Lunar Eclipse and WS

January 13, 2009 ·

Michael Reichmann

Click here for a Unique Eclipse Landscape Workshop Announcement

There’s a full moon every month. If the Moon’s orbit wasn’t inclined 5 degrees we would also have a lunar eclipse every month. But it is, so we don’t. Consequently lunar eclipses are rare.

A lunar eclipse happens when the moon passes into the shadow of the earth. This makes the moon grow dark, and only sunlight filtered though our atmosphere reaches the moon and illuminates it with a ruddy crimson glow. It is a strikingly beautiful sight. The last time I saw one was in 1989 and I still remember it vividly.

The next lunar eclipse will take place on May 15th, 2003. It will be visible throughout North and South America as well as extreme Western Europe. In North America it will occur not long after sunset on the west coast, around midnight on the east coast, and at sunrise in the U. K. and western Europe.

A Lunar Eclipse in Three Exposures
Credit & Copyright:Stephen Barnesskyoptics.net
Used with permission

From the point of view of the casual observer or amateur astronomer the whole night is available, and regardless of where you live as long as you have clear skies you should have a wonderful experience. But likely the best photographic opportunities for landscape photographers will occur in the desert areas of the western U.S. The reason for this is twofold. First, the desert has the highest likelihood of clear skies that day, and secondly, the western quarter of the continent will have the eclipsed moon rising shortly after sunset. (Folks in the U.K., and other countries in western Europe will have a great opportunity to shoot the eclipsed moon setting at sunriseif they have clear skies).

Photographing The Rising Moon


Death Valley Moonrise, 1999

Photographed with a Rollei 6008 and 300mm Schneider Apo-Tele-Xenar lens
On Fuji Provia 100

I took this photograph inDeath Valleyin the Fall of 1999. The full moon was rising shortly after sunset, just as it will on May 15th, 2003. But this time it will be in eclipse as it rises and it could make for some extraordinary photographic possibilities.

One thing to remember is that the moon, like the earth, gets its illumination from the sun, and therefore since it is gray needs an exposure pretty much the same as a sunlight scene on earth. The Sunny 16 rule; 1 / ISO @ f/16 — but with about 1 stop + compensation because you want it to appear light gray not medium gray. When its closer to the horizon though, and the light has to pass though more dirty air, it is one to two stops dimmer. There are a lot of variables. For this reason bracketing is well worthwhile, and if you’re shooting digital check your LCD and histograms often.

You need to keep this in mind when shooting the full moon at sunrise or sunset. If the dynamic range between the moon and the surrounding sky and foreground is too great then you’ll either burn out the moon or underexpose the foreground. But the cardinal sin of doing this sort of photography is burning out the moon. You need to hold detail there and let the sky and foreground fall where they may, as seen below.


Mt. Tremblant Moonrise — Quebec. January, 2003

Canon EOS 1Ds with 300mm f/2.8L and 1.4X @ ISO 250

For this reason, there is just a narrow band of time when the moon and the sky and the foreground are in balance. The best technique for getting the moon’s exposure right is to use a spotmeter. The diameter of the full moon is exactly 1 degree, and a 1 degree spotmeter thus is prefect. Simply take a spot reading, open up about 1.5 stops and you’ve got it.

Where to Shoot

May 15th is a Thursday. For most people the choice of where to shoot the moon in eclipse that day will be determined by personal factors, like jobs and family obligations. But, if you have the time, and means, and the desire, where out west and what kind of foreground subject would you want to shoot this remarkable event? I gave this some thought and came to the conclusion that the desert and mountains of Nevada would be best. As mentioned above, the desert has the best chance of clear skies. Also, the clear air and long vistas will allow using something like sand dunes or a mountain range as foreground.

InDeath Valley, for example (not far from Las Vegas — a convenient place to fly into) sunset that day is at 7:40pm. Moonrise is just minutes before at 7:32pm, and the moon will already be in partial eclipse as it rises. By the time of greatest eclipse, at 8:40pm, the sky will be too dark. But in the time between sunset and moonrise, and an hour later, there will be terrific photographic opportunities. At about 8pm the moon will be 4 degrees above the horizon, and by 8:30pm it will be 9 degrees. Somewhere in between, depending on altitude and how high any mountains in the foreground might be, the moon will be at its best. As noted, these times are forDeath Valleyand will vary depending on whereyoumay be. A check of a good almanac will provide local data for whereyoumight find yourself on May 15th.

What Lens to Use

This largely depends on where you’ll be shooting and what the foreground might be like. My 1999 Death Valley shot above was taken with a 300mm lens in 120 format. This is the same as a 150mm lens on 35mm. The Quebec moonrise above was done at the equivalent of 420mm. It takes about a 1,200 millimeter lens to fill the frame. Somewhere in there is your best bet. Too wide and the moon will be unimpressive. Too large and it will look like a shot fromSky and Telescopemagazine. I expect to use either a 400mm or 500mm lens that night.

The Workshop

I am planning a workshop for Death Valley that week specifically to shoot the eclipse. The probability of clear skies there is very high, and the open vistas lend themselves to the kind of set-up that I think will work best. In addition to the eclipse this workshop will also spend 4 days shooting in and around the remarkable locations found in Death Valley.

Click here for an Eclipse Workshop Announcement

If you can’t make it on this workshop, do try and find a spot somewhere to view and photograph this lunar eclipse. If you get a good shot, let me know. I might publish it here as a follow-up to this article.

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Michael Reichmann is the founder of the Luminous Landscape. Michael passed away in May 2016. Since its inception in 1999 LuLa has become the world's largest site devoted to the art, craft, and technology of photography. Each month more than one million people from every country on the globe visit LuLa.

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