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Photographing The Moon

I've been using a Sony CyberShot P150 for some time now, having taken almost 15,000 pictures with it.

It's done me good since I bought it back in 2005. But I've wanted a bit more on those occasions that call to the photographer in me.

Last weekend, I upgraded to an Olympus E-520. I will be writing on that experience later.

Right now, I'm looking at trying to take pictures of the moon. That is one subject that has eluded me with my point and shoot.

As you can see, it ain't going so well. The LR image in my Mutilated Moon Collage looks like it worked, but I have to get it focused on the subject for it to be any good. Details!

While I am trying to figure out the camera, I am having multiple issues. (There are so many buttons on it that every time I pick it up, I change some setting.) But after looking around I found a few resources on shooting the moon and have come to the following conclusions:

I know absolutely nothing and I need to learn all these new buttons and menus. It's a long cry from my Pentax K1000.

Onward about Moon shoots.
The first rule of thumb I discovered is the Moony 11 rule. That is to set your aperture to f/11 and set your shutter speed as close as you can to the reciprocal (1 / x) of the film speed.

IE: If your ISO is set to 100, set your aperture to f/11 and your shutter speed to 1/90 sec. We are reminded that the moon is merely reflecting sunlight and why this works.

Another resource I like is DPS (Digital Photography Shcool Forums). In one post here were the settings of one marvelous moon image (I'm extremely jealous.)

• Exposure: 0.003 sec (1/320)
• Aperture: f/0
• Focal Length: 0 mm
• ISO Speed: 100
• Exposure Bias: 0/2 EV

And a great thread that touches on shooting the moon on the DPS Forums.

My own settings for the LR image in my mutilated moon collage, aside from not being focused were:

• Exposure: 1/4000 s
• F Number: f/5.4
• ISO: 400
• Focal Length: 132 mm
• Exposure Bias: 0.00 EV

Enjoy the labors of my research.

Moony 11 Source: PhotoNotes.org

A Sunset over Mayberry

Another Idealistic Sunset
Worthy of a Thomas Kinkade painting.

OK, it's not Mayberry, it's Boise, Idaho in June of 2005.
The region lends itself to thunderstorms and when you don't have thunderstorms
you have some pretty neat sunsets.

A River off a Reservoir

The rugged beauty of Idaho.

A river definitely runs through it.

Tis the Season

Being December, 'Tis the Season.

Happy Holidays Everyone

Mothers Care

No matter how young or old, parents will always be there.

Know that you will never be alone.

Moonrise over Barn, Idaho

Earth's night light rises another night.