Q&A for How to Photograph the Moon

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How can I photograph the moon?

Richard Engelbrecht
Professional Photographer
Richard Engelbrecht is a Professional Photographer and the Owner-Operator of Mr.E Photography of Conesus, New York. He specializes in nature photography of the Finger Lakes, Genesee Valley, and Southern-tier regions of New York State.

Richard Engelbrecht

Professional Photographer

Expert Answer

Depending on what phase of the moon you're in, it's going to be very bright, so you need to use a relatively fast shutter speed to keep the exposure down.

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Question

How do you make the moon look big in pictures?

Or Gozal
Photographer
Or Gozal has been an amateur photographer since 2007. Her work has been published in, most notably, National Geographic and Stanford University's Leland Quarterly.

Or Gozal

Photographer

Expert Answer

Get a high mm lens. You probably shouldn't go lower than 55mm! That will lead to the moon looking smaller in your picture than you'd ideally want it to.

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Question

Can I use 13 megapixel camera?

Ryan Dikosta

Community Answer

Yes, absolutely. Megapixels are not a major deciding factor for moon shots, though. It is the zoom capability that gives you fine details.

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Can I use my phone's camera?

Ryan Dikosta

Community Answer

It will be hard for your phone camera to focus that far; the picture will turn out to be blurry.

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Question

What type of camera do I need?

LeahlovesGod

Top Answerer

Any type of camera could work; the higher quality, the better. But as long as you can change the ISO and F stop, you should be able to get some decent pictures.

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What if I don't have a good camera, and I'm just using my phone? Are there any tips for a bad camera or phone?

Community Answer

You could try dimming the light and tapping the phone to focus the screen -- this usually helps. You can also buy phone lenses online.

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You didn't mention anything about ISO or f/stop. Suggestions?

Juliana Donnelly

Community Answer

Set your ISO to 100 if you have a Canon DSLR; 200 if you have a Nikon DSLR (basically, whatever base ISO you have in your camera). For most other brands, the base ISO is also 100. If you have a point-and-shoot camera, see if you can find a menu setting to set your ISO to 100. Make sure “Auto ISO” is turned off. Set your aperture to f/11.

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