How to Get Started With Moon Photography
So, you want to get started with moon photography? Go ahead and take out any camera, point it at the moon, and snap away! That’s it, pretty simple eh? I’m guessing you’re looking for more than that though, so let’s talk about the basics to getting better pictures of the moon.
Can you relate? The first photo was taken with my DSLR and zoom lens, the second was taken several years ago on a Galaxy S7 phone.
If there were a recipe for good moon photos, I’d say it takes 3 key ingredients: Equipment, learning, and practice. I suppose if it were truly that easy though, I could really stop writing now. Each of those deserves additional details though, so I’m going to cover the basics of each, so if you want to get started with moon photography you’ll know what it will take. And don’t worry, I won’t be referring back to “the recipe”, I’m done with that analogy.
Equipment:
Yes, you can use any camera to get pictures of the moon, including the one on your phone. But to enable you to take your moon photos to the next level, you’ll want a few pieces of equipment, and you don’t have to spend a ton of money. Even if you are starting with nothing, you can get everything you need for well under $1,000, especially if you shop used. I don’t consider myself a “gear person”, but I do often get asked about what I use, so I’ve put together my complete list if you’re interested. Everyone is different though, so it’s best to combine your personal preferences with a bit of research and decide from that. In short, the equipment I recommend is a DSLR or mirrorless camera, a zoom lens, and a tripod. In long, well, read below!
Camera:
I’m not going to say you can’t take pictures of the moon with your phone, because you certainly can. Most people who have tried end up disappointed though, as demonstrated in the meme above. Now, while newer phones are getting better and better, and you can get attachments to achieve good zoom and actually come away with some decent moon photos, if you really want to start getting into moon photography, you’ll probably want a DSLR or Mirrorless camera. The options for these are endless, and there’s not really one brand or camera that’s better than the rest for moon photography. There are many factors that you might consider, so think about which ones would be most important to you, do some research, and go from there. For example, for someone that does a lot of hiking and backpacking, the weight of the camera might play a more important role in their decision, while someone who is regularly frustrated by technology might look for a camera which is known for ease of use. I personally haven’t even really taken moon photography into consideration when I’ve decided on my cameras. I simply wanted a camera that didn’t break the bank, and that worked well for landscape photography in general. I am currently using a Canon EOS R (mirrorless). Newer cameras will generally cost anywhere in the range from around $500 - $6,000, so your budget will probably be a major factor in your decision. Do some research and base your decision on your personal preferences.
My setup for moon photography, minus a remote shutter. You can find my full gear list here.
Lens: I recommend having at least a 300mm lens in your arsenal for moon photos. A lot of people are surprised what can be done with a 300. I got my first 300mm lens used for $100, and the photo you see below was taken with that. Once you go above 300, lenses seem to get exponentially more expensive, so unless you have the spare money, I’d recommend starting there, and then after trying that some you can decide if you want to go for a lens with more reach. After several years with a 300, I decided I wanted to capture the moon even more zoomed in, so I got the Tamron 150-600. It’s heavy and large so can be a hassle to carry around, but it quickly became my go-to lens for my moon photos. Do your research here as well, even before making a camera purchase, because you will be limited to the lenses compatible with your camera.
Tripod & Tripod Head: While it’s certainly possible to obtain moon photos by shooting handheld, especially with some of the newer cameras and lenses, you can be sure you’re getting the sharpest image by using a tripod. Do you need to spend hundreds of dollars for a sturdy one? No, however I will say that generally, if you’re spending less than $50, there’s a good chance you won’t be satisfied with the sturdiness or durability. A lot of people, including myself, started out getting a cheap tripod, only to quickly find out that a nicer tripod is well worth the investment. It’s also good to know that some tripods come with the head, which is the part connecting to your camera, but for some tripods you need to purchase it separately. Either way, you’ll also want to make sure that tripod head can bear the weight of your setup, especially if you have a heavier lens. Be sure to check the product information for maximum recommended weight, or load weight, and ensure it will work with your equipment.
Taken with a 300mm lens that I purchased used for $100. I did crop in on the photo quite a bit. Single Exposure 🔹 300mm 🔹 F/6.3 🔹 1/125 sec. 🔹 ISO 200
Learning:
Once you have acquired the equipment, you’re ready to take some photos of the moon. Instead of just snapping away though, it will do a lot of good to learn some essential skills. Where can you learn? There are many options, but Google (or your search engine of choice) and Youtube are an excellent place to start. Everybody has different learning styles, so if you don’t find that sufficient, look for in-person classes in your area, or paid online tutorials from your favorite photographers or educational sites, such as Skillshare or LinkedIn Learning, which can provide a more consolidated and organized learning experience.
So, what do you need to learn? First and foremost, you need to learn how to use your camera if you don’t already know how. I recommend using manual settings for moon photos, and for that you need to know how to work with shutter speed, ISO, and aperture. If you aren’t sure what any of those are, that’s perfectly fine as you’re just starting out, but you’ll definitely want to learn about them for any type of photography really. You can find information for your specific camera in the user manual, or try searching Youtube. Now, if you’re simply taking photos of the moon high in the sky at night, you’re all set! I like to add some foreground interest though, so if you want to do the same, you’ll probably want to learn how to use planning apps. To start out simple, Android users can try Moon Locator, and Iphone users Moon Tracker, which are both free and easy to use apps. If you want to plan what I call precision shots, you’ll want a more involved photography planning app. An example of a precision shot would be capturing the moon as it rises behind a particular tree, or a friend on top of a hill. I actually use three different apps for these types of shots, as I like to cross reference to ensure accuracy: PlanIt, PhotoPills, and TPE. I use PlanIt the most, so if I had to pick one I’d go with that. There’s definitely a learning curve involved in using all of these apps, but they’re quite fun and very helpful in planning out moon photos. In addition to learning about your camera and planning apps, I find it natural to want to learn more about the moon, even things that may not be relevant to photographing it. This is of course optional, but if you’re like me, after taking so many pictures of the moon, you can’t help but ask questions such as, ‘How old is the moon?’, ‘How fast does it move?’, and ‘Is its surface smoother during the waxing phases?’. Luckily, we live in a time where there aren’t many questions like these that can’t be answered with a quick internet search. Except for may that last one.
In 2012, I purchased a used DSLR from a friend, and this was the first photo I took of the moon. I had much to learn, including keeping the horizon straight.
Practice
You heard it here first, folks: Practice, practice, practice! Okay, maybe this isn’t the first time you’re hearing that, but, there’s a reason: it’s important in developing any skill! I actually prefer to call it “implementing”. We can spend hours upon hours watching Youtube videos, but if we aren’t implementing what we’ve learned, we’re not going to be improving. We might “know” how to do something, but until we put it into action, do we truly know? The goal is for all of our steps to eventually become second nature, and we’ll be able to do them automatically without having to think much about it. This gives us more time to think creatively, and also to be prepared to do whatever is necessary to take advantage of those opportunities that present themselves as incredible moments that only last for a short window of time.
I plan on diving in deeper into a lot of this in future blog posts, especially the learning part, but for now, I hope that if you have desires to get into some moon photography, you feel more comfortable knowing the steps necessary to getting out there to enjoy the moon in a new way!
After learning and practice, I can consistently plan and execute photoshoots of the moon like this one. Single Exposure 🔹 600mm 🔹 F/8 🔹 1/200 sec. 🔹 ISO 200
