what is the moon illusion phenomenon? how can you capture it?
Tara Harrison
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 big the moon appears is all about focal length. a wide angle lens will make the moon appear smaller, whilst longer focal lengths (400mm upwards), will make the moon appear larger and take up the majority of the frame. the distance between subject and moon is also important - read this handy guide to calculate the appropriate distance to get that perfect shot.
other factors to consider include time of day, weather conditions, and the moon cycle.
location, location, location: the best locations to photograph the moon
location is everything when shooting the moon. think about how you want to frame it - will it loom large over rugged terrain, or be shot peeking out from behind mountains? perhaps you want to frame it through a natural archway, or capture the silhouette of an airplane or person in front of it. the location, and the placement of objects around the moon, are what will anchor the main attraction and make it interesting.
our trip to mungo national park last year was centred around this very pursuit - taking the ethereal, mars-like landscape of the terrain and capturing the moon against it.