Eclipses
Lunar Eclipse Photography Guide
A lunar eclipse is slow enough to plan well, but the exposure changes enough to catch people out. The moon that was easy before totality can become dim, red, and harder to focus than expected.
Start with local contact times
Check when the eclipse begins, when totality starts, when maximum occurs, and when it ends for your city. The same eclipse can be comfortable in one place and awkwardly low or partly hidden in another.
Build the shot list around those moments. Wide foreground frames may work before totality. Longer focal lengths may matter more when the color deepens.
Focus before it gets hard
Practice focusing on the moon before the eclipse night. Use magnified live view when possible and check the edge of the moon or a high-contrast crater area. Autofocus can hunt as the moon dims.
If you are using a long lens, keep checking focus through the event. Temperature, handling, and small bumps can move the point enough to soften the file.
Change exposure through the phases
The bright moon before the eclipse and the red moon during totality do not need the same settings. Shoot RAW, use manual exposure, and bracket during totality so one bad guess does not cost the best color.
Pack and prep checklist
- Tripod and timer or remote release.
- Charged batteries and spare card.
- Manual focus practice before eclipse night.
- Local contact times and moon direction.
- A wide composition and a tighter moon composition.
What works
- Manual exposure and RAW files.
- A foreground that gives the eclipse context.
- Bracketing during totality as the moon gets dimmer.
What can go wrong
- Autofocus hunts after the moon darkens.
- The uneclipsed moon is overexposed in early frames.
- A weak foreground makes the wide shot feel empty.
- Cold or long sessions drain batteries faster than expected.
Check eclipse visibility by city
Use local eclipse pages to see whether an event is visible, when it peaks, and where the moon sits in the sky.