HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH A
LUNAR ECLIPSE.

Start with the photograph you want

A close view of the lunar disc needs a long focal length, while a landscape image needs a wider lens and careful planning for where the Moon will move. Decide on one main composition before the eclipse begins.

A lunar eclipse is safe to photograph without a solar filter. The challenge is exposure: the bright full Moon becomes much dimmer as it moves into Earth's umbra.

Reliable camera settings

• Use manual exposure and RAW capture so brightness and colour stay consistent across the sequence.
• Begin near ISO 100, f/8 and a fast shutter for the bright partial phase, then adjust as the shadow deepens.
• During a dark red total phase, raise ISO and open the aperture before allowing a long exposure that can blur the Moon's motion.
• Focus manually on the lunar edge and magnify live view to check sharpness.
• Use a tripod, a remote release or a two-second timer, and disable flash.

Photograph the eclipse with a phone

Brace the phone or attach it to a small tripod. Lock focus and exposure on the Moon, then reduce exposure until surface detail appears instead of a white disc.

Digital zoom cannot recover detail. If the phone has a true telephoto camera, use that lens. A wider scene with a recognisable foreground often produces a stronger phone photograph than a heavily enlarged Moon.

Build a clean eclipse sequence

Keep the camera position and framing fixed, take photographs at a regular interval and note the exact time of each frame. A composite can then show the progress of Earth's curved shadow.

Make a short rehearsal on the full Moon before the event. Confirm battery life, memory space, focus and the interval between frames while there is still time to change the plan.