Moonlight Reflections
Full moon rising off the Atlantic Coast
Full moon rising off the Atlantic Coast
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Aug, 2015Views
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Top Shot Award 22
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken from the beach on the east coast of Florida. This is one of my favorite spots for sunrise photos, only about 3/4 miles from my house. On this occasion, it was the rise of a super moon instead of the sun that drew me to the beach.Time
Moonrises require photography at an unusual time of day - well after sunset or well before sunrise if you want to get a shot like this to bring out the detail in the moon.Lighting
I had to follow the phases of the moon as well as moonrise time to capture this image. I wanted to get a full moon after it was completely dark, avoiding the blue hour after sunset. Since I was shooting off the beach, I also needed a relatively calm sea state. Large, rolling surf would have created wide bands of black across the water as the waves would be backlit.Equipment
I shot this image with one of my older cameras, a Canon EOS REBEL T4i with the Canon 100-400mm lens at 400mm with the camera settings at f/5.6, ISO 1600, 1/125 sec. I was on a tripod. The exposure was determined through experimentation since the meter did not do well with the bright moon surrounded by pitch-black sky.?Inspiration
Many people like to photograph the so-called "super" moon when the moon appears large on the horizon. I wanted more than just the moon, something that gave a sense of place, so I opted for the beach park to have the moonlight reflected on the water. It took me several visits over the course of a couple of years to have all the conditions just right. It was worth the effort.Editing
Post-processing included basic Lightroom Classic adjustments to the raw file and noise reduction using Topaz Denoise AI.In my camera bag
The equipment in my bag depends on the destination. Since taking this photo, I have upgraded to the Canon 80D and a Tamron 150-600mm for images like this and for wildlife. For traveling, I like to stay light with an all-purpose lens - specifically the Sigma 70-300 MACRO. For dedicated macro photography, my go-to lens is the Canon 100mm Macro. I have a couple of tripods, one with a quick-release plate which can accommodate both my long lens and a spotting scope for birding. The other I use in my studio for macro and tabletop work. If my husband isn't accompanying me on my bird photography outings, I leave the tripod behind and opt for a monopod instead.Feedback
If you are looking to photograph the moon, keep in mind that it is very bright compared to the landscape making for a high dynamic range. You may need to take one exposure to get the detail in the moon and another for the moonlit landscape, if you plan to include that. Manual exposure is a must - the meter will not provide the proper exposure. There are phone aps that help with moon phases and moonrise/moonset information. I use Moon Seeker which also provides the compass point so that I can select the right location and set up in advance of the moonrise.
