How to Capture Epic Colour Photos of the Full Moon

Have you ever wondered how those vibrant images of the Moon are made? Join me as I capture and edit a stunning full moon image from my backyard on a rare clear evening. I'll guide you through the process of taking high-resolution photos of the Moon and reveal my secret techniques to highlight its subtle colours and intricate details.

We'll explore why the full Moon's brightness can be challenging for observing faint deep-sky objects, but how it's perfect for capturing features like bright ejecta rays from craters. You'll learn about 'lucky imaging,' a technique to minimize blurring by merging the sharpest frames from multiple shots. But the real magic is discovering how to enhance the Moon's natural colour variations, showcasing its geological diversity and beauty.

I'll also demonstrate that you can easily try these techniques with basic equipment. Towards the end, I'll share a photo taken with a mirrorless camera and a 600mm telephoto lens mounted on a regular tripod. That means you can utilize the techniques from the video to enhance the detail and colour in your images taken with your photography gear.

Don't have images of the moon yet? No problem. Visit my website, https://www.cosmiccaptures.com/minera..., to download the high-resolution stacked and sharpened base layers and try creating a Mineral Moon image for yourself.

Finally, I'll create a composite image combining my mineral Moon photo with iridescent clouds captured during a lucky break in the winter clouds to create a meaningful and visually stunning result.
What do you think of this final image? Share your thoughts in the comments! If you're interested in more astrophotography adventures, watch my next video to see how diverse this hobby can be.

Thank you for watching, and I wish you clear skies!

00:00 - Intro
01:47 - The "problem" with the full Moon
03:06 - Preparing the telescope mount
04:05 - A night under the full Moon
07:47 - Lucky imaging explained
10:19 - Mineral Moon explained
11:05 - Capturing the Mineral Moon with standard photography gear
12:35 - Mineral Moon editing introduction
12:54 - Preparing the files
13:23 - Stacking the files
14:38 - Sharpening the image
15:28 - Revealing the colours of the Mineral Moon
17:34 - Enhancing image details
19:13 - Reviewing the result
20:23 - Standard photography gear result
20:53 - How to download the files
21:07 - Using the image to tell a story
21:58 - Iridescent clouds and the Moon
22:34 - Final image composition
23:04 - Links to more astrophotography content