Nature Photography How To

So you’ve marveled at gorgeous photos of the full moon, thinking to yourself, “I can’t do that because it requires expensive pro gear and advanced skills.” Well, think again, because the tutorial below explains three simple hacks for getting the job done.

This eight-minute episode comes from a new instructional YouTube channel by the name of One Perfect Shot. We really like their mindset of making a single great image—rather than the more common method of keeping the shutter button depressed in high-speed continuous mode and hoping the burst captures something worthwhile.

In this episode you’ll learn three important tips that are accessible to anyone. Or as the nameless instructor says, “even if you suck.” Oddly, this advice reminds me of my approach to fly fishing, which is to slow my roll, walk down to the stream and observe the surroundings, before stringing up my rod with the intent of catching the biggest fish in the pool.

Maybe that’s an odd analogy, but it will make more sense after watching the video. And the techniques you’ll learn here work equally well in the field, on vacation, or when shooting cityscapes in your hometown.

Tip number one sort of contradicts our title, as the instructor, “A full moon is fantastic but a moon that’s nearly full is better.” His reasoning has to do with contrast between the shadows and highlights, and he explains how to use this to advantage.

The second tip is really interesting, and discusses how to leverage whatever color appears in the scene, by manually adjusting White Balance in the camera. Hack number three is what the instructor calls “the most important thing.” You’ll have to watch the video to see that, but here’s the teaser: “If you get this right, people will absolutely love your photos!”

For more simple and effective techniques pay a visit to the One Perfect Shot YouTube channel and be sure to subscribe,

And don’t miss an earlier tutorial from another expert, explaining how to shoot beautiful landscape photos in boring light.