How to shoot the supermoon like a pro: India edition

The upcoming supermoon is going to be the biggest and brightest in 70 years . The moon is 98 percent lit up today, 100 percent lit tomorrow, and will be 99 percent lit on Tuesday. This gives three good days with a full moon, but the best opportunity for observing will be on Monday.

In India, the supermoon will rise just a few moments after the sunset. The timing varies across the country. In Kolkata, the moonrise is at 16:58, in New Delhi at 17:37 and in Mumbai at 18:07. The sun will have only set in Mumbai at 18:01, so the sky is expected to be pretty bright at moonrise. To find out the exact time and location, there are professional GPS tracking applications available. National Geographic Photographers use an app called the Photographer’s Ephemeris, which is available on the Play Store for Rs 332, and on the App Store for Rs 550. Another alternative app is called Sun Surveyor and is available on Play Store and the App Store for Rs 550. [caption id=“attachment_347017” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  Photographer’s Tools gives details on the timing of moon rises, once a location has been fed in.[/caption] A combination of free apps can be used for much of the same functionality. To quickly and easily see the rise and set timings in your location, Photographer’s Tools Free is a good app on the Play Store. The app is ad supported. MoonTrajectory.net is a free augmented reality app on the Play Store and the Microsoft Store. [caption id=“attachment_347018” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  MoonTrajectory can be used to find out where the moon will be at moonrise[/caption] MoonTrajectory.net overlays the moon onto the scene. It can be used to find out where the moon will be at any given point of time, or to find out when the moon will be at a particular spot in the frame. This requires some planning of the shot, and scouting the locations before hand, so it is best to go out right after reading this article to plan to shoot the supermoon. [caption id=“attachment_347022” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  The MoonTrajectory.Net app lets you figure out when the moon will be where you want it to be.[/caption] The moon is brighter and larger than usual tomorrow, and at the horizon, the moon appears even bigger than when it is higher up in the sky. The Moonrise is just about the best time to shoot the supermoon. In India, the supermoon will be the brightest and largest just after dusk . MoonTrajectory.net can be used to figure out where in the horizon the moon will be at the time of the local moonrise. [caption id=“attachment_347106” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  MoonTrajectory.Net is not always exactly accurate[/caption] Another reason that makes the moonrise time the best window for taking a photograph, is that it is an opportunity to frame the supermoon with a foreground object of choice. Ideas for subjects can be local iconic landmark, or friends and family in the photo, or landscapes and cityscapes. According to photographer Swapnil Nayak, it is best to go to manual exposure mode, and slightly underexpose the shot in exposure compensation, to bring out the details of the moon. If shot with the regular exposure compensation, the sky will tend to appear grey, and the moon will be overexposed. “Shoot in Raw mode to get the best possible image information, and with a tripod for stability,” Nayak Says. “If there is no tripod available, then cameras such as the Sony Alpha a7S Mark II that offer the best performance after you crank up the ISO will provide the best handheld shots.” Hitesh Gusani holds workshops and conducts lectures on stereophotography across the country. He is planning to shoot the supermoon tomorrow, from different locations. There will not be any depth perception of the moon itself, but foreground objects such as trees, buildings or people can have depth. “It is best to use at least a 500 to 600 mm lens for shooting the supermoon. You need two cameras mounted with two sets of lenses to take 3D photographs.” He recommends going to a remote location to reduce the pollution from lights. Remote locations allow for cameras to be placed wider apart for more depth perception. [caption id=“attachment_347105” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]  A screenshot of Stellarium[/caption] Gusani has another idea for bagging a unique shot. This involves using the software Stellarium to find out where the planets will be, in the location you plan to shoot from, and shoot the supermoon along with another planet in the sky. The brightness of the sky, the moon, and the speed at which it will be moving means that the best option is to limit the exposure time. Even so, it is recommended to use a tripod, and a clicker for minimising the shake. Smartphone users can use a mobile tripod, attach a selfie stick to the tripod, and use a remote Bluetooth shutter.

This supermoon is the second in a series of supermoons. There will be another one on December 14, if you miss the opportunity to shoot this one.