How to Photograph the Lunar Eclipse

The "blood moon" will be visible the night of March 13th

Mar 10, 2025

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Photographing the moon isn't as easy as it may seem. Check out my tips for lunar photography before the total eclipse Sept. 27th.

Lunar Eclipse Photo Tips

When it comes to night photography, the moon is one of the more challenging subjects. Most of North America (and much of South America) will be treated to a total lunar eclipse the evening of March 13th. Here are my tips for photographing this celestial event.

When to see the blood moon eclipse

Lunar Eclipse Photo Tip #1: Bring out the big glass

Despite its large appearance, you'll want to use as much focal length as you can for moon shots. During the 2010 lunar eclipse, I used a 600mm lens with a 1.4x teleconverter on a full-frame Nikon D700. If you have a crop-sensor (APS-C or similar), you can get away with a shorter lens. But even with an effective focal length of 850mm, the moon still only fills a fraction of the camera frame.

Even with my 600mm lens and 1.4x teleconverter, the moon doesn't take up that much of the frame with a 35mm-format camera. — Even with a 600mm lens and 1.4x teleconverter, the moon doesn't take up that much of the frame with a 35mm-format camera.

The Night Sky Photography Handbook by Jason Odell — Master the art of night sky photography with the complete guide by Jason P. Odell

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