According to NASA, “a supermoon occurs when the Moon’s orbit is closest (perigee) to Earth at the same time the Moon is full.” This results in an extremely bright full moon, and while it's perhaps more of a media sensation than a super rare astronomical event, it's definitely an A+ event for photographers. The July 13, 2022 supermoon, also referred to as a "buck moon" because of it's occurance at a time when male deer antlers are in full growth (thank you, @FarmersAlmanac) and photographers around the world took advantage of it. From tight, telephoto-compressed photos to abstracts to wider scenes, the images do not disappoint. Check out these supermoon images and follow the photographers on Instagram. Tag your own Sony photography posts with #BeAlpha and don’t forget to follow @sonyalpha for your daily dose of photo inspiration.

The July 13 supermoon was the biggest and brightest full moon of 2022. See how photographers across the globe captured the must-photograph event.

Sébastien Joly – @jolyvisuals

Sébastien Joly is a French photographer & filmmaker based in Slovenia. His work focuses on travel and landscape photography. For the supermoon, Joly headed to Bled Castle, located in Bled - an Alpine town in northwestern Slovenia. He framed up the image so that the viewer could see the alps and the castle, along with St. Jošt church, but the supermoon remained the star of the image. The image was taken with the Sony Alpha 7R IV and the Sony 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G. Joly’s camera settings were: 1/40-sec, f/7, ISO 5000. Be sure to check out Joly’s Instagram!

Rénald Gendre – @renald2332

Rénald Gendre is a French photographer who uses his Instagram to share his love of art, in all forms. Gendre is deeply inspired by nature, and that is primarily what can be seen when scrolling through his Instagram feed. He describes the image below by stating, “nature with the supermoon in the background” (translated). We love the composition of this image. It’s not a traditional moon shot, but rather uses the foreground elements to guide the viewer's eye to the bright moon in the background. Gendre shot this image on his Sony Alpha 7 II with his Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master lens. 

Manuel Ezeta – @manuel.ezeta

Adventure photographer and videographer Manuel Ezeta tells stories through his images. He focuses on fitness, documentary, and outdoor adventure. At the recent supermoon, Ezeta was able to capture a classic image of the moon beautifully. We love seeing the sharp details of the moon and how the light reflects off it. Check out Ezeta’s Instagram and give him a follow! 

Steven Luong – @steven.t.luong

Seattle based photographer Steven Luong uses bold colors to document the beauty of his city. Using his Sony Alpha 7 III he captured an epic image of the supermoon! We love seeing the space needle in the foreground. It gives us an immediate sense of place and really adds to the storytelling element of the image. Check out Luong’s page for more Seattle images. 

Carlos Castro – @carloscastrofotografo

Carlos Castro is a Spanish photographer specializing in hotel and tourism photography. We came across the image below, which he describes as the “moon over the well-known ‘hill’ of Velez” (translated). Castro framed the supermoon behind the church. Castro took this image with the Sony Alpha 7 IV with a Sony 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G lens and the Sony 1.4X teleconverter. Be sure to follow Castro for more stunning images of Spain in your feed!

Davide Lanza – @davidelanzaph

Davide Lanza is a photographer based in Piemonte, Italy. He shares his images of landscapes and tourist destinations taken on his Sony Alpha 7 III through his Instagram account. We love the image he took of the supermoon - absolutely breathtaking! The framing with the building next to the moon is lovely and we love how the building is lit up as well. 

Matthew Mallia – @matthewmallia

Maltese photographer Matthew Mallia shares a variety of images on his Instagram account. From sunsets to his adorable puppy - we love seeing all the images he took with his Sony camera! This landscape with the supermoon in the background gives a great sense of place along with a fantastic moon shot. 

Jamie – @kingy27nyc

Jamie is a British photographer who has spent the last five years capturing moments in New York City. His Instagram account really captures that feel of the city with many urban landscape images. The image of the supermoon below is just incredible – we love the tight frame and how the flame from the Statue of Liberty gives such a clear sense of place without needing to include much else. The light from the supermoon is stunning as well. 

Josh Steele – @joshsteelephotography

Josh Steele lives in Northern Virginia and frequently heads into Washington, D.C. to photograph. That is what he did earlier this week for the supermoon. We love the way he describes this image in the caption, “the July 'Buck' Supermoon sets over the Tidal Basin. I love how the moon seems to be sitting on the roof of the Jefferson Memorial like a spotlight.” Steele is right, the composition is just right that the moon and the building are just touching, adding a fun element to the image. 

Steve Hogan – @southcoastphotography60

Photographer Steve Hogan took this image in Dorset, located in southwest England. What catches our eyes in this photo is the layers. The water and the boats in the foreground, then in the midground the row of beach houses, and finally the luminous moon in the background. The eye really travels through this frame and takes in many elements that tell the story. Check out Hogan's Instagram and give him a follow!