The Beauty of Twilight Photography

The moon has always been held as a sense of wonderment, it has been the centerpiece for many a romantic or horror scene. It has also played a big part in impacting the many cultures of the world. More so, it influences the gravitational pull of the earth and is responsible for casting the tides of the oceans. The moon as opposed to the sun, can be gazed upon directly. You can stare into the very depths of its character and be awed by its wondrous beauty. It is in itself a beautiful subject to be photographed as part of a scene or all on its own. When you include the moon while taking a photograph of a scene, whether it is in the countryside or in an urban setting, it adds to the sense of harmony. Whenever a night photo is viewed, there is always a sense of something missing when you do not include the moon and the stars in the frame. The perfect opportunity to photograph the moon in its full glory and make it part of your scenery is when it is almost full. This is usually when the sun is about to rise and the moon is about to set (or vice versa). This makes it idea due to the fact that the moon will be low in the sky, which happens at twilight or at dawn.

Take composite shots to keep both the moon and the foreground defined and in focus. To do this, the first shot should focus mainly on the foreground scene and the second shot should have the moon in focus. During post-processing, you can combine the two images together and …..

If your idea of an image is to still have the sun providing natural lighting for your scene, you can utilize the same type of exposure for the two types of photographs. However, if you plan to shoot after the sun has set or is about to rise, you may require a longer exposure for the scene and shorter exposure when photographing the moon.

If you are using the moon as your main subject and you want to capture more of its details, such as its craters, you will need a long lens and the stability of a tripod. For a long lens, at least 300mm would do for the actual details to show in your image.

For the aperture, it can vary depending on the weather, the density of the clouds, etc. For a clear night, an aperture of at least f/8 would be ideal. First, it will give you great depth of field while allowing for a relatively fast shutter speed. This is mainly so because the moon moves extremely fast for slow shutter speed. That can cause you to have undefined edges.

The light emanating from the moon can change depending on the weather, its height and location in the sky. Therefore, there is no definite shutter speed to use and you will have to base it on the conditions at the night of the shoot. Ideally, you want to achieve bright pixels in your image but make sure you do not overexpose your shot. Always remember that it is not just the full moon that can give you a great photograph. The other phases of the moon can give you an equally beautiful subject by giving you more character with the shadows it creates in the craters which give more depth.