FACE THE MOON

Be creative by playing with perspective

Playing with perspective – making large objects appear small or small objects appear large – can result in some fun and very creative images. The moon is ideal for this; using silhouetted people to interact with the moon enables you to create very graphic photographs that make the most of shooting from a very specific perspective.

The key to a successful shoot involving the moon is planning. The time of year makes a difference to how large the moon appears in the sky. We inadvertently shot the smallest moon of the year (!), but the larger the moon seems, the better the final result will be.

At the planning stage, it is essential to research when moonrise will be, what stage the moon will be in and where it will be in the sky. Though the moon is up there all night, the optimum window to shoot is just as the moon is rising. Within an hour it will probably be too high to capture effectively (unless you have a very steep hill to stand below). You also

The key to a successful shoot involving the moon is planning… it is essential to research when moonrise will be, what stage the moon will be in and where it will be in the sky

need to consider the weather and your location, being aware of other possible light sources and obstacles.

In this sort of portrait, make-up isn’t something you need to worry about, though you will probably want to consider the overall silhouette of your model’s hair and clothing. You will also need to think about suitable props for your shoot. We used a hat, in order to create the illusion of the moon as a head, but there are all sorts of ways for your model to interact with the moon. They could pose as though lassoing it and being dragged away, or kicking it, lifting it up… the opportunities are endless!

Now all you need to do is wait for a full moon...