Frontal Lighting vs cross lighting.


A little reminder about detail light. I captured over a hundred shots of the moon last night but with bewilderment. Why wasn't I capturing the details like I've captured in the past? Details of craters, valleys and ridges. Details that make a print really stand out.

The answer is frontal light. All of the sun's light was directly on the surface of the moon. To capture surface irregularities, craters and the like you need cross lighting. I had none last night. Which explains why I only see tonal changes in the moon. Some details can be seen at the very extreme's of the shot but nothing like a partial moon expose can bring.

Last night was the biggest moon we'll see this year, meaning it was the closest to Earth.

Nothing's like the real thing but I hope you enjoy my print.

Full on solar lighting

Partial Moon Lighting