There are more lunar eclipses than there are solar eclipses, but they are still spectacular from a photographic point of view. As the Earth moves between the Sun and the Moon, it casts a giant shadow on the lunar surface, which is perfect for photographing.
We will cover everything you need to know in order to take stunning lunar eclipse images. We will show you how to focus your camera, how to pack equipment, and how to use settings.
Most of your equipment should be in your camera bag, even though there are a few dedicated pieces of kit that you will need.
Micro Four Thirds cameras have an advantage over full-frame 35mm cameras when photographing the moon. The effect of a longer focal length is achieved by the smaller sensors only using a portion of the lens full diameter. The difference between a 100mm lens and a 150mm lens is 1.5x, meaning a 100mm lens will behave like a 150mm lens. When shooting the Moon, getting closer provides more detail. Full manual control over camera settings is important for any camera. Take a look at our guide to the best cameras for photography.
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The choice of lens is dependent on what you want to photograph. Most people will want to use the longest lens they can afford for a close-up view of the lunar eclipse. You can add a teleconverter for a longer focal length. We think a wide-angle lens is the best lens for photography. You can use this variety to take a picture of the path of the eclipse.
If you are using a long telephoto lens, you need a sturdy tripod and head that can carry the weight in windy conditions. Make sure that the combined weight of your camera body and lens do not exceed the maximum of the tripod and tripod head you are using. You could also add a tripod collar to support your lens for added stability. Some of the best tripods on the market are made by Gitzo and Manfrotto. Those always on the go might want to check out some of the best travel tripods.
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Take lots of extra memory cards and batteries – keep the latter in your coat pockets close to your body to keep them warm. You’ll also need a shutter release, or ideally, one of the best intervalometers to prevent any camera shake from touching the shutter release button. If you decide to get serious about lunar eclipse photography (or in fact any night sky photography) you’ll probably want to invest in an equatorial tracker. Once set up, the tracker will automatically adjust for moon movements which means that you don’t have to readjust your composition every few minutes.
The secret to good Astrophotography is planning and preparation. Before you leave the house, make sure your gear is clean and ready to go. It's easy to find out where the moon will be in the sky during a lunar eclipse with an app. One of the best stargazing apps is available, so be sure to use it. It is important to keep a close eye on the weather forecast as cloud coverage could ruin your shots. It is advisable to have a few locations in mind.
If you know what the right shooting time is for the lunar eclipse, you should be in place early. Make sure that your tripod is stable and level, with no chance of it being shaken midway through a shot. Attach a portable one to your hot shoe to get your shots level if the tripod doesn't have a built-in spirit level.
Shoot in a format that will collect as much data as possible, and give you as many options as possible in post-production. Sure, the files will be bigger, but there are many more options to improve your photo in one of the best photo-editing apps.
To get a good depth of field, start with an ISO of 100 or 200, whichever is the lowest on your camera. You will need a shutter speed of 1/250th of a second to shoot a bright moon. The dark side of the moon will not be visible as an eclipse begins. Exposure becomes a balancing act between exposing the dark side of the moon and not overexposing the bright side so much that it loses any definition.
If you use a longer shutter speed, the moon could move quickly through your frame. If you have a motorized equatorial tracker, you can open up your aperture to around f4 but without it, you'll need to raise your ISO a lot. Depending on the focal length of your lens, the shutter speed you can use will vary. A 300mm and under lens should be shot in less than two seconds. The moon will be blurry if you shoot at slower speeds, but a longer lens will allow you to shoot at speeds of around half a second. It is better to have noise in your image than motion blur.
Blending different shots together in post-production can look artificial when it comes to images of the moon. We recommend exposing for the highlights during a partial eclipse and then switch the metering over to the shadows once the moon nears totality.
If you want to get the moon pin in your shots, turn off the focus and use manual focus. Take a picture and use your screen to zoom in on the moon and then use the focus ring to focus on it. Make sure the features of the moon are in focus by zooming all the way in. If you focus on the edge of the moon, you will be able to get a better focus on this initial shot. Don't rely on the infinity marker on the lens as it often doesn't give the best sharpness.
If you are photographing the lunar eclipse with an interesting landscape or subject, we recommend that you focus on the subject. Remember that if your subject is behind the hyperfocal distance, the eclipse will still appear sharp in your photograph. If you want to balance the exposure, just stop the camera and adjust the ISO or shutter speed.
A lunar eclipse is difficult to capture. To be comfortable with shooting, we recommend practicing with other night sky photography. Try our guides to take pictures of the moon, star trails or the milky way to improve your photography skills before the next lunar eclipse.
If you shoot with the moon to fill the frame, you don't need to worry about composition as you can crop the moon into place in post-production. Correct exposure and a sharp moon are the most important things. We recommend placing the moon in the top left corner frame to allow it to move towards the right bottom corner. You can place the camera back to the top left as it approaches the bottom.
If you are photographing the moon in the midst of a landscape look for leading lines or features that can be silhouetted against the sky to help direct your viewer towards the moon. The rule of thirds could be used to balance out your image.
If you want to combine the two images, you should shoot the stars separately and the moon separately.
What is a lunar eclipse? When the Earth moves between the sun and the moon, the sun's light is not reflected off the moon. There are three types of eclipse. The dark part of the Earth's shadow covers the moon in a total eclipse.
A lunar eclipse goes through seven phases.
Penumbral eclipse begins (P1): The penumbral part of Earth’s shadow - which is the outer part - starts to move over the moon. This phase is extremely difficult to observe with the naked eye.
Partial eclipse begins (U1): The Earth’s umbra starts to cover the moon, making the eclipse more visible.
Total eclipse begins (U2): The Earth’s umbra is completely covering the moon, turning it red, brown or yellow. This is popularly known as the Blood Moon.
Greatest eclipse (Max): This is the central moment of the total eclipse.
Total eclipse ends (U3): As the Earth’s umbra starts to move away from the moon it starts to become visible again.
Partial eclipse ends (U4): The Earth’s umbra completely leaves the moon, allowing it to become entirely visible.
Penumbral eclipse ends (P4): The Earth’s penumbral shadow moves away from the moon, signaling the end of the eclipse.
There are only two total lunar eclipses in 2022. The first total lunar eclipse will be visible in the late evening of May 15 and early morning of May 16. This can be seen from many places, including North and South America, Europe, Africa, and parts of Asia. There will be a second lunar eclipse on November 8th that will be visible in North America, Asia, Australia, most of South America and parts of northern and eastern Europe.
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