Photographing the Lunar Eclipse

[chirurgeon]

HOW?

Kim

 

[MarkBarbieri]

If you have a long telephoto lens, just zoom in as close as you can, spot meter off the moon, shoot.

A common eclipse technique is to shoot wider and take multiple shots of the moon as it crosses through the earth's shadow. Keep the camera in the same position and then combine the shots in PS when you're done. Just like putting the castle in the foreground for fireworks shots, it is best to have something interesting in the foreground rather than just a blank sky with lots of moons.

 

[skr8pn]

in a photo class I took the teacher said when shooting a full moon to shoot at 1/500 and under expose by 2 full stops. most of the time, they do look pretty good doing that. I'm curious myself how this will end up looking though. The multiple shots could be an ineresting idea. It's that or wait 2 more years for this to happen.

 

[NostalgicDad]

Well, it's looking like I'll miss this one since we are cloudy and storms are predicted for tonight. I should be glad though since I never have much luck shooting a lunar eclipse. With the dark orange/red lighting, the slower shutter speed shows too much moon movement and my shots never turn out sharp enough. I've always had much better luck just shooting a full moon using spot metering as Mark mentioned.

 

[DizneyNutz]

how to photograph tonight's eclipse

Published Today at 9:36 a.m.
Over the Raleigh area tonight, a total lunar eclipse will be in the sky. Clouds willing, it will be a spectacular opportunity for some great photography. Folks with digital or film SLR cameras can use these settings:

BASIC SETTINGS

First of all, you will need to set your camera in MANUAL exposure mode. Automatic settings will not work. Every Digital SLR and SLR I have seen has this mode, and using the built-in meter will result in a huge waste of time. Like the old time photographers, just use manual settings. If you are not sure how to do this, read the camera manual or perhaps use Google to look up the model of your camera and read the instructions online.

Set your camera to ISO 100. The moon is brighter than you think!

A basic exposure of 1/125 second at f/5.6 while the moon is full and prior to the eclipse starting.

Change the shutter speed to 1/8 second within 15 minutes of totality.

Change the shutter speeding to 4 seconds throughout totality.

BRACKET your exposure on the shutter speed side. I recommend using half of the shutter speed (1/250) and then 1/4 the shutter speed (1/500) in the initial phase.

During the middle phase, 1/4th, 1/8th and 1/16th of a second.

Finally, 2 seconds, 4 seconds and 8 seconds during totality.

IMPORTANT:

A decent tripod is necessary. If you have a shutter release cable, use that. If not, use the camera's self-timer to fire the shutter hands-off. Any "shake" will make the picture blurry.

NEAT TRICK:

Use a short lens (35mm or lower) and a tripod and set the camera up to where the moon will arc across the sky but stay in the viewfinder. It will move right to left in a semi-circle above you, so center the moon in the middle left side of the viewfinder and leave it there. Fire the shutter using the settings every five minutes (be precise in this) and use the settings above.

Then, take your pictures and "stack" them using a computer program like "Image Stacker" and the final photo will show the progression of the picture as it moves across the sky. Image Stacker is a shareware application used for "star trail" photos, which is another really neat photo technique, but in the case of this eclipse it will work nicely. Or alternatively, use the camera's multiple exposure settings (look in the manual, it should have this) and do it all on a single frame.

Finally, a couple of neat web sites to look at are these:

How To Photograph A Lunar Eclipse

Photographing Star Trails

Good luck and enjoy the eclipse!!!

 

[Queenie]

Would the multiple photos trick be the best way to photograph the eclipse with my 18-55mm kit lens (it's the only one I have.) Camera is a Canon EOS 300D.

 

[Shutterbug]

Would the multiple photos trick be the best way to photograph the eclipse with my 18-55mm kit lens (it's the only one I have.) Camera is a Canon EOS 300D.

IMO yes, seeing that you cant zoom in very far I would go for the mutiple photo and stack idea.


Its going to be iffy here in NE Ohio...sometimes there are big patches of clear sky and the next minute overcast and snowy.

Hoping it moves out by tonight.

 

[Queenie]

It's the same here, right now I can't even see the moon. Totality for us in the UK is between 3 and 4am so I'll be lucky if I'm even able to focus my brain enough to shoot it at that time!

 

[Shutterbug]

Well its cleared out...but fripping 16 degrees outside....my fingers hurt!!

 

[chirurgeon]

I went out a little while ago and all I could see were clouds. I'm going to check again in a few minutes.

Kim

 

[ukcatfan]

Well its cleared out...but fripping 16 degrees outside....my fingers hurt!!

Sorry, but I can't resist telling you that I am wearing shorts, short sleeve shirt, and no shoes down here in SW FL while taking my eclipse shots.

Kevin

 

[Golf4food]

I tried but after a few test shots my battery died and it doesn't want to recognize the one I thought was charged as actually being charged... so no eclipse shots this time...

 

[Golf4food]

Sorry, but I can't resist telling you that I am wearing shorts, short sleeve shirt, and no shoes down here in SW FL while taking my eclipse shots.

Kevin

And I need jeans and a light jacket just a few hours northeast of you in NE Florida - in the upper 40s/lower 50s right now.

 

[Shutterbug]

Sorry, but I can't resist telling you that I am wearing shorts, short sleeve shirt, and no shoes down here in SW FL while taking my eclipse shots.

Kevin

Eh thats alright, you cant go downhill skiing in Florida (as I finish up a coat of wax on my ski's before going back outside)

Temp is now down to 9

 

[Bugdozer]

Hi,

Well if there is one thing I learned tonight it is that I have a lot to learn. I braved 18 degrees with my 15 yo son. Pictures are so so i guess for a novice.

Can't wait to see some of you real good photographer's pictures.

Bug

 

[cpbjgc]

I was just outside with my tripod for about 15 minutes taking pics, but none came out. Focus was fine and exposure was fine but they were all blurred -camera shake from the wind . Ah, well, the moon was still cool to look at!

As for the weather here: -25 Celsius, with the wind factored in, equivalent to -38 celsius (close to -40 farenheit). I was defintely not in shorts .

I folded down my tripod before coming in. I tried picking it up after I got my coat off and my skin was sticking to the metal legs my advice for cold weather shooting -don't lick the tripod!

 

[Shutterbug]

Hi,

Well if there is one thing I learned tonight it is that I have a lot to learn. I braved 18 degrees with my 15 yo son. Pictures are so so i guess for a novice.

Can't wait to see some of you real good photographer's pictures.

Bug

Pretty good if you ask me

 

[Amps]

My effort:

I have others of various phases but too lazy to go through all of them

 

[Shutterbug]

I wont be posting any until tomorrow. I have been told over on a photo board that you should bag camera and and lens and seal them tight then let them warm up gradually to avoid any build up of condensation.
As it is I had frost build up on the front of the one lens I had on the camera.
I have no idea how many pics I took through the frosted glass I should have checked sooner.

 

[Amps]

Same image at original size and cropped: