what is the moon illusion phenomenon? how can you capture it?
have you ever seen a sunset and wondered why the moon grew in size as it approached the horizon? or perhaps you’ve seen photos of it, looming over cityscapes or in the background of the latest dune movie. if you’ve been lucky enough to see such a sight up close, then you may have been wondering why the moon appeared so large. called the ‘moon illusion’, the moon actually doesn’t get bigger the closer it gets to the horizon. rather, our brains merely trick us into thinking it does.
the moon illusion is different to the supermoon, another lunar phenomenon you may have also heard of. with the moon illusion, our brains trick us into perceiving the moon as larger than it is, whereas with a supermoon, the moon is at its fullest and brightest at the same time as it’s very close to the earth. regardless of the phenomenon, the moon is one of the most fascinating subjects for photographers. waxing, waning, full, crescent, there are endless ways to capture the ever-morphing moon.
how to shoot the moon as the main attraction