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Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Photographing The Moon #VantagePoint

Well before I started dabbling in photography,
and even as a child, I was fascinated with the moon!
It doesn't matter to me what phase, whether it is a
big full moon or a sliver of a crescent, I always want to see it!
So when Light.co invited me to share my favorite
thing to photograph as part of their #VantagePoint series, I
didn't have to think twice about what I wanted to do!

What a nice coincidence that the Supermoon of November 2016
came along just in time for some fun opportunities for this post!
This particular supermoon is 30% brighter and 14% bigger than
what we normally see from earth and will not be this close 
again until 2034!  

Here's what the supermoon looked like from my home in Ohio
on November 14th and November 15th. 
 Fortunately we had mostly clear skies!







I am often asked what camera and what lens I use for
photographing the moon and if I use a tripod.
I have to say that I always take the uncomplicated, 
spontaneous approach to photography.
I use either my amateur Nikon CoolPix P100
that has a 26X Zoom (I used this for the 3rd photo),
or I use my Nikon D3200 with the AF 70-300mm lens.
I play around with the shutter speed and have found that
faster is better, especially if you are not using a tripod.

And speaking of a vantage point, I prefer the last photo even 
to the closeup picture that shows all the craters and valleys
on the moon's surface.  Those almost look like one is looking
through a telescope, don't you think?
Our surroundings, such as buildings, landscape
and trees give perspective to the size of the moon.
I think those are my favorite shots, like my last one above.

Times certainly are changing in the world of photography
with many opting for the convenience of using our iPhones
to capture most of their photos.  And although they are
great for quick informal shots, they still are lacking in the
quality we love from our DSLR cameras.

 Another option comes from Light.co in their newly developed
 camera called the L16, which sounds very interesting!
Talk about cutting edge technology!  The L16
 takes 16 images from 16 sensors and fuses them
together to create an image which is very much like DSLR quality.
It's about the size of a cell phone and for a serious photographer,
the thought of not lugging a camera case full of heavy lenses
 is very appealing!  There is an email list to be notified when
they are ready for 2017 sales on their site
if anyone is interested. Check out their site HERE.

So, did you see the moon any time the last couple of days?
I'll be 73 years old the next time the moon is that big and bright.
Hopefully I'll still be spunky enough to get out there and
take some photographs!  I wonder if I'll still be posting on 
this blog....hmmm......






53 comments:

  1. Lucky you getting to see this moon. We had 100% cloud cover. Nice photos too!

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    Replies
    1. Well now, isn't that just typical for England! haha....

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    2. Yes it is! Today is beautifully sunny with a stunning blue sky and the last of the autumn colour looks great so I will probably post some more autumn colour in a day or two.

      Whenever we are told that they moon will be blue or there will be a good show of shooting stars or the northern lights will be visible in the south of England... it's cloudy. And this even happens to us in Switzerland. I think we are cursed!

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    3. A moon in those Swiss mountains would be amazing, wouldn't it? I hope the curse is lifted soon! haha.

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  2. we were very unlucky, we had too much cloud cover,, sadly we did not see the moon but,,, I got to see your beautiful amazing photos,, thank you for that!!

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    Replies
    1. That's how it was here all summer anytime I wanted to see the moon! Every full moon was
      hidden by clouds...crazy!

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  3. What a fantastic lot of photos . . . shame it was clouded over here> I shall have to wait until I am 90 intil it comes round that near again . . . failing that I might see it as a sort of spiritual astronaut . . lol.

    You captured the subject so well and I am taken with them all. Shame the moon does not spin relative to us and we can inly see one side of it . . . maybe the little green men are in hiding on the far side . . .

    Superb detail on the close up.

    Very interesting to read about various cameras and I shall look closer at the link . . .

    Feel like singing "Blue Moon" . . . :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Blue Moon, Moon River, Silvery Moon...so many good ones! ♪♪♫

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    2. . . . and "Give me the Moonlight!" . . .

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    3. Dancin' in the Moonlight

      ...what's wrong? Don't know any more?

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    4. Yes I am all those things . . . hahaha
      Just popped by . . . ok.
      then, "Fly Me To The Moon!" . . lol

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    5. Hey Diddle Diddle
      The Cat and The Fiddle
      The Cow Jumped Over The Moon
      The Little Dog Laughed To See Such Sport
      And The Dish Ran Away With The Spoon.

      Recite this to Rosa frequently . . . lol

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  4. The last shot was my favorite too
    Wow, look at the ramble from you
    Are your fingers tired after that? lol
    That is a neat new camera stat
    73 you say
    I'll be....49 at my bay
    I bet the cat will still be rhyming
    And you'll still be around chiming

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You and I will still be around
      talking about everything from people to hounds.
      We will both be old
      with blogs of gold
      if we don't find that fountain of youth
      to give us a boost.
      haha....

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    2. haha old age kicking in
      Unless the fountain can be given a spin
      May even have a hound by then
      If we can get out of that other seas's den lol

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    3. That would be my wish for you
      that you get out sooner than soon!

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  5. It was bright and beautiful here. We took photos with our phones but they just don't do it justice. We probably should have used the camera. The Light.co L16 camera sounds really interesting!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It does sound interesting, doesn't it? I'm sure our DSLRs will be a thing of the past one day just like 35mm cameras are today!

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  6. These are some nice shots. The last one is my favorite.

