How to shoot the moon & What's in the water?

[Downy]

I got a new lens today (a 20-yr old Tonika 20-35 mm for $5...now if I could find the same deal on a 50mm!). Went down to my favorite spot on the river and took some shots. I think the camera was in automatic most of the time. I left the aperature on lock, and forgot to change it in the camera. (So much to learn). But two questions:

1. How did I get a ball in the water? Is that from from the moon? This is the only shot to which I did any PP.


Exposure: Mode Manual (varied between 15 and 45 seconds or so for the series)
Focal Length: 20 mm (30 in 35mm Film)
Lens: 20.0-35.0 mm f3.5-4.5 (shot at Max of 3.5
Lite Source: Shade
White Balance: As Shot (Temp: 7100 K)

2. How do you shoot the moon with a 45 second exposure and not have it blur or do whatever it did? Looks more like the sun to me.


(Light Source was set to Cloudy weather for this one, otherwise same settings)


(Yep, broke down and got a flickr account so I could get feedback and help.)

The only shots where you could see there was a crescent moon were when I messed up using the remote trigger and...well here:


(Maybe .5 sec exposure)

From the whole series (please view, if you desire, at http://www.flickr.com/photos/downy), I really don't know which is (if there is one that is) best, or not. There were some fishermen beyond me (on the left edge of some shots), and the other way from me, but they all left by the time I finished, and I just got scared being out there by myself and gave up for the night. I want to try again, but getting scared wasn't fun at all. Yeah, I need a buddy. (Unfortunately, my husband is usually in his jammies before dark, so he's no help.)

ALL and ANY comments, suggestions, ideas, critique, or encouragement/discouragement (well maybe not the last) are welcome.

[wulf]

The green "ball" might be a reflection inside the lens because the moon is so bright. Although it is dull enough to look at with the naked eye, you still need a suprisingly quick exposure to capture it without blowing out the details. If you want to get the moon well exposed and some blue in the sky you either need to take the photo much earlier in the afternoon (when the landscape is relatively bright) or combine a couple of exposures in post-processing (getting round the limitations of the equipment to capture what you see).

Wulf

[Downy]

Ah ha! The moon was just a bonus to my evening. Hadn't expected it at all.

So, take some short bursts of the moon, and add it in PP? Never thought of that. Maybe this could be moved to critique section? Very nervous about showing anything I do, but there has to come a time if I want to do something with this all.

Going to go back tonight again and try again. Still waiting for a boat to come barreling through.

Thank you, Wulf.

[wulf]

For critique, you'd need just one picture. How about aiming to post one of your shots from tonight's session for critique tomorrow?

Wulf

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by wulf

The green "ball" might be a reflection inside the lens because the moon is so bright.

Quite. Its Flare.

[vandergus]

The green "ball" might be a reflection inside the lens because the moon is so bright.

Agreed. Usually caused by cheap UV filters on the lens but some lenses will do this on their own if the source is bright enough. If you use a filter, you just have to remember to take it off when shooting bright, point sources of light directly.

[Downy]

Originally Posted by vandergus

Agreed. Usually caused by cheap UV filters on the lens but some lenses will do this on their own if the source is bright enough. If you use a filter, you just have to remember to take it off when shooting bright, point sources of light directly.

Was hoping I had a big enough filter to cover the lens. Came without a cover, but alas, it's bigger than the 67 mm filters I was sent by mistake. No cover, no filters, just living on the edge! LOL

Wulf, would it be okay to post for critique the same photo I put in for this week's entry to the assignment abandoned? I expect, with the usual high quality of entries, not to win, so might as well see what folks think of the shot, and what's wrong with it. Was hoping for some critique on flickr, but not a word.

Thanks, all, for your time.

[wulf]

Yes... but give it a day or two first.

Thanks,

Wulf