Moon shot
First attempt at a moon through a small telescope.
First attempt at a moon through a small telescope.
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May, 2013Views
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Awards
Good job
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
Peer Award
Exceptional Contrast
Superior Skill
All Star
Magnificent Capture
One Of A Kind
Jaw Dropping
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
I had been showing my telescope to a friend, set up in the back garden of our house in a quiet Somerset village.Time
It was a cold winters evening, around 10 PM. There was a beautiful clear sky and a very bright moon. We are lucky in that the village is not too brightly illuminated and the night time sky was something I had often intended to photograph but until this evening never had.Lighting
The lighting of course was all from the moon. Or scientifically more accurate, from the sun using the moon as a giant reflector.Equipment
Camera: Fuji FinePix S602 ZOOM Telescope: Optisan star 700076 No Ring mount or adapters just a very very steady hand.Inspiration
This wasn't a planned shoot, just a spur of the moment thing that started as a single picture attempt but turned into a few hours of trial and error. I had been showing the telescope to a friend, just set up in the back garden on a clear night and looking at the stars. As night fell and the moon rose, I wondered if it would be possible to take a picture with my trusty old S602Z just hand held. Alignment was the big issue, trying to hold the camera perfectly square on, lens pressed firmly up against the large eye piece of the telescope and keep very very still. Made all the harder by the cold chill of the winters night. Having taken the first picture and getting an almost half decent image that was in almost perfect focus, there was no way that the camera was going to be put away and we proceeded to shoot around a further 50 images before we retired to the warmth of the lounge.Editing
The contrast was adjusted slightly in Photoshop but apart from that the image is as was shot.In my camera bag
The trusty S602Z has been retired now and my youngest daughter is making use of it as her introduction to digital photography. My case and bag now consist of my Fuji S3 Pro, who's dynamic range I still find stands out above many more modern cameras, a Nikon D40 and Nikon coolpix L810 as a quick grab.Feedback
My first word of advice would be to choose a warmer night! The picture was taken by hand with no adapters and is now some 8 years old. I don't think I would get the same sense of enjoyment out of it if I was to take the same picture today, with Ring adapters and an upgraded telescope. My joy in this image was all in the spontaneity and the simplicity of the setup. Sometimes an unplanned, unaided capture will produce results that satisfy just as much, if not more, than that long setup and perfectly scripted image.
