Full Moon Photography

Full moon photography can be challenging especially if you don't have the right equipment. Today I want to write about a couple of things regarding this subject. One is, if you're using a DSLR, you may not have a good zoom lens and/or a lens multiplier. Two, there may be a solution with a compact digital camera.

So let's review the DSLR method. With the right lens and the right multiplier you can get outstanding shots of the moon. I've seen photos online where a 200mm and 300mm zoom lenses plus a two multiplier was able to take great shots. I also have experience in taking moon photos with this type of equipment. What I have noticed is that you find yourself editing the image and cropping it to make the image look good. I'm ok with that. 

On the other hand, I also have a Nikon Coolpix P520. This camera falls under the compact digital camera format. It has a lot of functionality for a camera in this category. For example, the focal length is 4.3-180 mm (angle of view equivalent to that of 24-1000 mm lens in 35mm [135] format). Now I've had this camera for a while and I understand there are newer models available, but for me, I have specific use for this camera and I enjoy it.

The following image was shot with my Nikon Coolpix P520 at full zoom plus 2X digital zoom (part of the cameras functionality). So in essence, it was a shot with 2000mm zoom. Let's take a look.

Now keep in mind that I did put the camera on a tripod for stability and this is what I captured. I was actually pleased with this image but then I popped it open in Lightroom. All I did was crop this image and got the following.

So in order to photograph the moon it is best done with the camera mounted on a tripod. If using a DSLR turn off VR. Use your equipment to the best of its ability. Then edit as needed and share.

One other note, this Full moon capture was done on Christmas 2015. The last time there was a full moon on Christmas Day was in 1977. This won't happen again until 2034, with any luck I'll be around to photograph that one too.

For a real kewl look at a full moon visit https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/rare-full-moon-on-christmas-day I think it's an outstanding looking image.


Enjoy Life, Take Pictures!

BTW ... On Twitter I am @TMSphotos ... I am always willing to connect with photographers.

You are also welcome to follow my Blog here. I try to share knowledge, information and experience of my photography.

"LIKE" my Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/TMSphotographyChicago and keep up with my journey.

To Square Format or Not

I'm going to be honest, I've never been a fan of the square photo format. That said, I've been going through some concert photos recently and stumbled on some photos that I did not really care for. Here is one of them.

So in this image I like the shot of the guitar player. What I don't like is what is going on in the left of this image. I decided to make a square (or 1x1 ratio) edit and came up with the following.

I like this much better. In addition, the image does not go to waste because now I can use it on Instagram. 

Here is another image I don't really like.

As you can see, and maybe it's just my opinion, there is too much dead space on the left and right. Once again, let's look at a square edit.

I like this edit much better!

Now the next shot I like in it's original format more than the square format. Take a look.

Now to me both images are good but I prefer the original format shot of the two.

My goal in photography is to shoot images that could be used in print format, even though I don't print a lot of images. So my preference is to shoot in the rectangular format of the image and not square. 

If I learned anything from this, it's to consider more than the original image format, especially in this digital age where we are not locked into specific image formats.

Enjoy Life, Take Pictures!

BTW ... On Twitter I am @TMSphotos ... I am always willing to connect with photographers.

You are also welcome to follow my Blog here. I try to share knowledge, information and experience of my photography.

"LIKE" my Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/TMSphotographyChicago and keep up with my journey.

iFast Photography

Many years ago when I was learning photography I learned about the "FAST" rule. The fast rule was pretty simple. It's an acronym for ...

F = focus

A = aperture 

S = shutter 

T = think

It was a pretty good tool for me to keep in mind back in the day. I should point out that in those days I, like many photographers, bought film with an ISO value. Some professionals carried multiple cameras with different ISO films in them so they were prepared for lighting changes. I was an amature photographer and on a budget so I did not have that luxury. I would select my film based on the conditions outside and hope they didn't change too much on me. 

With DSLR photography life taking pictures is a whole different game. No manual advancing film to take your next shot, no loading film and a pluthera of automation. I try to remind myself of the "FAST" rule even today, but it was lacking something. 

Thanks to Apple, there is an "i" this and an "i" that and suddenly one day it came to me, but not before I made an error taking pictures at the zoo. See, I forgot to adjust my ISO setting and ended up taking a number of photos at ISO 3200 outdoors on a bright and sunny day. My Bad! I was able to salvage the shoot, but I also learned something new. 

In order for me to prepare better for my photo shoots and changing conditions I created my own new acronym, "iFast." Broken down iFast stands for ...

i = ISO

F = focus

a = aperture

s = shutter 

t = think

Now I'm far from being an expert photographer, but I hope this helps me be a better photographer. I hope this helps you take better pictures as I hope it helps me. Feel free to share this with you photo friends!

Enjoy Life, Take Pictures!

BTW ... On Twitter I am @TMSphotos ... I am always willing to connect with photographers.

You are also welcome to follow my Blog here. I try to share knowledge, information and experience of my photography.

"LIKE" my Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/TMSphotographyChicago

Lastly, here is a zoo photo I made an ISO error on. 

Nikon D5300f/5.6ISO-3200300mmSo I made a mistake when I took this photo. I forgot to reduce my ISO setting. I made a couple attempts at correcting the image. Which image do you think is best?
Posted by TMSphotos on Monday, August 17, 2015