Taming the Light of the Moon
Uploaded: February 03, 2008
f/5.6, 1/800, 70-300mm VR @300mm, DSC_3932.jpg, ISO 400, 1/24/08@9:26P.M., P Mode, Spot Meter, Exp Bias -0.67
I took this shot by bracing myself and the camera against a palm tree. I find it very relaxing to just focus on an object through the lens and try and be as quiet and steady as I can until that moment comes when I'm still and ready. Using the spot meter was crucial here I believe and the VR lenses are worth every penny. I cropped the image after tweaking it in iPhoto to bring out some more detail. Another tip is to get the moon as early as possible in the evening when it's appearance is larger.
Exif: F Number: 5.6, Exposure Bias Value: -0.67, ExposureTime: 1/800 seconds, Flash: did not fire., ISO: 400, White balance: Auto white balance, FocalLength: 300.00 mm, Model: NIKON D40
Ellen Hodges February 05, 2008
What a fantastic image. The detail is awesome, Mike!! #847187Aimee C. Eisaman February 05, 2008
Very nice Mike....I love the exposure on this.....much darker than most I have seen! The detail is wonderful! I have tried taking shots of the full moon with my 55-200mm lens, but it comes out too pixelated when cropped. What a difference that extra 100mm makes! And yes the VR I'm sure has much to do with it. I too have noticed that the moon appears larger earlier in the evening so that is a great tip. Thanks for sharing and wonderful work! #5447451Michael S. Lazarus February 06, 2008
Thank you for the kind comment Ellen. I rented the lens used for this photo from a lab in Broward County.Michael S. Lazarus February 06, 2008
Thank you so much Aimee. I hope the information I've included with the photos helps. I will be picking up my first lens, the 18-200mm VR lens that has just had rave reviews everywhere I've looked on the web, very soon. I will take some more shots on the next full moon with that lens and see how much difference the lower zoom makes. I'll post them on the D40 club site when I get them. I'll use the same settings in iPhoto to tweak the image so that I'll be comparing apples to apples so to speak. #5455368Eivor Kuchta February 09, 2008
Amazing capture! Thanks for sharing all those technical details. I have a 18-135 mm lens with my Nikon D80, but I would get a longer lens in addition. 70-300 might be a choice. #5468690Michael S. Lazarus February 12, 2008
Thanks as always Eivor for your comments. I've really enjoyed using the 70-300mm VR as a loner while I wait for my 18-200mm VR to arrive. It needs to be fed a lot of light (especially at full zoom as you would expect) but the optics are very good I think. And the VR WORKS!!!!!!! #5484009Michael S. Lazarus March 10, 2008
Thanks Gary! #5620440Sign up for an interactive online photography course to get critiques on your photos.
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