I dreamt of capturing a big moon over a big mountain peak. I researched options, scouted locations, and pre-planned photo exposure settings. In the end my preconceived photo vision was different than my actual digital final photo result.

To be clear, I am not at all unhappy with the result. It is just different than my vision. But that’s not so surprising, is it?

Often perception doesn’t match reality. In photography sometimes the mismatch is a result of poor planning, weather changes, circumstances beyond control, or sometimes because you see a better option, a better choice. That was the case here.

It was another early morning photo excursion. Up and out by 3:45 am. The moon wouldn’t set until 6:15 am but I wanted to re-scout the three standing locations I was considering. A fellow photo enthusiasts followed me. With headlamps on we stopped at each location settling on the last which happened to be my original first choice.

The moon was still high, really high! It would be at least an hour or more before it would be time to start up the hillside and set up shop. So who thought we needed to get up at 3:30 am? That would be me.

Super Moon Tumalo Reservoir 201022NSND850

We sat in our respective cars (social distancing). I was calculating and recalculating where the moon would land. I had hoped it would come down between Middle and North Sister Mountains. The reality was it would probably end up between South and Middle Sister.

Finally it was time. On went the clothing layers including hat, gloves and headlamp. Up the hillside we went each looking for a spot that would accommodate our tripod’s and gear pack’s. Decisions and choices had to be made. What lens focal length? What composition works best? What exposure settings did we want to start with?

The moon was still pretty high but it was time to start taking test exposures. We discussed and compared exposure settings and our composition intent. Did I mention the moon was still high?

As we dialed in our composition and exposure settings it is as if the moon suddenly got heavier and couldn’t defy gravity. It was now descending incredibly fast or so it seemed.

The difference between the moon’s brightness and that of the foreground was extreme. We anticipate this and had a plan but we would have to stay alert and be prepared to shift camera settings as the sun rose.

The moon became even brighter as the rising sun in the opposite sky accelerated its ascent. The forest at the base of the mountains, mid-ground in the photos became visible. It seemed like a minute or two later so did the foreground forest! Things were happening fast.

This push and pull of light meant working quickly to preserve detail and texture throughout the scene. I was alternating between taking photos specifically for the foreground and a separate image for the moon. The process would preserve detail in both. I would blend the two images together in the post editing process.

The moon made a beeline for the North slope of South Sister. It was now more blue, more transparent. It would soon be below the horizon.

Wait, wait it can’t be over already! But it was. We both felt we got some pretty good photos. Time for coffee and a review of this extraordinary event. We agreed the early up time was worth it and started planning the next outing.

Cheers,

Steve

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Photo Tech Talk | How did you do that?

This section is intended to satisfy the photo enthusiasts among you. The objective is to provide some of the details behind the capture. Please feel free to send questions and make comments. Send them to me at steve@giardiniphotography.com. Reference the Super Moon Photo.

Objective

I wasn’t interested in capturing a close up of just the moon. I wanted to capture the super moon with context. I wanted to capture it above and on descent behind the mountains.

Photo Exposure Settings

Super Moon Tumalo Reservoir 201022NSND850 - FOREGROUND: Nikon D850, Nikon 70-200 mm @ 86 mm, 1/2 second, f/11, ISO 200, pattern metering, manual mode MOON: 1/40 SECOND, F/18 Presented as 16:9 aspect ratio

Super Moon South Sisters 201023NSND850 - Nikon D850, Nikon 70-200 mm w/2x tele-convertor @ 240 mm, 1/15 second, f/22, ISO 200, pattern metering, manual mode Presented here as 1:1 aspect ratio.

Priorities, Technology Tips & Considerations

Shutter Speed. The moon moves fast, faster than you might think. In order to capture a tack sharp image, shutter speed / exposure time is a priority. The shutter speed for the moon portion of the first image was 1/50 second. The speed for the single exposure was 1/15 second. Both look pretty sharp at 200% magnification. A slower shutter speed would have created a blurred moon.

TIP: It is critical to zoom in (+ button) after each exposure to check for focus sharpness.

Focus. Focusing in low light is always a challenge. I used a manual focusing technique for the first image (see TIP below). By the time I took the second image there was enough light for the camera had no problem auto focusing. It is a good idea to practice manually focusing from time to time. The experience will come in handy for scenarios like this moon shoot.

TIP: Here’s a low light focusing technique that will work 95% of the time.

Once you’re happy with your composition and you have decided what your exposure settings will be, make a note of the them (shutter speed, ISO and aperture). If you are using a zoom (multi-focal length lens) DO NOT touch the lens once you have the composition you want.
Next dial the aperture to its widest opening i.e. smallest f-stop number like f/2.8. This will allow more light into the camera. Hopefully this will brighten your image sufficiently to create a focus. If this doesn’t, lengthen your shutter speed. The combination will surely work.
Choose a focus point preferably something with edge (horizon, tree trunk, etc) or high contrast area of the scene. Use the zoom + button (not the lens zoom) to magnify that focus spot. Use the auto focus button or manually focus on the spot. Once the camera indicates it has captured a focus (green square, solid white dot, check your camera manual) carefully and gently switch the lens to manual. This will hold the focus.
Next reset the aperture and shutter speed. Recheck your histogram and take the photo. Zoom in with the + button and check for image sharpness. Be sure to remember your focus is on manual!

Focus Point. Neither of my images include a foreground object close to the camera. If one had, I would have used a hyperfocal focusing technique to be the entire scene was in focus. For these photos I focused a third of the way up from the bottom of the frame. After each exposure I zoomed in with the + button to check sharpness. I focused on mid-ground in the single exposure image.

FULL DISCLOSURE: When I blended the two exposures together for the wider image, I did increase the moon’s size a tiny bit to cover the moon’s extended halo from the foreground shot.

Aperture & ISO. Because the moon was full and the sun was rising, choosing exposure settings was done using a conventional method. Even though I was in manual mode I made shutter speed my priority to ensure the moon was sharp. Once a shutter speed was confirmed with test images I choose my aperture next. I wanted a full depth of field. I didn’t want to use an f-stop wider than f/11. Once the shutter speed and aperture were selected I dialed my ISO and watched my histogram. For the blended image the two exposure had different exposure settings to accommodate content priorities.

TIP: When you know the light will change fast as it was during this session, have an exposure plan mind. Decide which of your settings (shutter speed, aperture or ISO) is the priority. Understand how the three interact, the exposure triangle. Practice the technique of exposure equivalent. For example, if it is getting darker and depth if field (aperture is your priority, know how to compensate by changing shutter speed and/or ISO.

Light Metering. I used pattern metering for all the images I took. This is a good default selection. In retrospect I should have used spot metering for the moon specific images.

Next Time I’ll …

I think the next time I shoot a super moon event I’ll try to include a foreground element that provides scale but without using an ultra wide focal length.

Super Moon: Dream It | Plan It | Capture It