Tips for Photographing the Moon

Whether your intent is to photograph the moon as the subject or as the background, these tips should help you next time you have your camera out.

Step 1: Tip #1

Use a telephoto lens to zoom in as much as you can on the moon.

If you don't have a telephoto lens, even just using a smartphone camera and a telescope can have great results.

This photo was taken by holding my phone against the eyepiece of a telescope.

Step 2: Tip #2

Although the moon is the brightest and most apparent at night, photos taken during twilight can be equally stunning.

Step 3: Tip #3

During a foggy or cloudy night, the light from the moon has a beautiful effect.

Step 4: Tip #4

Use the moon to attain a silhouette of an object, as I did here with a drone.

Step 5: Tip #5

Use the moon in the background during long exposure pictures.

Comments

[Gadisha]

Thanks, I've always wanten to now how to taken goed picture of the moon.

[Gadisha]

Sorry, the Phone I'm using 'corrected' my spelling in reference to the language that it's set to (Dutch) and I realized it to late...

[Aaron Van Dyken]

Glad I could help!

[StephAdams]

You get my vote! My favorite of the six entries

[Aaron Van Dyken]

Thanks!

[michaelgrogan97]

Very helpful tips!

[Aaron Van Dyken]

Thank you!

[LawrencePharr]

Wow great work! I'll be sure to use these steps in the near future

[Aaron Van Dyken]

Thanks! Glad I could be of help.

[Penolopy Bulnick]

I can't beleive you got those photos of the moon with that knife in the last step! Do you know how long your exposure was to get that to work?

[Aaron Van Dyken]

The exposures were 4 seconds, 15 seconds, and 5 seconds, respectively.