Top 5 tips for capturing a good photo of this weekend's 'supermoon'
Get your camera ready for a spectacle, because this Sunday is a "supermoon." No, this doesn't mean the moon dons a cape and mask and becomes a super hero with powers. But, it does mean Sunday's lunar orbit will be the closest to Earth this year. That's approximately 221,300 miles for those of you keeping track at home. In fact, it won't be this big again until fall of 2014. Granted, it will be a sight to behold, so AnnArbor.com photographers have compiled a list of camera tips to help.
If the weather cooperates Ann Arborites should get a good glimpse of the 'supermoon' on Sunday.
Photo By: Raja Singh
1) According to timeanddate.com, the supermoon will be full at 7:33 a.m. ET on Sunday. However, at this time of day, the moon will be high in the bright sky and most likely not colorful. A smart photographer would get a picture the night before when the moon rises just above the horizon. Technically, the moon won't be full but it will appear to be so. That will be our little secret, shhhh. We recommend being prepared to start shooting 9 p.m. ET on Saturday. The moon will be completely in the sky by 9:25 p.m.
2) Use a DSLR (Single-Lens Reflex) if available. You're going to want zoom capability along with exposure control on this one. The point-and-shoot camera from your sorority days might not cut it.
3) If you have access to an SLR, grab your most expensive lens and a tripod. Regardless of the time of day, you will want optimal stability. Even if you have been hitting the gym and sculpting your bicep muscles, grab a tripod stud.
4) Obtaining the correct exposure will be tricky. Because the moon is a reflector, your camera settings will require some tweaking. First, go ahead and set the aperture to the largest depth-of-field (~f/22). This will grant you the sharpest detail. If you can, limit the ambient light in the area. Get away from the city, turn off televisions, Christmas trees and other light sources. Make sure your ISO is as low as possible and snap a couple pictures until you find the correct exposure. Finally, set the image quality to high (i.e. Jpeg fine or raw). It would be a good idea to clean your lens, as well.
5) There are two ways to capture this image. Filling the frame with the moon. Or, choose a scene-setter or frame of reference. We suggest the latter. By all means, if you own a 400mm with a teleconverter, break that bad boy out and have at it. If not, choose a secluded area looking over the Ann Arbor skyline, or a river, or shoot through tree branches or light cloud cover. All are good options.
Share your photos of the supermoon using the form below or using the hashtag #A2photos on Instagram or Twitter and we may feature it here on AnnArbor.com
Comments
Daniel Brenner
Mon, Jun 24, 2013 : 7:03 p.m.
Hi all! I hope you enjoyed the weekend and hopefully got a glimpse of the Super Moon.Does anyone have images they would like to share?
Tom Teague
Sun, Jun 23, 2013 : 8:25 p.m.
Since the moon is reflecting bright sunlight, one rule of thumb is to treat it like a neutral object on a sunny day. If you can override the auto features on your camera, set the aperture to to f16 and use one over the ISO number as the shutter speed. For example -- and I'm showing my age here -- back when I shot Tri-X-Pan, which had an ASA/ISO of 400, I took decent B/W moon using a shutter speed as close to 1/400 of a second as my camera allowed and bracketing the aperture openings around f16 to compensate for not being able to select the exact speed. You should remember that the earth just keeps spinning away and that you'll need a decent speed to stop the apparent motion of the moon. In case you want to go manual from time to time, the same formula works as a great starting point for rocks and other items that are lit by bright sun. On a related note, I was way south of Ann Arbor this morning at 5:20 and rued my decision to leave my DSLR at home: The sky was clear and the moon was spectacular, framed up in the limbs of a tree.
Sooze
Sun, Jun 23, 2013 : 12:49 p.m.
Why tell is to do this moon watching on Saturday nite when it is already Sunday morning when we get the article??? What good is that?
Ed Kimball
Mon, Jun 24, 2013 : 3:36 a.m.
The article may have been POSTED Saturday, but the email link to it didn't show up until Sunday morning. I don't know about you, but I have better things to do with my time than watching annarbor.com's website to see if anything new has posted.
jcj
Sun, Jun 23, 2013 : 1:19 p.m.
Sooze Did you Snooze all day Sat? This article was Posted on Sat, Jun 22, 2013 : 11 a.m
teeters
Sat, Jun 22, 2013 : 11:52 p.m.
"Get away from the city, turn off televisions, Christmas trees and other light sources." Christmas Trees! Haha, I actually lol.
LA
Sun, Jun 23, 2013 : 3:24 a.m.
altho I do still have christmas lights in the hallway....around the fireplace....on the bookshelves....on the skeleton.....but not a tree.
Some Guy in A2
Sat, Jun 22, 2013 : 10:12 p.m.
Very tight apertures are frequently not the sweet spot of any lens (nor are wide-open) in terms of sharpness. Usually the sharpest spot is somewhere in the f/8 area. Especially considering the distance of the object being focused on (the moon), the area put in to acceptable focus (hyperfocal distance) is basically the whole moon and what is beyond it, so there is no point in cranking the f stop any more than you have to. Having a "more open" (lower number) f stop will actually improve shutter speed anyway, all other settings being equal, and will thus also decrease the pixelation (noise) from whatever ISO setting you are using. So set your aperture to f/8, and while you are at it, look up in your manual if your camera has a mirror lock-up function.
Nicholas Urfe
Sat, Jun 22, 2013 : 8:16 p.m.
"your most expensive" That is pretty much the core of it. Expensive cell phones don't count. You might as well take a photo of a flashlight.
Bob Krzewinski
Sat, Jun 22, 2013 : 3:29 p.m.
If you are expecting to see something really shocking with the moon tonight (i.e. dramatically bigger than other full moons), you will be disappointed. While not saying AA.com is doing this, often the media plays up astronomy events that border on hysteria. A good example is a few years ago when Mars was a little closer to Earth than normal. One news source started to put out that if you look through a good telescope, Mars can appear 75% larger than the naked eye. Over a short time this same statement turned into "MARS WILL APPEAR 75% LARGER TONIGHT IN RARE NIGHT EVENT!!!!" by other news sources. Ummm they sort of forgot the "telescope" part of the statement.