When Photography Gets a Little "Looney"

As you've probably gathered from my previous posts, I'm a proponent of getting to know your camera, learning about photography, and applying what you've learned to make great pictures.  It's not something any of us are born with, so we have to learn it from somewhere.  My hope is that this blog is one of those places for you!

Paying attention to your camera's automatic settings and tweaking them after that is a good way to learn. There are also some "rules" that, once learned, will help save time when taking pictures.  If you're shooting outdoors there are two rules you should know.

The "Sunny 16" Rule - This rule is a way to estimate proper exposure on a sunny day. Start off by setting your camera's aperture to f/16. If you are shooting with a film speed of ISO100, then your shutter speed needs to be the inverse of the ISO, or 1/100. If you're shooting at ISO400 (shooting sports, for instance) your shutter speed needs to be set at 1/400.  The focal length (zoom) you are using will have an impact on your settings.  The chart below is a good reference:

Aperture	Lighting Conditions	Shadow Detail
f/22	Snow/Sand	Dark with sharp edges
f/16	Sunny	Distinct
f/11	Slight Overcast	Soft around edges
f/8	Overcast	Barely visible
f/5.6	Heavy Overcast	No shadows
f/4	Open Shade/Sunset	No shadows
Add One Stop	Backlighting	n/a

The "Sunny 16" rule is meant to be used on subjects that are front lit by the sun. Pay close attention to the last line of the chart for subjects that are backlit.  Remember, this rule is an estimate. You may need to "mix to taste" to make sure the picture looks how YOU want it to look.

Now, this is where things get a little "looney"...

The "Looney 11" Rule  - This rule is very similar to the "Sunny 16" rule, except it is applied at night and you apply it to photographing the surface of a FULL moon ("Looney" is a play on the word "Lunar").  Instead of setting your aperture at f/16 you set it and f/11 and do the same thing. If you're using ISO100 you set your shutter speed to 1/100, ISO400 will dictate a shutter speed of 1/400.  The chart below shows the initial settings for different moon phases. My photo to the right was shot using f/11, ISO100, 1/125 shutter speed, at 200mm.

Moon Phase	Exposure
Full Moon	1/250th sec at f/11 at ISO 250
Gibbous Moon	1/125th sec at f/11 at ISO 250
Quarter Moon	1/60th sec at f/11 at ISO 250
Wide Crescent	1/30th sec at f/11 at ISO 250
Thin Crescent	1/15th sec at f/11 at ISO 250

Focal length will play a more important role using the "Looney 11" rule, so tweaking your settings will be crucial.  Also, when using long focal lengths, a tripod will become more of a necessity as camera shake will be more evident if your camera is hand-held.

Like the "Sunny 16" rule, the "Looney 11" rule is an estimate only. You will more than likely have to make small adjustments, but the immediate improvement in the quality of your moon pictures should make knowing this rule well worth it.

Lastly, you know those "Harvest Moons" that look so big and beautiful in the sky? Well, if you take a picture of them expecting to see a moon that is larger than normal in your photo, you will be disappointed. It's called the "Moon Illusion" and you can watch this short, entertaining video to learn more about it.

 

So that's it. Two rules to start off with for outdoor photography. Give it a shot and let me know how it goes!