First go at photographing the moon

Bruce Williams · #1 (**permalink**) 27-03-2010, 11:37 PM

This was a spur of the moment thing. I noticed the moon as I was coming in from parking the car and decided to have a go at photographing it. I used my Nikon D300 with Sigma 150-500 VR lens - on a tripod of course.

Settings: RAW, ISO200, lens at full zoom. Exposure was a trial and error thing - this shot was 1/250s at f/9.

I used the 10s delay but didn't bother to lock up the mirror (I'll try that next time).

I took some shots using manual focus and some auto (I think this one is auto).

I processed the image in Adobe Camera Raw and CS3.

This is my first go at shooting the moon so any comments or suggestions on how I might improve things appreciated:

A slightly different pp:

Bruce

Wild-Woman · #2 (**permalink**) 28-03-2010, 05:52 AM

Don't see how you can improve on excellent Bruce. They're spot on!

Jason Green · #3 (**permalink**) 28-03-2010, 08:36 AM

Morning Bruce,

Absolutely stunning Bruce - so much detail. I can't think how to improve on it, either. With so much detail there, it would be interesting to get other shots to see other craters, etc. by photographing it at different times.

Take care,

Jason

Bruce Williams · #4 (**permalink**) 28-03-2010, 10:42 AM

Jules and Jason - Thank you both for your kind and encouraging comments.

I'm really enjoying playing with the moon image in Photoshop. Coming back to it again this morning I realised that I'd rather overcooked the post processing and lost detail in consequence. I had another, more considered go at drawing out detail in Photoshop using various craters as 'detail markers'. This is my final attempt which I feel is less prickly and does show detail missing from last night's attempts (see the bright, ray crater 'Proclus' just west of the Mare Crisium).

The arrowed crater (Proclus) is not really visible in the images posted last night:

Jason - I think you are right about photographing other phases. I've read that the full moon (I checked and last night's moon was ~93% illuminated) is the least rewarding photographically as there are few shadows to show relief and detail. You do see the crater ray systems however that I think are quite interesting in their own right.

Bruce

squishy · #5 (**permalink**) 05-04-2010, 05:37 PM

great shots Bruce. Lovely detail.

I've always meant to ask (this is off topic, but I've wanted to ask for a while)

how do you get your photos to default load as the 'larger version'?

My links always lead to the small version.

Sorry for the off topic question.

thanks

Bruce Williams · #6 (**permalink**) 05-04-2010, 07:54 PM

Hi Adam - Thanks for your comments - always appreciated

.

Here's how you get image to default to large size:

Firstly, this tweak is only require where the longest side is greater than 880 pixels.

When you paste in the image link details it will look (almost) like this :

[u.l=h..p://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/archive/showphoto.php/photo/124920][img]h..p://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/archive/data/61/thumbs/DSC_3654_e3_arrow.jpg[/img][/u.l]

....immediately after the photo number (in this instance 124920) insert: /size/big

That's all there is too it.

Bruce