I finally got my first decent moon shot at a state park star party in Missouri
Drove out to a star party at a state park near Rolla back in October with a cheap DSLR and a 300mm lens I got used for $120. I had no idea what I was doing and kept bumping the tripod while people around me were tracking stuff with mounts worth more than my car. Around midnight a guy next to me peeked at my screen and said "that's actually sharp" and I swear that kept me warm the whole drive home. Now I set up way earlier and lock the tripod down before it gets dark, and my hit rate went from like 1 in 30 to most nights. What's the dumbest beginner mistake you made before you got your first clean moon pic?
My dumbest one was leaving the lens hood on and not checking it. Half my early moon shots had this weird dark blob on one side and I kept thinking my sensor was dirty. Spent a whole weekend reading cleaning guides and ordering swabs before my buddy pointed at the hood. Felt like a real genius. Now I flip the hood around and check the front glass before every session, takes ten seconds.