USE THE MOON

It’s the brightest object in the night sky, so learn how to use it to your benefit

The moon is extremely useful for photographers who want to light up a landscape at night. The sun’s rays reflect off our familiar friend, casting different levels of light depending on the phase of the moon. These phases are predictable, and using apps you can find out exactly how bright the moon will be, as well as where and when it will be rising and setting.

Just as you can plan the sun rising and setting in certain places during landscape photography, the moon predictably rises in the east and sets in the west. During a full moon, the amount of light cast out onto the landscape means you can use relatively short exposure times to capture enough light in your images. A thin crescent moon will need longer exposure times, but can be just as effective if you’re willing to wait for enough light to be captured by your camera.

If you know exactly where and when the moon will rise, you can plan spectacular juxtapositions of the moon appearing above familiar landmarks, particularly if you’re using a telephoto lens. As the moon starts to rise, it has to pass through a lot more humidity in the atmosphere, so appears dimmer and often red. As it rises, it gets brighter and clearer, so this is the best time to photograph detail on the moon.

A full moon, high in the sky, will act in the same way as the sun, lighting up the landscape. Any clouds passing in front of a bright moon can create a dramatic scene, with equal interest in the sky as the foreground elements.

“Using apps you can find out exactly how bright

the moon will be”