Photographing the Full Moon creatively

Friday 28 June 2024, 23:46 by Nando Harmsen | 2,935 views | 2 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

Every 29 days, there is a full Moon in the sky. For many, that is a reason to reach for a telephoto lens. Some do this every month. Instead of taking the same photo again, you can photograph the Moon more creatively.

The Moon has phases. From new Moon to full Moon, with the crescent Moon, half Moon and waxing Moon in between. And via the waning Moon back again. The full Moon is impressive, and the subject of photography every month.

Full Moon low on the horizon. It gives a sense of perspective.
The Moon always looks the same. If you photograph a full Moon now, the photo you take next month will be exactly the same. Just like the photo you take of the full Moon in six months, or in ten years. Nothing changes. The only differences come from the editing.

The full Moon in 2015

The full Moon in 2019

The full Moon in 2022
Even intriguing names such as Flower Moon, Supermoon, Wolf Moon, Harvest Moon or Blue Moon do not change its appearance. Only a Blood Moon is different, because that is a lunar eclipse.

The full Moon during sunset. You can still see the sunlight in the foreground.
Instead of photographing the full Moon in the night sky, you can also take a more creative approach. Do not photograph the full Moon in the night sky, but during twilight or sunset. Choose the moment when the Moon is low in the sky.

By doing this, you achieve two important things. First, you have a foreground that makes the Moon look very impressive, especially when you use a telephoto lens. Second, there is light, so the surroundings are not pitch black.

In the morning twilight, just before sunrise, just before moonset.
There is more possible than just a full Moon in a black sky. Such as the Moon shining through the clouds, or a moonlit landscape. You also have a chance of the Moon showing beautiful colours, something that disappears when it is high in the sky.

Colours of the Moon, left low in the sky, right high in the sky, with the Blood Moon in the middle.
When it is full Moon again, try being creative and do something different instead of taking the same photo you took last month. Unless that is what you really want, of course.

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About the author

Nando Harmsen has been photographing for more than 40 years. He specialises in wedding photography and landscape photography. Nando also gives talks, workshops, masterclasses and photo trips, and regularly reviews new and interesting equipment.

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2 comments

Edwin Mathlener wrote on Tuesday 2 July 2024 at 16:05 | reply
Even as an astronomer, I find landscape photos with a full moon more atmospheric than just the full moon, but it is not the case that there are no differences between the different full moons, as is emphatically claimed here. The moon wobbles slightly in an east-west and north-south direction, namely. We call these the librations of the moon. This can also be seen in the photos: just compare the full moon photos from 2019 and 2022. Mare Crisium, the small sea on the right, is farther from the edge in the last photo. The difference can also be clearly seen in the upper left. You can even use this to create a stereo pair and see depth in the full moon. Perhaps fun to try with these two photos, provided they are displayed next to each other at the same size.
Translated from Dutch.

Nando wrote on Tuesday 2 July 2024 at 16:15 | reply
Of course you're absolutely right. The librations cause a very small difference in viewing angle. For the astronomer this is of course something very interesting and fascinating, but for the photographer photographing the Moon this will hardly make any difference.
Translated from Dutch.

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