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  7. Outstanding photos Becky. My camera just doesn't have any zoom to it. the moon looks like a big white dot when I photograph it.
    Love the perspective with the surroundings by it and I do really like the craters.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. yeah, the craters are very cool to see! And I love that spot on the bottom center like the moon was spun on God's finger as he created it. :)

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  8. i was thinking of you as I was looking at the moon last night, guessing that you would be taking pictures and posting them here. Glad I was not disappointed. I, too, like the last one the best... it is a really beautiful shot! The L16 sounds fantastic... I was wondering how much it cost and just looked it up. It is a bit more expensive than I'll probably want to pay, but I can see many photographers like you wanting it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is a little pricey, isn't it? But as with all new technology, I think it will become more reasonable as time goes on. I feel like I have too much money wrapped up in my camera and lenses to ditch it all for something else right now. But eventually, we will all own something like it I bet. Big bulky cameras will be a thing of the past! I've seen little lenses you click onto your cell phone....haven't investigated them but that sounds like a really cool thing, too!

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  9. Your moon pics are gorgeous! I never have good success with that, even using my DSLR. That L16 sounds wonderful but a little pricy for me too.

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    Replies
    1. It's probably a sign of the times and eventually we'll all have one....hopefully at a lower price. haha. Or maybe we could use our Swag Bucks! :)

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  10. I love your moon shots with the exquisite detail of the craters, etc. But, I must agree....I think the ones, like your last shot, that shows perspective is my favorite. And I've learned something of importance...I thought my zoom lens was enough, but apparently not. I've been using a 75-300mm zoom lens. It sounds like your detailed moon was shot with an even greater zoom. Thanks for explaining.

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    Replies
    1. Actually, it's with the cheaper camera that doesn't have exchangeable lenses. Any little pocket camera with a zoom like a Powershot, etc would do it. Crazy, I know....but those little cameras can zoom in on
      the moon! I did get some telescopic lenses to hook on my 70-300mm but haven't figured out how to work them yet. haha...like I said...the simple and spontaneous always wins with me.

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    2. Well...I'll have to try my smaller camera. I do remember that I could zoom in a good bit on it. I'm at the beach this week, but just as soon as I get back to the lake, I'm trying it. Thanks, Betsy!

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  11. Hi Betsy - it's wonderful to see ... we had one brief 5 second view when we came out of a talk ... but it was brief - and I've seen the moon apparently nearer over the Channel ... Cornish Cream Coloured ... love it - huge and low ... but fascinating to read how you take your photos ... I don't usually have my iphone with me ... but such is life ... I agree with the others - the addition of a bit of tree magic gives the moon that extra eerie image ... love this - cheers Hilary

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    Replies
    1. Cornish Cream Coloured....love that....we'd never describe the moon like that. I'm not sure I even know what color that is. haha.

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  12. Just so lovely! And glad that Harry used the camera for your Instagram photo!

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    Replies
    1. Well, like I said...a complete accident. He couldn't repeat that if his life depended upon it. haha.

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  13. I remember the first time I saw the moon through a telescope. I was amazed. I use my cell phone a lot because the technology is much better in the new iPhones but I also use a DSL for pics of my grands. This weekend they will ALL be in town so charging up the batteries for lots of photos.

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    Replies
    1. Cameras in the phones have come a long way! And the editing included helps a lot!

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  14. I share your love affair with Mr Moon ♥️
    And like you said...a sliver gets me excited! hahaha!
    Guess who showed up today to eat berries on my ivy???
    I was wondering where they were...
    Raining here...but will def try for a pic!
    Cheers!
    Linda :o)

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    Replies
    1. Robins? Tell them they need to fly south! haha.

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    2. Oh! haha. I don't see them until mid winter...they fly in and eat the crab apples and raid the seed!

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  15. Beautiful!! This moon was spectaculat indeed. I love the last picture ... mystical. Do you get affected by the full moon? I do!!! Every and each differently ...
    I loved your last post but I had no time to comment. Yes cats are so funny. They indeed do love new projcts don't they? :-)

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    Replies
    1. I don't usually notice anything affecting me with the full moon, but I did have a migraine. Maybe it was a coincidence, but I've read that that can happen! I used to know someone who was greatly affected...she got really mean when there was a full moon! Scary!

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  16. Replies
    1. It most certainly is! I love how it seems alive with the changes in size, shape and color. So fun!

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  17. Those are some pretty good moon shots. I always want to shoot the moon, but rarely get the chance. And when I do, I almost never seem to get it right. 'Cause auto-focus seem to suck at night, and either the moon is out of focus, or the subject I want is out of focus, or the moon is completely blurry or has no detail in it, etc.

    I really hop the Light L16 gets night photography right and does a better job auto-focusing for moon shots, etc. I'd love to do more night photography, if the quality is there, if the noise is low, if the focusing works well, etc. I'm hopeful...

    For anyone interested in learning more about the Light L16, I think these are some of the best videos / interviews I've unearthed to date:

    https://lightrumors.co/video/gathering-light/
    https://lightrumors.co/video/light-l16-camera-live-at-light-co-headquarters/
    http://maceditionradio.com/sites/default/files/MER_CES_Light%20Camera_Interview_1_16.mp3
    http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2015/04/27/light-interview-no-more-full-frame-dslrs-by-2025

    And for keeping up with the latest discussions / rumors / finds, or just chatting about hopes & dreams for the thing:

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/lightrumors/

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