how can i photograph a total lunar eclipse?

Answer 1

Ah you want to do same as me tomorrow Tuesday? This is what I plan to do. I'll take a tripod and find a location where the moon can be part of the landscape. Here in Sydney the eclipse will start when there's still some light on the sky so hopefully I can get a dark blue sky contrasting with the red moon.

I'll take some close-ups of the moon, especially if there are clouds nearby. So I'll take the long lens. But I'll also use a wider angle to capture the landscape in the red moon. I hope the light meter can cope with the difficult lighting. I know that to expose the full moon you don't need long exposures but I don't know about the red moon in the eclipse.

Be careful with the colour compensation that the camera may introduce. If the sky is blue and the moon is red probably the colour will look fine, but if the sky is black the camera may try to compensate the colour of the moon.
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Well, I've just taken some photos. Here is one: http://www.flickr.com/photos/diegomolla/1258159334/

I found it difficult to focus, and measuring the light was like a trial and error until I got the right one. I ended up using ISO 200, 1 sec. f5.6. I used tripod and my longest lens (300mm). I still had to crop a little.

Answer 2

This largely depends on what kind of camera you are using, but assuming you're using a fairly standard digital with timer, you will need a tripod (a tabletop one will do).

Set the camera up in position well beforehand, so you have the light of the moon to help. I would recommend using full zoom to get a good clear shot, as cameras all expose on the assumption that your average, overall colour is a mid grey, so if you have too much black sky, it will come out too light.

When you want to take the photo, set the timer to do it, so that you don't shake it by pressing the shutter.

The shot will take some time, so don't even move near it, or you will get camera shake.

I would advise taking as many as the eclipse will allow, so that you will, hopefully, have at least one successful one.

If colour balance is slightly out (likely to be lighter than you want, if anything), this can be adjusted quite easily in many picture editing programmes, but remember to keep the original in case you lose any picture detail in adjustment.

Answer 3

you understand that the moon will be very, very, very dark. unlike a solar eclipse where there is a halo of light around the moon. It is not good enough to hold the camera steady as the moon is a moving object. You will need a motorized polar mount such as used with a telescope to track the motion if you expect to use a shutter of less than 1/15 sec, or a lens greater than 500mm. or use a tripod and expect to get a blur.