When Venus Meets the Moon

I made this photograph with the Fujifilm X-T5 paired to the XF 150-600mm, working handheld in the early evening. The Moon was already high and bright, its craters crisp in the cold winter air. Venus, to the left, shone as a pinpoint — a bright, almost stubborn presence against the vastness of black space.

Compositional balance here was straightforward but demanded precision: the Moon anchored on the right third, Venus sitting low and left, with the negative space not just filling the frame but defining the mood. The sheer emptiness is as much the subject as the two celestial bodies.

Technically, the exposure leaned toward underexposing slightly to preserve lunar detail, preventing the Moon’s surface from blowing out while still holding Venus as a distinct dot rather than a flare. Even at 600mm, the X-T5’s resolution allows for significant crop potential, though this frame is close to full, relying on the lens’s reach rather than post-processing.

Shooting handheld at that focal length required a steady grip and a degree of trust in the X-T5’s IBIS and the lens’s optical stabilisation. The result is a sharp lunar surface with clean contrast, while Venus remains a minimalistic counterpoint. It’s a simple image in form, but one that rests entirely on timing, steadiness, and the discipline to let the empty space do the talking.