Have you always tried to get a good moon shot but to no avail? You probably weren't using the right settings or equipment. Here's how to succeed.

The beauty of the moon makes for gorgeous photos. While most of us use our smartphones to quickly shoot the night sky, a DSLR and a little knowledge about the required settings will set your moon photos apart from the rest. Read on for moon photography tips for beginners.

For the best moon shots, you'll need a few things.

A DSLR camera is best as it gives you more settings you can change and allows for interchangeable lenses. Some phone cameras might be good enough, or even a point-and-shoot camera, but they won’t give you all the settings required to get the perfect moon photo. A Nikon or Canon DSLR is a great choice, but any other DSLR would work fine, too.

A tripod is very important to get a steady photo of such a faraway subject in low light. You’ll need a tripod that is stable. If you don’t have one, or if yours isn’t of very good quality, you could use a stationary object to rest against when taking the photo; however, the tiniest movements will show up in a photo like this.

In the same vein, we also recommend using a cable release button. If you don’t have one of these, you can set a timer on your camera. Using a cable release button combined with a tripod will ensure absolutely no movement when taking your moon shot.

The best lens for moon photography is subjective, though a telephoto lens is recommended for moon photography. A telephoto lens will capture the texture of the moon, and you’ll be able to fill a lot of your frame. Any prime or zoom telephoto lens with a range between 250-500mm would work great.

If you’re photographing the moon in a landscape, using a wide-angle lens works better. Consider a focal length between 75-300mm. But ultimately, you can work with whatever lens you have for the style of photo you’re trying to create. Photography is about experimenting.

A diffusion filter for your lens can also help, but it isn’t essential for moon photography. These filters help keep extra light out of your sensor if the sensor is open for extended periods. Even though your photos are being taken at nighttime, you’d be surprised how much extra light sneaks into a longer exposure.

A diffusion filter will help your stars pop and increase contrast in the dark night sky.

Using the correct equipment is only part of a successful moon photograph. The settings you use can take your photos from amateur to professional in one click. To ensure your moon photos rock, stick to the following.

Always shoot in RAW format for the best quality. RAW format is easier to edit in post-production and also lets you capture more details, which is essential for a subject so far away.

Even though you’ll be shooting in the dark—which typically requires a high ISO of around 800 or 1600—you’ll want to use a lower ISO here since the moon is so bright.

ISO 100 will work best, but if your camera doesn’t go that low, go the lowest you can. If shooting a landscape with the moon as a smaller element, you’ll probably want a larger ISO like 200 or even 400.

A lower ISO reduces grain in your photos, which can be hard to remove post-production.

If you’re solely photographing the moon, rather than a landscape including the moon, it’s better to use manual focus. Switch from auto to manual and use your camera’s settings to choose the focus area.

Many cameras’ autofocus settings struggle to focus on the moon due to shadows, distance, or intruding objects. Using manual focus is great when combined with a tripod to capture a pin-sharp moon.

An aperture between f/8 and f/16 will give you more sharpness without causing light refractions. If you’re taking a landscape photo with the moon, this aperture range ensures the whole photo will be sharp.

If you want to use the moon as part of a bokeh background, use a larger aperture, such as f/2.8, and focus on a close-by object. The moon and any other bright lights in the background will blur into a gorgeous, blended backdrop. Read more on how to create stunning bokeh with your camera.

Even though you’re using a tripod and maybe also a timer or remote, you still want to use a fast shutter speed. The moon moves faster than you think; a slow shutter speed will let all that light flood your sensor. A fast shutter speed between 1/60th and 1/125th of a second will ensure your photo stays clear and sharp.

Of course, photography is experimental, so if you want to introduce more ambient light or show any movement of the stars, set a slower shutter speed. But doing this may introduce too much light, so use a diffusion filter to get a perfect balance.

See our guide on long exposure photography; you can apply those tips to your moon photography, or even step it up to the next level with astrophotography.

While the above settings and tips will help you get a great moon shot on an average night, you’ll need to use different settings for various phases of the moon. Don’t forget that you can also see the moon in daylight sometimes, which requires vastly different settings. Using an app or national newspaper, you can easily track which phase the moon is in in your hemisphere.

The red lunar moon emits less light than the full moon. The beautiful red can be picked up with the right settings. Using a higher ISO, such as 800, helps keep the light balanced without adding too much grain.

You’ll rely heavily on manual focus since the moon will appear much darker than in its typical state. And keep your shutter speed fast.

Photographing the moon in daylight requires settings for daytime photography. You’ll want a lower ISO, a faster shutter speed, and a smaller aperture. You can make a dynamic landscape shot featuring the moon by focus stacking, and utilize composition layers when framing your shot.

The moon is beautiful, and we've all tried our best to capture it; who can blame us? But without the right equipment and settings, you'll hardly get a great shot. These basic tips should start you off on the right foot, whether you’re shooting a full moon at night or a crescent moon in the daytime.

Ruby is a writer in MUO’s Creative category, focusing on writing about design software. Having worked as a designer, illustrator, and photographer, Ruby also has a BA in Graphic Communication and an MA in English with Creative Writing.

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