Shoot for the moon

From the old days of large-format film cameras to today’s smartphones and digital cameras, the moon has held that same allure for photographers eager to capture the constantly changing orb in the night sky.

You don’t need a huge hunkalunk of a camera with a bazooka-sized lens to take some decent portraits of the moon. Take aim with a simple point-and-shoot digital camera or smartphone and follow these tips to get your moon shot.

» Adjust shutter speed. The moon is traveling much faster than you think, so it takes a fast shutter speed (the time measurement it takes for your camera to record light onto its sensor) to "freeze" the moon, otherwise you may end up with a bright blur. For digital point-and-shoots, consider a higher ISO setting or set your camera to "night portrait" mode. For many camera brands, this setting is the icon of a person with a moon or star in the background.

» Use a tripod. Even if you’re out with your significant other taking selfies in the moonlight, it’s much steadier and more convenient to have a tripod rather than ask a passer-by or stranger to handle your camera in the dark, only to be disappointed with the results.

» Use context. Sure, you have a 400-millimeter lens. Sure you have a $3,000 camera. You’ve shot the moon. Hooray. What makes that moon shot stand out from the rest? Context. For example, a plane flying in front of the moon in silhouette, or the moon framed by city high-rises or with Diamond Head in the foreground. Try to look for context to keep the moon here on Earth in your photograph. Otherwise you may as well look to a stock photograph of the moon from NASA’s website.

» Use as long of a focal length as you can. The longer you are zoomed out, the bigger the moon. This is also why a tripod is important.

» Use flashlight app. If you’re using a smartphone to take selfies with the moon, chances are that smartphone has a decent flashlight. Use it! Or use someone else’s smartphone flashlight and take turns making photos. Using the flashlight to illuminate your subjects with the moon in the background will even out the exposure and give the moon a bit more character in the photo rather than just being a small little blip of a photobomb in the background.

» Try and try again. If you are shooting with a DSLR, consider using the multiple-exposure setting. Capture the moon first with the longest lens you have at the fastest shutter speed to get detail from the moon’s surface. Then for the next exposure, zoom out and get context with landscape or people. More than likely you’ll have an entirely different exposure with the second shot. If nothing comes out the first time around, try again. In this day of digital photography, it has become a lot easier and inexpensive to learn via trial and error.

Jamm Aquino is a staff photographer at the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Follow him on Instagram via @jammaquino and read more about photography techniques on his blog at aperturecafe.staradvertiserblogs.com.

» Send your supermoon photos to features@staradvertiser.com