Moon Photography

Although it is by far the biggest and brightest object in the night sky the moon is not an easy subject to photograph. Using a standard 50mm lens, an image projected onto a slide or negative is only about 1/50 of an inch. Also consider such issues as exposure times, film types, and lenses and you begin to understand what is needed to take photographs of the moon. With the recent introduction of inexpensive digital cameras a whole new area of lunar photography is now available to the amateur. I've included a few things to consider when trying to photograph the moon. Equipment, techniques and even a few formulas are presented. The Moon As A Source Of Light

The moon appears full when it's in a position where the side of the moon facing earth is fully lit by the sun. Photographing a full moon isn't much different than photographing any other sun-lit object-except that it's pretty far away. Due to this fact it's recommended that you use either a SLR (single lens reflex) camera with a long lens or a semi-professional digital camera rather than a point-and-shoot or a single-use "disposable" camera. In fact, with a point-and-shoot you can get an image of the moon but it will be a tiny white point rather than anything that like the moon.

