Different take on moon...does it work?

oldovaloldoval Registered Users Posts: 456 Major grins
edited January 24, 2011 in Other Cool Shots
First try at getting a moon shot. I'm now envious of those who can do it well. Do these work?

1164884339_8mM6P-L.jpg

1164888822_75k3Z-L.jpg
Nate
http://nathanwiley.smugmug.com/

Comments

  • Darren Troy CDarren Troy C Registered Users Posts: 1,927 Major grins
    edited January 22, 2011
    Like the first...not sure what's going on with the second.
    http://DarrenTroyCphotography.com/
  • oldovaloldoval Registered Users Posts: 456 Major grins
    edited January 23, 2011
    A few more.

    1165016080_cTKJp-L.jpg

    1165016108_WKseL-L.jpg
    Nate
    http://nathanwiley.smugmug.com/
  • SKnightSKnight Registered Users Posts: 112 Major grins
    edited January 23, 2011
    Shooting the Moon is amazingly hard but it looks like you're on the right track!
    http://orpheus.smugmug.com/
  • lizzard_nyclizzard_nyc Registered Users Posts: 4,056 Major grins
    edited January 23, 2011
    I've tried a few times to shoot the moon, but without success.

    I really like the first shot in the first set and the second shot in the second set.

    I'm also curious as to your first shot (multiple moons?) what's going on with that?

    I think you did great--specially compared to my moon shots.
    Liz A.
    _________
  • oldovaloldoval Registered Users Posts: 456 Major grins
    edited January 23, 2011
    SKnight wrote: »
    Shooting the Moon is amazingly hard but it looks like you're on the right track!

    Thank you Sknight. thumb.gif
    Nate
    http://nathanwiley.smugmug.com/
  • oldovaloldoval Registered Users Posts: 456 Major grins
    edited January 23, 2011
    lizzard_nyc wrote: »
    I've tried a few times to shoot the moon, but without success.

    I really like the first shot in the first set and the second shot in the second set.

    I'm also curious as to your first shot (multiple moons?) what's going on with that?

    I think you did great--specially compared to my moon shots.

    Thank you thumb.gif

    I cloned the moon in Lightroom and then used the exposure slider to highlight different textures. Sorta like an HDR shot of the moon.....sorta.
    In the lowest moon you can see the craters reallly well and in the top, darkest moon you can see the dark valleys better.

    I wonder if an HDR shot would work for the moon to bring out all the texture and tone? Maybe next time.
    Nate
    http://nathanwiley.smugmug.com/
  • kdogkdog Administrators Posts: 11,681 moderator
    edited January 23, 2011
    The first and last one have blown out areas. You don't need to HDR the moon as there's not a whole lot of dynamic range there. It's basically a big sunlit ball. You just have to be careful you don't blow it out. Careful spot metering or manual exposure work the best. I usually shoot at low ISO to control the noise, and large aperture. Here's a link to one of mine that's about in the same phase as yours. http://www.desertilluminations.com/Sky/Astrophotography/IMG2052/1096436125_rvPnK-O-2.jpg
    Moderator of Landscapes forum
    Link to my Smugmug site
  • oldovaloldoval Registered Users Posts: 456 Major grins
    edited January 24, 2011
    Kdog. I didn't have much luck getting rid of the blownout parts in the lower right of the moon. I took a lot of shots but it seemed that if took an exposure dark enough to eliminate the blown out area I ended up losing too much crater detail. Would a polarizing filter help here?
    Nate
    http://nathanwiley.smugmug.com/
  • kdogkdog Administrators Posts: 11,681 moderator
    edited January 24, 2011
    No, don't use any filters at all, not even a UV filter. A CP is used for perpendicular light. A full moon is straight light. Truth, the best way to get crater detail is to shoot on the half-moon or thereabouts. That way the moon is cross-lit, and you get maximum shadow detail. The moon is in a perfect phase for photography right now, so try again. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Just be sure to watch your blinkies and make sure you're not blowing anything out. Shooting RAW is always best to be able to tweak things afterwards. It helps to bring down the highlights and bring up the shadows a bit to even things out, not to the point that you need HDR or anything.
    Moderator of Landscapes forum
    Link to my Smugmug site
  • oldovaloldoval Registered Users Posts: 456 Major grins
    edited January 24, 2011
    Thanks kdog....good info. I'll try RAW next time too.....maybe that'll let me pull things back a bit.
    Nate
    http://nathanwiley.smugmug.com/
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