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The moon presents an incredible subject for photography across all skill levels.(Image credit: Getty Images)Jump to:
- Lunar occasions in 2026
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Share this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterHow to photograph the moon
When you’re thinking about capturing images of the nocturnal sky, moon photography presents an intriguing and fulfilling venture for every photographer. Fortunately, it is also among the simpler astrophotography skills to learn, rendering it a superb initial point for astrophotography beginners. The moon makes for a fantastic subject throughout its cycles, yet the full snow moon during Feb 1, alongside the blood moon shadowing during March 3, will provide the ideal targets.
From dazzling full-phase photos to striking crescents, and even those blood-red shadowings already stated, there exists an assortment of photography approaches ready for capture — conditional on both the phase of the moon and also the existing weather conditions — though comparable to any form of photography, it still necessitates an accurate combination of suitable astrophotography cameras, methods, and imaginative thinking, so you can fully exploit your photos.
Within this guide, we’ll explore the fundamentals involved with moon photography, while including certain upcoming celestial occasions you could possibly would like to photograph. We will additionally be exploring the optimal camera equipment for lunar photography, alongside how you can think about structure and also style, and also, maybe more significantly, exactly which camera settings to work with.
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Blood moon eclipse and other moon events in 2026
The blood moon shadowing during March 2-3 signifies a perfect time for lunar photography.
Among the most significant highlights for lunar photographers throughout 2026 will be the total lunar eclipse (the “blood moon”) during March 2-3, 2026. Throughout this event, the Moon will fully pass in to the Earth’s shadow and it can take on an abundant copper-red hue for almost one hour. The shadowing will become noticeable late during the night into the early morning hours, with the optimal views occurring from the western part of the US. From the east, viewers will witness part of the shadowing as the Moon goes down close to dawn.
Another exciting opportunity shows up during August 27-28, whenever a deep partial lunar eclipse can be noticed throughout a lot of the US. Although the moon will not entirely enter the Earth’s shadow, a substantial portion of its surface area will darken.
August also incorporates a significant solar event. On August 12, a complete solar eclipse can cross regions of Europe, Greenland, and Iceland, with Iceland providing some of the optimal seeing alongside the pathway of totality. While it’s not a lunar photography occasion in the usual sense, it demonstrates the moon’s outline obstructing the sun, which lets photographers capture the solar corona, alongside diamond ring appearance. Simply make certain that you have solar filters, together with the optimal solar viewing equipment, all set beforehand.
Near the end of the year, the nearest supermoon because 2019 happens during December 23. This full moon occurs close to perigee, rendering it seem larger and brighter than usual — an effect that’s most noticeable at moonrise and moonset, whenever it presents itself as an ideal opportunity for pairing together with landscapes and landmarks. Listed here are all the full moon dates throughout 2026 that you could include inside your diary.
Lastly, there are several appealing lunar/planet pairings, including a close positioning alongside Mercury on February 18, coupled with a crescent moon near Venus during March 20. Both of those are noticeable soon after dusk and prove helpful for wide-angle images that combine the moon together with colorful dusk skies.
How to photograph a total lunar eclipse
When photographing the lunar shadowing, timing proves important.
Many of the guidelines we’ve incorporated listed below equally function well in the event you’re capturing a lunar event similar to the eclipse, yet there are a few extra things to think about aside from location, environment and setting.
Shutter speed — whenever the moon has reached totality (meaning it’s completely eclipsed), you’ll be required to change the shutter speed for brightness. We’d advise experimenting involving 0.5 and 2 seconds throughout this phase, as the sky encompassing the moon is significantly darker, therefore you’ll need a longer setting to bring out detail.
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It’s additionally worth getting yourself to some location offering restricted light pollution, as any light in the surrounding area will be highlighted, therefore you’ll want a darker environment to genuinely bring the optimal results through the moon’s colours throughout the shadowing.
Best camera gear for moon photography
The correct camera might produce several breathtaking images of the moon.
Although it is possible to photograph the moon using almost any camera, a DSLR, perhaps a mirrorless camera, can offer the most effective results due to image quality, alongside its flexibility. Nevertheless, when you have something a tad more compact, similar to a small point-and-shoot, such as the Sony RX100, you’ll be capable of achieving reasonable results if you take note of sensor size (1-inch and up recommended), and the aperture size connected with the lens. Something similar to f/1.8 must work.
The most crucial element is that any camera you utilize will let you manually adjust settings like shutter speed, aperture and ISO, which are vital for lunar photography. A lot of the most reliable astrophotography cameras feature dedicated astro features, too.
For individuals simply getting going by photographing the moon, entry-level DSLRs, perhaps mirrorless bodies, signify the most effective bet, while the Canon EOS Rebel series, Nikon D3500, or Sony Alpha a6400 can present themselves as good starting details to capture fundamental images. You can even capture reasonable images of the moon using your smartphone, and there are telephoto lens attachments and applications that permit manual settings. The whole process of digiscoping will also let you get a satisfactory moon image if paired together with suitable binoculars or scopes.
In terms of more professional models, when your budget allows, we’d strongly recommend the Nikon Z8, perhaps the Canon EOS R5. If you’re aiming to print big or even take your photography into greater commercial areas, the Sony Alpha 7R series presents itself as a great option.
For an alternative option when photographing the total lunar eclipse, some of the most reliable telescopes could produce incredible images, and a smart telescope can track and photograph the shadowing to suit your needs!
Best lenses for moon photography
A long lens becomes needed for detailed shots regarding the moon.
A quality lens can be considered the most crucial bit of equipment for lunar photography. Since the moon is small and distant, a telephoto lens, perhaps a super-telephoto lens, will be ideal, though there are still images it is possible to take using a more modest budget, so long as you seek out something offering at least 200mm of zoom that isn’t a kit lens.
Try to get a lens with a focal length of at least 200mm, yet lenses within the 400mm to 600mm range will deliver greater detail, alongside more substantial images, of the moon. Prime lenses often deliver sharper images, even though zoom lenses offer flexibility, particularly if you’re looking to include surrounding elements within your composition — we’ll touch on composition in a while.
Good examples of the varieties of lenses that you should check out would be the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II, the Nikon AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR, and the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM.
Accessories for photographing the moon
A sturdy tripod proves crucial to astrophotography.
Compared to other kinds of astrophotography, you’re able to capture top quality images of the moon without using lots of accessories, as it’s typically bright and clear enough. However, to have the most detailed and sharpest shots, some degree of stability proves needed, particularly while using a large zoom lens.
A tough tripod is likely to ensure your camera stays steady, preventing motion blur, along with employing a remote shutter release, perhaps the camera’s timer function, to reduce vibrations brought on by pushing the shutter button.
If you’re intending to have a somewhat more daring approach, there are a number of extra accessories it is possible to buy, such as moon-tracking mounts. These constitute equatorial mounts that rack the moon’s motion through the sky, letting longer exposures happen without blurring.
Additionally, regarding image quality, coupled with the final output, we’d advise employing a neutral-density (ND) or polarizing filter, which can decrease glare, together with enhancing details, particularly throughout bright moon phases, any time it might be tough to accurately expose the moon together with the nearby landscape.
Composition and style for moon photography