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Shooting the moon

Jim Olson

Jim Olson

Well-known member
3689


I have tried to do this before and it did not turn out at all but after many tries I think I got something close.
I did have to change it with Shotwell but I'm happy
 
Jim Olson

Jim Olson

Well-known member
Asher Kelman said:
Now I know a new app for me, Shotwell!

What’s good about it?

Asher
Click to expand...
I use Linux OS so I have to find things that work for my system lol
Shotwell was in the DISTRO when I downloaded Ubuntu OS to my laptop
I HATE WINDOWS!!! And have for many yrs.
I won't say "I'm also not a big fan of Apple" sorry, too expensive.
 
Jim Olson

Jim Olson

Well-known member
Robert Watcher said:
What was it that didn’t turn out at all, on previous attempts. Sharpness and details? Or exposure?

——-
Click to expand...
I'm still new to the digital camera world and when I tried before all I got was a ball of bright light in the middle of a dark pictue.
Still learning
 
Robert Watcher

Robert Watcher

Well-known member
Jim Olson said:
I'm still new to the digital camera world and when I tried before all I got was a ball of bright light in the middle of a dark pictue.
Still learning
Click to expand...

Yes that is what I was referring to. Exposure. It is normal for a camera to overexpose a lighter subject on a dark background. The exposure meter is attempting to have the dark background show as 18% Neutral grey. So more light is allowed in to brighten the large dark area, and as a result that also lightens (overexposed) your small brighter subject. The same thing happens when shooting pics or video at a nighttime concert.

With this example, you have obviously realized the need to underexpose from the cameras meter reading. That is accomplished by minus exposure compensation, or with the moon it is often easier just to manually set your aperture/shutter speed/iso. This is one of those situations, where you simply cannot let the camera determine the correct exposure for you. It doesn’t have the ability.

Having the knowledge that the moon is roughly the same exposure as midday on earth - in Manual Exposure Mode I can work from a starting point of something like f11 @ 1/500’th @ 400ISO (Sunny16 rule would be f16@1/400’th@400ISO), and then leaving the Aperture at f11, take several exposure variations by adjusting the shutter speed, until the moon shows detail on the camera screen.

Nice you are figuring that out.

A note: the same exposure knowledge is required whether you are shooting the moon in digital or film.
 
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