The nocturnal splendor of the SUPERMOON is coming, and it's time to get out your cameras.

On Sunday, June 23, the moon will be 356,991 km from the Earth. That's the closest it will be during 2013. And it just so happens to be a full moon. These two celestial phenomena have combined to create a supermoon!

Now, astronomers call this a "perigee full moon," which is far less exciting than supermoon. It's also far less exciting to take a photo of this wondrous event only to have it turn out fuzzy or poorly composed. So whether your shooting with a smartphone or a DSLR, here are a few tips on taking the best supermoon photo you can muster.

Tripod

This is the most important piece of equipment besides your camera. If you've ever shot photos in darkness you know that the shutter needs to be open longer than usual (sometimes for a few seconds) to capture a suitable image. Holding the camera in your hands won't work, no matter how steady they are.

Shutter Timer

You've probably only used the shutter timer on your camera to take photos of yourself with friends and family. You press the shutter and have two, five, or 10 seconds before the shutter actually fires and takes a photo. Well the shutter timer is also helpful for long exposures, like when you're trying to take a photo of a very large moon. Even when your camera is on the tripod, when you press the shutter button it introduces shake and you end up with a blurry image. The shutter timer self-triggers so the camera has time to stabilize after you press the button.

Exposure

Unless you're a pro and you have a 700mm lens that shoots at F1.7 and a camera sensor the size of a baby's head, you're gonna have to leave the shutter open for a few seconds. If it can be helped, try to keep your ISO below 1000. Anything higher could introduce noticeable grain or noise. Then there's the art of shooting the moon. You can shoot at F2.0 or the widest your camera lens will go. Yes, it'll allow more light into your camera, but you need to think about what else will be in your photo.

For smartphones, find apps that allow for long exposure times. For iOS I use SlowShutter.

Photo: Roberto Baldwin .

Composition

If you take a photo of the moon against the blackness of space with no points of reference, you'll end up with a photo that could have been taken any time of the year. You need something in the foreground to illustrate the full superness of the SUPERMOON. That means taking a photo of the moon on the horizon against buildings, hills, trees or bat-themed superheroes. You could just walk outside the night of the event and hope you're in the right place at the right time, or you can use the handy moonrise/moonset tool from the United States Naval Observatory.

Patience

This isn't an action shot. This is a photo of a slow-moving celestial object. You're going to have to take multiple test shots to get your exposure correct. Once that's dialed in, start taking photos. Move the camera around to adjust the scene. Remember your composition is just as important as your exposure.

So go outside Sunday night. Even if you don't plan on taking a photo, you can bring some kids along and tell them that by the end of the night, you'll be able to reach up and touch the moon. Then take photos of their faces.