Location

• You want to be in a dark location with minimal light pollution.  The other option is to find a place with an interesting foreground.    

• You can use PhotoPills, Moon-Seeker or The Photographers Ephemeris etc.  To get the best detail in the moon it’s better not to shoot a full moon.   

What You Will Need

• A DSLR or Mirrorless Camera— I am using a Canon EOS R. 

• A secure base for your camera is essential to capturing the moon and avoiding camera shake.  Make sure Image Stabilization is turned off.

• A Remote Camera Release or use your camera countdown timer at 2 or 10 seconds.   

• In order to help fill the frame and properly show off the moon, the longer the zoom lens the better. . . Use a long lens (> 200mm) and zoom in as far as you can. I am using a Canon 100-400 mm at 400mm or my Tamron 150-600 mm lens.  

• A Teleconverter is Optional.  I am using a Canon 1.4x iii when using the Canon 100-400 mm lens.  Just remember that you will lose a few stops of lights when using the TC.

• A Headlamp

Camera Settings

• Set the Camera to Manual

• Set the ISO to 100 but you can go higher up to ISO 100-200

• Choose aperture of f/11 but you can go between. f/11 to f/16 (find the sweet spot for sharpness). If you need more speed go down to f/8

• Under Expose the Image Slightly about 1/2 a stop

• Metering—Spot Metering

• Choose shutter speed. Shutter speed around 1/125th to 1/250th.  If it is too bright, set your shutter speed to a higher value i.e., 1/500th.  If it is too dim, set your shutter speed to a lower value.  A good rule of thumb is to keep your shutter speed at a 1/125-second minimum.

• Set the focus to Manual focus. Use the rear LCD screen “live view” of your camera to zoom in and focus on the moon. Once focus is acquired and the Moon appears sharp, make sure to set your lens to manual focus to prevent your camera from refocusing.

What Is The Looney 11 Rule?

There is a “rule of thumb” that is easy to memorize and should get you close to a good exposure of the face of the moon – the “looney 11 rule.”

The looney 11 rule is a very simple guideline intended to give the photographer a baseline to start from when shooting the moon at night.

The Rule: For astronomical photos of the Moon's surface, set aperture to f/11 and shutter speed to the reciprocal of the ISO setting.

For example: f/11 at ISO 100 and 1/100th second shutter speed or f/11 at ISO 200 and 1/200 second shutter speed.