Digital Photographer - UK (2019-12)

Dark skies are essential

for nightscapes, but

don’t overlook our

biggest satellite

Make friends

with the moon

What’s the biggest light polluter? It’s not street

lights or even the glow from big cities, but the

moon. During its 27-day orbit it changes phase,

waxing and waning between a bright full moon

(which shines all night and makes nightscape

photography very different) and an invisible

new moon (around which you’ll find very dark

skies, perfect for nightscaping).

Nightscape photographers tend to have

a habit of completely avoiding the moon

and only heading out on shoots when it’s

absent from the sky. That’s a shame because

the moon is one of the most beautiful and

dramatic celestial objects of all.

The internet loves ‘supermoons’ and ‘blood

moons’. A supermoon is simply when the

moon is slightly closer to Earth so looks

around 10% bigger. You won’t notice, and nor

will your camera. A blood moon refers to a

total lunar eclipse, when it drifts into Earth’s

shadow and turns red. However, that won’t

happen again in the UK until 16 May 2022. So

forget that and instead know that it’s at its

best for a few nights after a new moon, when

it hangs as a slim crescent above the western

horizon after sunset, and for a few minutes as

a full moon rises in the east once per month.

Whenever you photograph the moon it

will be either brighter or dimmer than the

previous night, but as a general starting point,

use an entry-level DSLR camera with an 18-

55mm lens set to f/5.6, ISO 200 and expose

for 1/400 second. Now experiment.

As well as looking at its best just after a new moon and briefly

during a full moon, it’s also close to the horizon at these times, so

the moon is in a perfect position to be captured alongside some

foreground interest. However, why not also do something unusual

and try to photograph the moon during the day, when it’s pale

against a blue sky?

When to photograph the moon Get to know the moon’s monthly cycle

A MAGICAL MOONRISE

Visit timeanddate.com/moon

to find out the time of the full

moon’s rise where you are. For

about 15 minutes it’s a beautiful

pale orange before it turns white

and too bright to photograph.

CAPTURING A CRESCENT

From the night after a new

moon until a few days later, a

shorter exposure can capture a

crescent moon hanging in the

western sky just after sunset. A

crescent moon is the darkest.

AWESOME EARTHSHINE

A longer exposure of a crescent

moon can catch ‘Earthshine’,

which is when sunlight is

reflected off Earth and back onto

the moon. Use bracketing to get

the perfect exposure.

MOON IN

THE DAY

Each day, the

moon rises about

50 minutes later

than it did the day

before. Before a

full moon, look

for the daytime

moon in the

afternoon, and

after a full moon,

look for the

daytime moon in

the morning.

3

Above

Moon shadow

The effects of

the moon on

landscapes can

be incredible

20

secs

x4 © Jamie Carter

© Jamie Carter

TECHNIQUES

Darkskiesareessential

fornightscapes,but

don’toverlookour

biggestsatellite

Make friends

with the moon

What’sthebiggestlightpolluter?It’snotstreet

lightsoreventheglowfrombigcities,butthe

moon.Duringits27-dayorbitit changesphase,

waxingandwaningbetweena brightfullmoon

(whichshinesallnightandmakesnightscape

photographyverydifferent)andaninvisible

newmoon(aroundwhichyou’llfindverydark

skies,perfectfornightscaping).

Nightscapephotographerstendtohave

a habitofcompletelyavoidingthemoon

andonlyheadingoutonshootswhenit’s

absentfromthesky.That’sa shamebecause

themoonisoneofthemostbeautifuland

dramaticcelestialobjectsofall.

Theinternetloves‘supermoons’and‘blood

moons’.A supermoonissimplywhenthe

moonisslightlyclosertoEarthsolooks

around10%bigger.Youwon’tnotice,andnor

willyourcamera.A bloodmoonreferstoa

totallunareclipse,whenit driftsintoEarth’s

shadowandturnsred.However,thatwon’t

happenagainintheUKuntil 16 May2022.So

forgetthatandinsteadknowthatit’satits

bestfora fewnightsaftera newmoon,when

it hangsasa slimcrescentabovethewestern

horizonaftersunset,andfora fewminutesas

a fullmoonrisesintheeastoncepermonth.

Wheneveryouphotographthemoonit

willbeeitherbrighterordimmerthanthe

previousnight,butasa generalstartingpoint,

useanentry-levelDSLRcamerawithan18-

55mmlenssettof/5.6,ISO 200 andexpose

for1/400second.Nowexperiment.

Aswellaslookingatitsbestjustaftera newmoonandbriefly

duringa fullmoon,it’salsoclosetothehorizonatthesetimes,so

themoonisina perfectpositiontobecapturedalongsidesome

foregroundinterest.However,whynotalsodosomethingunusual

andtrytophotographthemoonduringtheday,whenit’spale

againsta bluesky?

Whentophotographthemoon Gettoknowthemoon’smonthlycycle

A MAGICALMOONRISE

Visittimeanddate.com/moon

tofindoutthetimeofthefull

moon’srisewhereyouare.For

about 15 minutesit’sa beautiful

paleorangebeforeit turnswhite

andtoobrighttophotograph.

CAPTURINGA CRESCENT

Fromthenightaftera new

moonuntila fewdayslater,a

shorterexposurecancapturea

crescentmoonhangingin the

westernskyjustaftersunset.A

crescentmoonis thedarkest.

AWESOMEEARTHSHINE

A longerexposureofa crescent

mooncancatch‘Earthshine’,

whichis whensunlightis

reflectedoffEarthandbackonto

themoon.Usebracketingtoget

theperfectexposure.

MOONIN

THEDAY

Eachday,the

moonrisesabout

50 minuteslater

thanit didtheday

before.Beforea

fullmoon,look

forthedaytime

moonin the

afternoon,and

aftera fullmoon,

lookforthe

daytimemoonin

themorning.

3

Above

Moonshadow

Theeffectsof

themoonon

landscapescan

beincredible

20

secs

x4 © Jamie Carter

© Jamie Carter

TECHNIQUES