adjusted accordingly.

1. In order to enlarge the moon and show the details of the surface, use a good telephoto lens that is longer than 200 mm. Alternatively, such as in this example, if there is a landscape foreground, the focal length could be a wide angle.

Moonrise in the Rocky Mountains
Photo Credit:Heather Hummel Photography

2. Set the Camera Mode to Manual.

3. Set the ISO to 100 or whatever the base ISO is for your camera. Again, this is just a starting point. Some of these images were shot at higher ISOs.

4. Set the Aperture to f/11, whether using Manual Mode or Aperture Priority.

5. Set the shutter speed to 1/125 with an ISO of 100. If the ISO is set for 200, use a shutter speed of 1/250.

6. Set the focus to Manual. This is often done right on the lens.

7. Set the lens to focus on the center of the infinity sign. Note: Higher end cameras can accommodate infinity in different ways. This step is for more basic DSLR cameras.

8. Set the self-timer to two-seconds and press the shutter release. Depending on the results, either slow down or speed up the shutter speed. For example, if you are still getting a white blob, speed up the shutter speed. This is key: the reason for the white blob is the shutter speed is too slow, allowing the moon light to over expose the image. Speed it up, and you'll see greater moon surface definition.

Moon Rising Over Point Lobos
Photo Credit: Heather Hummel Photography

Accessories:
In order to achieve even better results, add these accessories to your camera bag.


Filters: There will be situations where an filter will help to keep down the white blob effect. A neutral gradient graduated filter, such as this one by Tiffen, can help to shade the brightness of the moon while allowing more light on the foreground. If there are foregrounds such as the ones in the above examples, use a ND graduated filter to even out the foreground and the sky.
 
Tiffen 67mm Color Graduated Neutral Density 0.6 Filter

This example is a 67mm, be sure to get the right mm size for your lens(es).

Tripods:  I always use a tripod, such as Ravelli or Manfrotto, while on low light photography shoots.



Ravelli APLT4 61-inch Light Weight Aluminum Tripod With Bag
 
 Manfrotto MKCOMPACTLT-BK Compact Tripod (Black)


Remote Shutter Release:
For under $10, I highly recommend picking up a remote shutter release. Even though the camera should be set to a 2 second self-timer, having the remote shutter release adds to the reduction of camera shake. I use mine all the time in conjunction with the self-timer.
This top one is an example of one for Canons.


FotoTech FTRC-6 IR Wireless Shutter Release Remote For Canon EOS 5DS, 5DR, 7D Mark II, EOS 6D, EOS 7D, EOS 70D, EOS 60Da, EOS 60D, EOS 5D Mark III, EOS 5D Mark II, SL1, T6s, T6i, T5i, T4i, T3i, T2i, T1i Digital SLRS(Replaces Canon RC-5 RC-6) with FotoTech Velvet Bag

And this is an example of one for Nikons.

FotoTech ML-L3 Wireless Shutter Release Remote For Nikon D750, D5500, D5300, D610, D7200, D7100, D3300, D3000, D3200, D5200, D5100, D5000, D7000, D60, D80, D90, D600, CoolPix P7800, Coolpix P7000, P6000, P7100, N65, N75, Coolpix 8400, 8800, Pronea S, Nuvis S, Nikon 1 J1, Nikon 1 J2 Nikon 1 V1 V2 V3 Digital SLRS with FotoTech Velvet Bag

Between the filters, tripod, and remote shutter release, your full moon images will be on par with the pros!

Want to learn how to master low light photography and to capture your own low-light photos? My book MASTER LOW LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY is available on Amazon.

Capturing the Harvest Moon in Aspen, CO

This image of the Harvest Moon was captured in Hunters Creek, Aspen, CO in September, 2012. Watching the moon rise over the Aspen mountain range is an incredible sight to see. Little did I know back then that it would be chosen as one of my eight images that would be represented by Agora Gallery in New York City just eight months later.

My artist statement with Agora Gallery

"In today's world of social media and technology, I think it's important for people to take time out and appreciate the land and seas that the new, green world is trying to save. It's one thing to recycle and do your daily bit for the environment- it's another to get out and actually enjoy the elements we're working so hard to preserve. It's my hope that my images inspire people to do this.
As a photographer, my interest in land and seascape has always been much stronger than any other source of inspiration. I’m constantly in search of new scenes to spread ‘pixel dust’ on. No matter the season or the setting, Mother Nature continues to inspire me to seek the next photo opportunity. Having driven cross-country eight times, I'm fascinated by wide open spaces and how light, or the lack of light, impacts the scene before me. Everywhere I go, I analyze light." - Heather Hummel, Photographer

Press Release

Heather Hummel’s astoundingly vivid landscape photography luxuriates in both great distances and intimate touches. In bringing a wide perspective to a variety of environments, Hummel manages to make even the most familiar scenes seem more encompassing, more complete, as if the entire story were finally being told. Her image of an old wooden schoolhouse includes the long, meandering countryside behind it, where the distant farm, rolling scrubland, and dramatic sky suggest social and economic contexts for the viewer. Her photo of a dirt path stretches out for miles to reach, finally, snow-capped mountains and seemingly the ends of the earth. All parts are rendered in slightly unreal sharpness and brilliant colors, as if Hummel has trained a laser focus on every single piece of the photo at once. The overall effect is both familiar and unexpected — a story with a twist.
Hummel was born in Connecticut and today works in Charlottesville, Virginia. While photography is her passion, she is also an award-winning writer and describes her occupation as a “photonovelist.”

Want to learn how to master low light photography and to capture your own low-light photos? My book MASTER LOW LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY is available on Amazon.