Updated 1/31/18 - Corrected for the fact that the Blood Moon was actually Wednesday morning.
Heading out tonight for a run? If so, you'll be greeted by an astronomical wonder. The moon is going to be, well, extra moon-ey tonight. Not only is it a supermoon, where its orbit is the closest it can get to the Earth, making it appear larger, it's also a blue moon (the second full moon in a month).
That's right, it's a Super Blue Moon (sadly, it's not still a Super Blue Blood Moon, that happened with Wednesday morning's lunar eclipse) and it's going to be gorgeous!
Your first tendency is going to be to whip out your iPhone and start snapping pictures because it's going to look amazing. Unfortunately, instead of looking something like this:
It's going to look like this.
The most beautiful blur in the world.
Anthony KarczWhy is that? It's because, unlike your eyes (or professional photography rigs), the camera sensor on your iPhone X just isn't equipped to handle that magnitude of light and definitely isn't equipped to faithfully capture objects that are hundreds of miles away, hanging in the night sky.
It's not impossible to get a better shot with your iPhone, but it's still not going to be of the same quality that you see from DSLR cameras. Here are a few things to keep in mind to get the best possible shot.
1. Shoot the Moon When It's Low
You shouldn't shoot a person when they're down, but you should definitely shoot the moon when it's low in the sky. Just as the moon rises or just before the moon sets, it's closest to the Earth and you'll have a better chance of capturing the immense size. Also, it's brightness will be dulled and won't overload your iPhone's camera sensor as much. Plus, having the horizon in the shot provides a great bit of visual contrast, which brings me to...
2. Don't Take a Pic of Just the Moon
Get a couple of friends, a building, some trees, anything in there so that you're not just taking a picture of the moon in the middle of a cloudless sky. Especially since the moon is going to be super-sized tonight, you'll want to make sure something else is in the shot for comparison.
The brightness slider displays when you use AF Lock.
Anthony Karcz3. When All Else Fails, Use AF Lock
One thing you can try to do to help your iPhone's camera sensor along is to use AF Lock mode. Press and hold or double-tap on the moon once it's framed in your shot. The Camera app will lock the autofocus and let you manipulate the lighting before you take the shot. Use the brightness slider that appears to reduce the amount of light your iPhone camera is taking in. You'll have a much better chance of capturing all those lunar details that are starkly visible tonight.
