How to Do Long Exposure Photography During a Full Moon

in photography •  8 years ago  (edited)

Full moon only rolls around once a month and it happens to be June 9th, are you going to do some long exposure madness?
_DSC4087.JPG
The good thing about using the moon to light your environment is you have about 3 days on either side of the full moon to actually shoot; I call it this the "Full Moon Shoot Cycle." So what are you waiting for?

What I love about this technique is that your naked eye can't see the final result. Long exposures force you to really think about camera settings and light from the moon. It's pure bliss when you see the final outcome_DSC5791.jpg
_DSC5798.jpg
I'm not going to get too detailed here because it would be a really long post, but I'll give you a few pointers regarding the images:

  1. experiment with camera settings and take mental notes
  2. 30 seconds, f5.6, ISO 100, red and purple gels taped to a flashlight
  3. long star trails take more time - not my thing
  4. have fun
  5. rock your mistakes or incorporate mistakes - see the blue streak camera left?
  6. you need to get out of town if you live in a big city, light contamination -google it
  7. a good steady tripod is a must
  8. patience and practice...enjoy the quiet of the night

The image below is a little out of focus. Focusing is difficult in the middle of the night. I typically set it to the infinity mark.
_DSC4041.JPG

_DSC4109.jpg

Daytime shot:

_DSC4159.JPG

*****UPDATE: if you like this post there is a part 2. : )~

Authors get paid when people like you upvote their post.
If you enjoyed what you read here, create your account today and start earning FREE STEEM!
Sort Order:  

nice shots, almost hauntingly pretty.

that's why I love it...it's so weird with full moon light

Congratulations @lightenup!
Your post was mentioned in my hit parade in the following category:

  • Pending payout - Ranked 2 with $ 252,99

Right on!!!! I love it!!!

nice...tips....I have learn something news....upvote and resteem for your tips...

Thanks !!!! Try it and let me know the results.

u r welcome....

Those are really awesome pictures

That looks amazing

gracias

Amazing photography! It makes me want to buy a decent camera and take some photos :)

you don't need a decent camera!!!! get a cheap camera that is about 5 years old and rock it! The key is to keep the ISO low and a 30 second exposure. cheap will work just as good as an expensive camera with low ISO. 100 to 400 and you should be good!!

Thanks for the tip! Is there any model/s you would recommend?

I recommend getting out and shooting. My main reason for doing this is to build chops in photography, what happens personally is up to you.

Such a surreal effect!

Your eye can't see it...but the camera can

  ·  8 years ago (edited)

What amazing shots! Thanks for sharing! Really like what you did with the lights on the bus... Followed and resteemed.

Yeah...just a flash light with colored gels. Its easy! Just have to get out and do it.

Oh, that's along the lines of what I was thinking you used. Thanks! I am was planning on doing similar stuff. One idea I had was to do long exposures of climbers on a rock wall, climbing at night with colored headlamps on a full moon. Really tricky to organize though and I live far away from any climbing location at the moment.

Yes, think of it as an ongoing project that may span over years. You go on a vacation and plan it around the full moon. Organize it, but practice your technique ahead of time so that you nail the shots (ART).

Thanks for the helpful advice! It is kinda tough for me to be organized but I know I must jot down some of the ideas I have and seek opportunities to fulfill them. All the best, and looking forward to more of your posts!

Go shoot outside your city (if you are in a big city) and just experiment.

That's exactly my plan after I will be able to afford owning a car again.

I love the pictures

Great tips. Thanks. The result is amazing!

Thanks dude!!! Have you tried it yet?

Amazing shots! Really lucky to have clear sky though...here in Denmark I think making the most of the full moon would be mission impossible :(

Who cares...clouds are sweeeeeeet tooooo!

It looks surreal I do love this kind of work thanks for sharing

I love it too....It's fun work. Let me know if you need some other tips on this technique.

Anything about long exposure its nice to know

Have you shot long exposures?

Yes its my favorite thing to do, I love night pictures when everything is quite, just you, the light and the camera

I couldn't agree more. Well, maybe shooting a hot babe is a bit more exciting.

Sure it is but I wont Upload pictures of my wife hahahaha

Hahaha...since I'm single I don't mind posting the occasional babe I photograph with this technique

wow really great photos! I'm really not good at taking photos at night ... followed you :) you might like my travel blog have a look if you want :)

Let's see the blog!!! have a link? You can shoot at night too!!!!!!! If can, you can.

They are like big puppy dogs.

Awesome...picking up Steem on here I see. ;)

Thanks for the encouragement. I continue...

It just looks like as if a space ship captured "Alex Supertramp" joining his way out of civilization back into the wild... - The Real Thing! It's always amazing to me that there are people out there with such great skills creating worlds on their own to bring their visions to life, and then there are people who only try to destroy as much as they can. Thnx for sharing this BIG CONTENT! Cheers!

It is big content and I thank you for appreciating my enthusiasm for life and the camera.

Stunning photos! I'm mesmerized by your use of light and your angles. They're really beautiful.
Thanks so much for the notes!

No prob, glad you like it. Message me if you decide to try it yourself.

Be sure to check out part 2!!!!!! I was inspired by all the replies to explain more about the process.

Nice post! Great shots!