How can I photograph the moon without getting starburst rays?
Asked 12/11/2019
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2 answers
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I’m trying to avoid the bright “rays” or starburst effect around the moon in-camera, not remove it in post. My shot settings were 30s, f/20, ISO 800, -2/3 EV, at 19.2mm with a 15–45mm f/3.5–5.6 lens. Is the image too underexposed, and what exposure or lens/aperture changes would reduce or eliminate the rays so the moon looks more natural?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
6y ago
2 Answers
17
The "ray" effect is known as sunstar. There are 2 conditions to achieve sunstars :
- use a narrow aperture (like f/16).
- point camera to small and bright light source.
You achieved that effect very well. However, it doesn't serve the photograph. In the photo, the subject seems to be the moon. However, it is hard to tell it is the moon by looking at it only. We only guess it by looking at the surrounding night cityscape.
To picture the moon as we know it (with dry lands and craters), you can follow this automated method :
- Use Aperture priority mode with spot metering mode.
- Choose the largest aperture available (f/5.6 or wider).
- Place the spot meter on the moon and take a picture. The spot meter zone is often at the very center of the frame (~2% of the area). Check your camera manual.
- Check if it is correctly exposed. Use Exposure compensation to achieve proper exposure.
- Now the moon is properly exposed but in the middle of the frame. If you want to change the composition of your image, dial the values of your properly exposed frame in manual mode. Compose and take your shot, and voilà !
There are other methods to properly expose/compose the moon like Exposure Lock, manual mode... Pick whatever you see fit as you gain experience.
You may observe that the moon is very bright compare to the landscape it surrounds. In fact, most moonscapes are composite shots : one long exposure for the landscape itself and one short for the moon. Then both exposures are fused within the image processor to use the best part of both images.
Other tip to photograph bigger moons (other than long focal length), the moon can appear bigger when it rises and sets. Also, depending on your geographic location and season, the landscape can also be more bright as it may not be quite night time. In these conditions, you may pull a single exposure moonscape.
Happy mooning !
Originally by user81063. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user81063
6y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Those “rays” are a starburst/sunstar effect caused by diffraction from a very small aperture. At f/20, a bright point source like the moon will easily produce them.
To reduce or eliminate the rays:
- Use a much wider aperture, ideally your lens’s maximum aperture.
- Meter for the moon itself, not the whole night scene. Spot metering on the moon is a good approach.
- A lens with a more circular aperture can also help, though aperture choice matters most.
If your goal is to show moon detail, your current settings are not ideal. A 30-second exposure at 19.2mm is suited more to the city/night scene than to the moon, so the moon becomes a blown bright spot instead of showing craters and surface detail. Open the aperture and expose specifically for the moon.
As for whether the photo is underexposed: the overall scene may be intentionally dark, but the moon itself is effectively over-bright for detail. So the issue is less “too underexposed” and more that the exposure is balancing two very different brightness levels in one frame.
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