Supermoon Over Miami

Chances are everyone with a camera or smartphone will be pointing them up at the sky at some point early this morning or tonight to snap their own digital memory of the supermoon over Miami.

From Miami Beach to Coral Gables and Coconut Grove — from Cutler Bay and Palmetto Bay to downtown Miami, Pinecrest and Aventura — who among us will be able to resist the photo op of a lifetime, the closest moon to earth since 1948?

It may be the stuff of Hollywood, but since most of us don’t have access to National Geographic’s treasure trove of high-end photographic equipment, we’ll have to settle for the next best thing: South Florida’s breathtaking beaches, landmarks and natural wonders — all of the things that made us want to live here in the first place.

And since the next supermoon won’t come again until 2034, we better take our best shot today.

The best advice is shoot your imagination not just the supermoon.

Senior NASA photographer Bill Ingalls, shared his number one tip to get the best possible image of the supermoon in a space agency post:

“Don’t make the mistake of photographing the moon by itself with no reference to anything,” he advised. “I’ve certainly done it myself, but everyone will get that shot. Instead, think of how to make the image creative — that means tying it into some land-based object. It can be a local landmark or anything to give your photo a sense of place.”

In South Beach, that may be the hundreds of iconic Art Deco structures that have made it onto the National Register of Historic Places, but it could just as easily be a lifeguard stand at your favorite beach, a monument in your hometown or even a palm tree in your backyard.

“It means doing a lot of homework. I use Google Maps and other apps — even a compass — to plan where to get just the right angle at the right time,” Ingalls explained.

According to the space agency, the moon will be at perigee — the closest point to Earth — at 6:22 a.m. But you should also be able to get some amazing shots after sunset, weather permitting.

While not his first choice, Ingalls said that even a smartphone will do in a pinch.

“It’s all relative,” he explained. “You’re not going to get a giant moon in your shot, but you can do something more panoramic, including some foreground that’s interesting. Think about being in an urban area where it’s a little bit brighter.”

Ingalls advised paying attention to the light balance. “Tap the screen and hold your finger on the object (in this case, the moon) to lock the focus,” he suggested. “Then slide your finger up or down to darken or lighten the exposure.”

In the case of an SLR camera, Ingalls suggested using a daylight white balance setting for capturing moonlight since sunlight is being reflected off the moon. “Keep in mind that the moon is a moving object,” he said. “It’s a balancing act between trying to get the right exposure and realizing that the shutter speed typically needs to be a lot faster.”

Photo by Paul Scicchitano