SOLUTION #3: Combine Images in Photoshop
For those whose cameras don’t offer the multiple-exposure feature, or who want to add a moonrise after the fact, Photoshop is always an option. You can shoot the moon against a black sky an hour or two after it rises at the simple exposure of f/8 at 1/125 sec. using ISO 100. Then add that full moon to landscapes or cityscapes in Photoshop. If you shoot the moon the night before it becomes full, when the rising moon has that appealing yellow cast, the contrast of yellow against a dusky blue sky often looks more authentic in a digital composition than a full moon shot against a black, deep-night sky.
It’s imperative that the size of your full moon looks proportionate to the landscape in which you place it. If you shoot the full moon with your 105mm lens and then add it to a landscape that you shot with a similar focal length, you’re probably in good shape. But if your moon was shot with a 300mm focal length lens, and your cityscape with a 24mm wide-angle lens, it’s better not to pair them. The moon will appear out of proportion and ruin the realism of your image.
TIP: HOW TO EXPOSE A FULL MOON ON ITS OWN
When you want to capture an image of a full (or almost full) moon by itself against a black sky, the standard exposure is f/8 for 1/125 sec. at ISO 100, f/8 for 1/250 sec. at ISO 200, or f/8 for 1/500 sec. at ISO 400. The choice is up to you; just be careful if your ISO causes you to use a shutter speed that’s lower than the maximum focal length of your lens—for example, shooting at ISO 100, f/8 for 1/125 sec. with a 70–200mm lens. If you do this, use a tripod. Handholding your camera at a shutter speed slower than the maximum focal length of your lens is seldom a good idea, even if you’re using vibration reduction (VR) or image stabilization (IS). It’s been my experience that VR and IS have done nothing more than give photographers reason to be careless and unstable when handholding their cameras.