What a Blood Moon Photo Captures
A blood moon photo records the lunar eclipse phase when Earth blocks direct sunlight and only refracted red light reaches the Moon. During totality, the Moon often appears copper or deep orange, and the exact shade depends on atmospheric dust and cloud cover along the Earth's limb. Professional and amateur photographers use this event to test low-light dynamic range, color accuracy, and tracking systems.
NASA and the U.S. Naval Observatory publish eclipse predictions, including contact times and Moon altitude for major cities, which help photographers plan shots around twilight or moonrise. The next total lunar eclipse visible from much of the Americas occurs on March 13, 2025, with partial phases starting earlier and totality lasting around 65 minutes according to NASA's eclipse website.
Best Cameras and Gear for a Blood Moon Photo
DSLR and mirrorless cameras with manual exposure control and RAW support are standard for a blood moon photo. Popular models from Canon, Nikon, and Sony offer high ISO performance and lenses in the 200mm to 600mm range that fill the frame with the Moon. Astrophotographers often pair these bodies with equatorial mounts or motorised tracking heads to reduce blur during long exposures.
Smartphones can also produce a usable blood moon photo when paired with a tripod and a telephoto lens attachment. Apps such as ProCam, NightCap, and Moment give manual control over shutter speed, ISO, and focus, while NASA's eclipse site provides timing data so users can align their shots with peak totality.
Settings and Techniques for Sharp Lunar Eclipse Images
Exposure Basics
A typical starting point for a blood moon photo is ISO 400 to 1600, f/5.6 to f/8, and shutter speeds between 1/125s and 1/250s during partial phases. As the Moon darkens in totality, photographers often lengthen exposure to 1s or more, adjusting ISO and aperture to retain detail in the shadowed portion without clipping highlights on the bright edge.
Focus and Tracking
Live view magnification on the Moon helps confirm sharp focus, and many shooters use autofocus on a bright star or distant terrestrial object before switching to manual focus. Tracking mounts follow the Moon's arc, allowing longer exposures without star trails, while image stacking in software such as DeepSkyStacker or RegiStax reduces noise and sharpens fine surface details.