When I saw todays daily prompt, “Howl at the Moon” I though of sharing another easy photography tip. I love the freedom to interpret the prompts the way you want it!
If you have tried you must be knowing that it is quite tricky to get the moon picture, with the details of the Moon as well as the clouds that surrounds it. It will look great when we see through our naked eyes. But a camera is not as competent as our eyes and won’t give the picture that we want to get. One thing only camera can do is, Zoom! Rest, it is no match to our eyes!
So when I tried to capture a full moon once upon a time, with all its glory ie. the black spots on the moon and dark clouds around them, it wouldn’t just happen! It came out either too bright or too dark. Let me show you my first attempt.

Spec : ISO 3200, f/5.6, 1/60sec
There lies the big light ball, or a hole in the sky. It even looks like sun through some black glass. I needed the MOON, with its beautiful spots on.
So I tried an underexposed shot, making it dark. And it turned out like this

Spec : ISO 3200, f/5.6, 1/4000 sec
Camera Canon EOS 1100 D 😉 Lens 55-250mm
Oh, the clouds just got vanished into thin air!! But I was very much happy about this picture. And I couldn’t find anything in between, until recently. Glad that I took both these pictures.
I tried Photoshop! Yes, confession time! I did try a little bit of Photoshoping and editing! I told you that so far my pictures are almost straight from the camera.
Well a bit of editing is nice at times 😉
- Create two layers.
- Top layer : Bright moon with clouds
- Bottom layer : Dark moon with the details
- Reduced the opacity of top layer until both moons will show up in the picture
- Align both moons by moving any one layer
- once aligned, erase the top layer moon,
- Now the background layer appears in the erased portion.
- Adjust the opacity of both layers to 100%, back to original.
- Now you have the final result.

I have seen image editing mobile apps with such features, where you can add multiple layer of pictures and erase on layer. Picsart is one such mobile app. I haven’t used it for this picture though. Maybe I will try and let you know, or else you can do the same and let me know 😀
If you know an easier method or better way of getting moon picture like this, please let me know. I would love to learn.
So got any moon pictures to share?!
Nice post 🙂 Shall follow your advice next time I try.
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thank you . And do let me know 🙂
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Will do 🙂
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Nice pic and good post!
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Thank you Rob! You have amazing pictures! Love the portraits 🙂
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Oh well thank you very much 🙂
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Mention not 🙂
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Its absolutely beautiful 🙂
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Thank you very much. Glad you really liked it 🙂
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🙂
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Beautiful shot. I have never made a good one. Thanks for the tips.
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Pleasure is mine. Do share the picture once you try it 🙂
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By the way, I like the layout of your blog much better now. It’s clean and the pictures have a more prominent look now. They are the stars. The header pic is also more beautiful. Congrats.
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Thank you very much 🙂 I am glad that you noticed it. The dark age is gone now 😀 Thanks again for the feedback 🙂
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I do like the result and plus its a full moon>> ❤
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Thank you very much Poodle 😀
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Its awesome! How to do this with point-shoot camera ? I am a newbie.
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I am not very sure that if it is possible to get a sharp picture with a point and shoot camera! Try experimenting 🙂
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Thanks for replying… I will try 🙂
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Would love to see some of your pictures 🙂
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You did awesome 😀
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Now, the best moon photo I have was taken using a tripod…I have to find it though in my archive!! Oh and I think I used manual settings (I have a compact camera) and played with them….but don’t know how to reproduce!!
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That’s nice. Its always good to play with the manual settings. You can check the exif data or properties of the image and find out the settings. So you can always redo the similar setting.
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amazing ! ❤ you have inspired me to post a few pics of a sickle moon, captured from my room window ! 😀
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Glad to know that! Please do share 🙂
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i will, though the clicks are nothing compared to yours.
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I am sure, everyone’s photographs will be different, unique and beautiful as it is. So I am sure your’s is also beautiful 🙂
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interesting! will try to follow these tips
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Haha.. Interesting to see your name is in the title of the post 😀
Do let me know once you tried it 🙂
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🙂 of course
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Hi! Nice one. A pic of the moon was among the first ones on my blog. If you’re interested, you could take a look here http://pixelvoyages.wordpress.com/2012/11/04/cosmic-charm/
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Thanks for the tip. I will try, I must confess I love photography but editing and technology is a big pain and I want to avoid it.
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Even I didn’t like editing. Mainly because I am not good at it. Either I will over do or mess it up. But this isn’t a lot of work. You can use picsart, a mobile app that allows to use multiple layers
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What camera did you use? And other specs for the dark moon?
I have Canon 1100D.
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awesome.. What do you think about that camera?!
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I mostly use on auto mode 😛 Have not tried anything else *hiding*
I am told the cam is good by people who click really good pictures, though.
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haha. use the CA or P or Av 😀 Not full auto
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Ashamed of your new student? 😦
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haha.. why would I do that?!!
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I have updated the post with specs 🙂
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yay for photoshop.. and a good Camera:)
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haha.. some people are doing wonders even without these !
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Hmm they must be brilliant lol
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sure they are brilliantly creative!!
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🙂
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Thank YOU for sharing! Two layers, very Cool! ISO 3200 and 1/4000 sec. Wow!
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Maybe it could have been in lesser iso number. But I didn’t notice it when I was taking the picture. 🙂
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I am howling…very beautiful my friend! 😉
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haha 😀 Thank you . Are you going to try taking a moon picture?!
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Yes, I am going to try! 🙂
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great 🙂
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Nice one 🙂
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I’ve always struggled taking pictures of the moon ! Awesome tips !!! Thanks !!
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sorry for the late reply. Thank you very much 🙂
Have you tried it?
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Not yet 🙂
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Alright 🙂
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Great tips! posted a photo of full moon few days back Wish i had read these tips then. https://randomwordstorm.wordpress.com/2015/08/29/full-moon-as-seen-from-my-terrace/
I am not good with editing at all. So, posted without editing.
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I hope you will apply those tips on another picture. The picture looks nice.
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Yes, definitely. Thanks for the post.
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you are most welcome 🙂
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