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The July full moon is special. Not only is it a supermoon – which looks bigger than a ‘regular’ full moon – but it’s also the biggest and brightest full moon of 2022. The increased size and brightness is due to its orbit being closer to Earth , than any other full moon this year.
This month’s supermoon is known as the deer moon because the moon occurs when male deer, called bucks, flash their newly grown antlers. It rises at 9:05 PM on Wednesday evening in Washington and sets at 6:31 AM the next morning. Check TimeandDate.com for moonrise and moonset times in other locations.
On Wednesday evening, weather fronts along the East Coast and into the Intermountain West will generate scattered clouds that may reduce visibility. Skies will be clearest in the central United States and west of the Rockies.
The term supermoon was first coined in 1979 by Richard Nolle to describe a new or full moon that is within 90 percent of its closest approach to Earth. In recent years, supermoons have become popular targets for photographers.
And to help those of us hoping to photograph the moon this month, I asked local photographers for tips on how to capture the perfect moon shot—from how to plan your shot, avoid overexposing the moon, and achieve star framing .
Below are the photographers’ suggestions for shooting the moon, along with a collection of their photos. I’ve also included a few of my own. The camera settings used to capture the photos are included in the captions.
- The first step to planning a moonshot is to check the sunrise, sunset, and moon phase schedule. — Kevin Ambrose
- Patience is required and it helps to stay up late or get up early, depending on the position of the moon. — Chris Fukuda
- Always use a tripod and remote shutter release that are wired or wireless to avoid camera shake. — Kevin Ambrose
- Turn off autofocus and lock focus on foreground objects before moonrise. Otherwise, the autofocus may skip during shooting. — Dave Lyons
- Take lots of photos, as you never know which one will end up hanging on your or someone else’s wall. — Josh Steele
- Various apps can be used to plan where the moon will be on a given day. Some popular apps are PhotoPills, Photographer’s Ephemeris (TPE), Sun Surveyor, and Planit Pro. Google Earth and Street View are also useful for understanding the foreground view of a particular location. — Dave Lyons
- Don’t worry if the night isn’t completely clear, as low clouds can often create a much more dramatic background with the moon. — Josh Steele
- The moon is extremely bright soon after it rises above the horizon, and if the moon is overexposed, detail is lost. — Kevin Ambrose
- Underexposure. — Kevin Wolfe
- Since correct exposure is a challenge at dawn and dusk, consider setting exposures in a wedge. I often put in parentheses (+/- 1 or 2 stops). — Dave Lyons
- Add interest to your moonshot by pairing it with a foreground object such as the US Capitol, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, etc. And whenever possible, position yourself away from the foreground subject to make the moon appear larger. — Dave Lyons
- I like to shoot moon shots from a distance with a long lens, ideally 400mm or more. This makes the moon appear larger and more interesting compared to the foreground. — Josh Steele
- To perfectly align the photos, you need to measure the elevation angles of how the moon rises, sets and its phase. You can get the information by using PhotoPills or Photo Ephermeris (TPE). — Chris Fukuda
- The closer the moon is to the horizon, the more color variations you will see and photograph. — Josh Steele
- Windy conditions can result in blurry photos because it shakes the tripod. And the blur increases when the camera approaches from a long distance. Therefore, a fast shutter speed of 1/20 second or faster is often needed for sharp moon shots with wind. – Sasa Lynn
- It is important that your foreground subject is sharp. It is not so important that the moon is sharp, because when the moon is close to the horizon, it often appears distorted by the atmosphere. — Dave Lyons
- I love photos that combine a view of the moon with a flash. It’s a rare combination, but it’s possible when you’re photographing a distant thunderstorm surrounded by clear skies. — Kevin Ambrose
- While a long lens (300mm or larger) is best when shooting a long distance from a foreground subject, a 70-200mm lens is all that is needed for many classic DC moon shots. — Dave Lyons
I also asked smartphone photographers for their tips on photographing the moon with camera phones:
- Point a telescope at the moon, then place the iPhone camera near the eyepiece of the telescope lens without touching it. Take several pictures of the eyepiece and choose the picture that has the best focus. — David Roberts
- In low-light conditions, you can use iPhone Time-lapse night mode with a tripod to capture videos with a longer interval between frames. Open the camera app, then swipe to the far left until you see Time-lapse. Tap the shutter button to capture your video. — David Jenkins
- Taking photos of the moon with a smartphone can be more of a challenge than with a DSLR camera. Long exposure apps available from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store can greatly improve the quality of night photos. — Nicole France of Mark Lord Photography
Let us know if you have any tips or suggestions for photographing the moon.
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