Two reasons: it’s very far away, and unless you have a telephoto lens (which makes the moon look closer than it is) it will always appear as a very small glowing dot in the frame. Second, shooting at night is really difficult. Professional cameras allow you to change your ISO or sensitivity, which means you can shoot in low light without losing image quality. So can you use your smartphone camera? The short answer is yes, but I would suggest downloading an app and shooting the moon through it instead of using the camera on your iPhone or Android. Some apps allow you to increase your sensitivity rating, allowing you to shoot in low light. I would suggest making sure there is another element in the image – so you capture the moon as it passes over, for example, a beautiful bridge or a mountain. This allows the viewer to gain perspective on the size of the moon and also makes for a more interesting image. An airplane is silhouetted by the rising supermoon as it approaches Louisville International Airport in Kentucky, Monday, April 26, 2021. Photo: Charlie Riedel/AP But even with these apps you might be a little disappointed with the result. To capture a stunning image of the moon you really need a telephoto or zoom lens – the bigger the better. In addition to a professional camera and a tripod, also use a cable release or the two-second delay timer to release the shutter. This prevents the camera from shaking when you press the button. It allows you to not only increase the size of the moon in the frame, but to get all the detail in it, while keeping the image as sharp as possible. The supermoon rises in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Monday, April 26, 2021 Photo: Agustín Marcarian/Reuters Your settings will change depending on the quality of the camera you are using. But you want your ISO to be 100, which keeps the image quality at its highest. Set your file size to Raw – this allows for the largest file size your camera has. Aperture isn’t that important when shooting the moon, so aim for around f8. So who has the best photos of the moon? I love this image taken by Matt Cardy at Glastonbury Tor in 2015: The supermoon rises behind Glastonbury Tor in England on September 27, 2015. Photo: Matt Cardy/Getty Images Cardy has created such an impressive frame using his composition and focal length. The size of the moon juxtaposed with the people creates an image that seems otherworldly.
