This week in Melbourne, Australia, we’re all in for a special sight when the year’s only rare blue supermoon will appear in the sky, with the best viewing times being after sunset on August 30 and August 31.
Ever heard the phrase ‘once in a blue moon’? It describes something that almost never happens, which is why this is event is so exciting. But despite the name, the super bright and big moon that we will all see on both Wednesday August 30, and Thursday, August 31 won’t actually be blue in colour (more on that, here) – but it will be the last time we see a special moon like this until 2029 – so we think that's pretty noteworthy.
How do I get the best photo of the blue super moon in Melbourne?
It's frustrating when you're staring at the beautiful night sky, grab your camera to snap a photo and the result just looks underwhelming. If you wish you had the know-how to capture the magnificence of the full moon and stars with your camera, you’re not alone. But don't fret, because we're bringing you some insider knowledge today to help you level up your celestial photography skills. Professional photographer and Canon Master Sean Scott gave us some handy tips, and he's captured some pretty spectacular starry events in his time, including the most recent solar eclipse (image below).
So listen up, and prepare to wow your friends, family and Insta followers with some amazing moon pics.
1. Work out what kind of photo you want
Want a landscape pic where the moon is involved but not the main event? Use a wide-angle lens.
Want a super close-up shot of the moon’s face? Use a telephoto lens.
2. Make sure you’re organised
- Find a good location free from light pollution
- Get a stable tripod
- Get a remote shutter so your fingers don’t shake the camera (you can use a 2-second timer)
- Turn off the image stabiliser function, and turn your camera setting to manual to shoot in raw (it’s better this way)
3. Get on top of your exposure
Exposure is a tricky temptress at nighttime. For best results when shooting a gigantic and bright moon orb, Sean Scott says:
“It’s important to keep in mind that the actual exposure setting will continue to change as the night gets darker, which will impact the outcome of your images.
"If the exposure time is too long for the lens you have selected, you will capture the movement of the moon, resulting in blurred images.
“With a wide-angle lens, you have a lot of options for a longer exposure – I would normally start at 400 ISO F8 and then adjust the exposure time to suit.
With the telephoto lenses I like to shoot at 1/250 second and adjust aperture and ISO to suit. If you’re looking for silhouette, then exposing for the bright part of the moon will achieve this”.
Finally – do you want to get someone in the photo with the moon? Do this:
“You will need to get a long way away from your subject with a telephoto lens if you want to place them in the same shot as the moon – up to 1km away. I recommend you do a test shoot so you can make sure that you have the angles right for when the moon rises.”
At the end of the day, just make sure you’ve got a solid tripod set up, are on high ground (Scott likes headland locations), have your remote shutter working right, and ensure that your exposure time isn’t too long for the lens you choose on the big day.
Happy blue moon watching!