Shoot for the Moon...

...even if you miss, you'll land among stars.

Gosh, ain't that a sweet sentiment?

Guess what! I just heard that today the moon will be the closest to the earth that it's been in 18 years or so, which means it will be really big. And tonight is the full moon, so weather permitting, it will be really bright. Click here to read a more scientific explanation:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2382247,00.asp

Photographers everywhere are gearing up to "shoot the moon" (nice, right?) tonight, and I'm going to try moon photography for the very first time. This is your heads up.

I'm really excited--because I live in the country now and I can actually see the sky, and because I have a camera and lens that I think give me a decent chance of succeeding in getting some good shots tonight. I just hope the weather cooperates and we don't get too many clouds in central Iowa...or rain...
Boo rain...

I suggest you get outside tonight and give it a try too. If you're a first timer like me, I'm going to share some tips and research I've done in the past couple hours on the subject of moon photography.

Disclaimer: Like I said, I'm not saying these things based on my experience. These tips are based on what other people have said worked for them. Please don't be angry with me if your photos don't turn out. Thank you much.

Best case scenario: Use your SLR camera, a sturdy tripod, and your best telephoto lens with a lens hood. If you are lacking one or more of these things, that's ok--use what you've got. Of course, we can compose a landscape shot of the moon including trees, buildings, etc., but let's say we're shooting the moon close up to get as much detail as we can.

Don't think of this as night photography; think of it as daylight photography because the moon is a sunlit object. And if you use nighttime settings, I'm pretty sure your moon will just look like a bright circle in a black sky without any detail. Refer to the "Sunny 16" rule if you know it. Otherwise, don't worry about it. Here's what you do:

Set a fast shutter speed
        low ISO
        fairly small aperture (higher number, large depth of field)
        white balance @ daylight

For example: ISO 200, shutter speed 1/125, f/11

Also--
-Underexpose a little (much better than overexposing) to get more detail of those craters and stuff.
-Turn off VR (vibration reduction) on your lens if you're using a tripod.
-Use a lens hood to keep stray light out of the lens. Shoot from the darkest place you can (away from street lights, etc.)
-You'll probably want to focus manually. I'm not 100% sure about this; make sure you are focusing on the moon, not the sky/clouds around it. It'll probably be easier to switch to manual mode.
-Use a timer to rule out camera shake when you have it on a tripod. If you don't have a tripod, still set the timer to two seconds and hold your breath. Steady yourself or set your camera on another sturdy object (chair or car) if you can.
Try doing a couple bracketed shots if your camera has that feature. Then later you can create an HDR image. I'm new to this skill, but I'll tell you you must use a tripod. Hand held won't work. And make sure you take the shots consecutively and quickly because the moon and clouds are always moving.

FYI the moonrise tonight will be at 7:51 pm and it will set at 6:51 tomorrow morning. I will definately be out there as it rises because it's usually bigger closer to the horizon. (I don't know why this is, but I probably should) Is it bigger when it sets too? Maybe I'll get up early and get a "moon at dawn" picture...maybe.

So charge your battery, find an open area to shoot from, bundle up (40's tonight), and get out there. If all goes well tonight I'll have some lunar photos to show off tomorrow. I hope you will too!