Blood Moon

Tips for photographing a total lunar eclipse

This image was taken with a Nikon 500mm 200-500mm f/5.6 lens at 500mm with ISO 6400 at f/5.6 with a shutter speed of 1/4 of a second. Since the moon moves so fast, usually it takes shutter speeds between 1/60 and 1/125 to capture a sharp image, depending on the focal length of your lens, but in this instance, I was pleasantly surprised with the result achieved at 1/4 of a second. (© 2019 Alan M. Murray/Uncharted)
This image was taken with a Nikon 500mm 200-500mm f/5.6 lens at 500mm with ISO 6400 at f/5.6 with a shutter speed of 1/4 of a second. Since the moon moves so fast, usually it takes shutter speeds between 1/60 and 1/125 to capture a sharp image, depending on the focal length of your lens, but in this instance, I was pleasantly surprised with the result achieved at 1/4 of a second. (© 2019 Alan M. Murray/Uncharted)
Last Visited March 13, 2025

In January 2019, as temperatures plummeted throughout the Philadelphia area, I stood outside for hours, gripping metallic camera equipment, taking photos of the total lunar eclipse. And I’m glad I did it. It’s one of many experiences I’ve had exploring the outdoors that reminds me how rewarding it can be to experience something new. Despite the cold, I enjoyed watched the moon morph from a bright, white disc with gray patches to just a sliver, later transforming into a fiery red. And, if the weather cooperates, I may get to experience another total lunar eclipse Friday morning.

Visible from the Americas, the Pacific, Western Europe and Western Africa, the eclipse will begin at 03:57 UTC (11:57 p.m. EDT) on March 13, 2025 and end on March 14, 2025 at 07:31 UTC (3:26 a.m. EDT). The highlight of the event, when the moon completely enters the umbra, or the inner part of the Earth’s shadow, turning a reddish-orange, will begin at 6:26 UTC (2:26 a.m. EDT).

If you’re interested in photos of the eclipse, here are some notes from my last experience that may be helpful:

Want to Read More?

Sign up for free or become an All-Access Explorer

Sign Up

Already subscribed? Sign In

Join an Explorer Group

Night Photography

A group for anyone interested in night photography. Develop new skills, share ideas, get tips and be informed about upcoming Uncharted night photography workshops and events.
Learn More

Join the Discussion

Report

Harassment or bullying behavior
Contains mature or sensitive content
Contains misleading or false information
Contains abusive or derogatory content
Contains spam, fake content or potential malware

Block Member?

Please confirm you want to block this member.

You will no longer be able to:

  • See blocked member's posts
  • Mention this member in posts
  • Invite this member to groups
  • Message this member
  • Add this member as a connection

Please note: This action will also remove this member from your connections and send a report to the site admin. Please allow a few minutes for this process to complete.

Report

You have already reported this .