Anyone Interested in Photography Mini-Guide for Lunar Eclipse?

astrostu · Jan 2, 2008

We have an upcoming total lunar eclipse in late February (20th). After very successfully photographing the last one (if I do say so myself), I have two questions:

(1) Are people interested in me writing a small-ish manual on how to photograph a lunar eclipse? Vote in the attached poll!

(2) Is anyone who's successfully done this in the past interested in contributing? Basically, I plan on writing a few pages'-worth on the basics of set-up and exposure details, but it will be based entirely upon my own camera system and post-processing methods, and some others may be useful. If you're interested in contributing, please let me know on this thread and/or PM.

The guide would be posted most likely as a thread, a link on my own website (and anyone who contributed), and/or as a TPF article of interest ... within the next 2-3 weeks.

UPDATE: The Guide is in version 1.0 status and is posted HERE. Download your copy (2.5 MB, 18 pages) and let me know what'cha think. And it's out just in time for next week's full moon!

kundalini · Jan 2, 2008

I have yet to get a shot that I am happy of the moon. After some reading I discovered the biggest problem was using a long exposure. I live out in the boonies with practicly no ambient light and desparately want to get it right.

I have a Nikkor 300mm f/4, a 70-200mm f/2.8 and a 1.7x TC. Surely I can get something decent. Please help! Any advice prior to the event for practice will also be helpful.

astrostu · Jan 2, 2008

P.S. This is a small (1/8 size) version of my montage from last August's eclipse.

azruial · Jan 3, 2008

Beautiful ^_^

I can't vote on the poll because I have too few total posts on the forums, but I would definitely appreciate a tutorial for shooting the moon/eclipse!

Garbz · Jan 3, 2008

For the record I voted yes although I already know how to take the photos and what to do with them for presentation:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1080/1272780397_01aaa49c70_b.jpg

But the amount of people who thought I was doing black magic to get a photo of the moon like that really does show the need for such a tutorial. I'll be happy to peer-review it if you want, or add any content you need. Shoot me a PM with info.

Atropine · Jan 3, 2008

Garbz said:
For the record I voted yes although I already know how to take the photos and what to do with them for presentation:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1080/1272780397_01aaa49c70_b.jpg

But the amount of people who thought I was doing black magic to get a photo of the moon like that really does show the need for such a tutorial. I'll be happy to peer-review it if you want, or add any content you need. Shoot me a PM with info.

That was a really nice photo though I would have cropped it slightly in the upper part making the sequence more "infinite". Apparently I am not allowed to vote, but I would love to see a tutorial. :thumbup:

Alex_B · Jan 3, 2008

I posted some of mine from the last Eclipse some while ago ... I was dead drunk when I did the images

(actually i got drunk out of frustration that we had full cloud coverage on the elclipse night, but then suddenly the clouds disappeared ... )

Anyway, some of mine turned out really nice, but many where rubbish. Now I am not sure if this was because I was so drunk or just lack of knowledge

.

Anyway, the first 20 frames I shot were shot without a CF card inserted, and mounting the lens on the tripod was very complicated that night

in any case i voted yes because i want to know how other people do it, who know better what they are doing than I do.

astrostu · Jan 4, 2008

Thought I'd give an update - the Guide is 11 pages long at the moment and I've almost finished the first draft. The sections are (where > indicates a sub-section):

The Science of Lunar Eclipses - What's Going On
> Orbital Information
> Stages of a Lunar Eclipse
> Why You Can See the Moon During a Total Eclipse & Why It's Red
Equipment Needed/Recommended to Photograph a Lunar Eclipse
> 1. Camera with Manual Settings
> 2. Tripod
> 3. Telephoto Lens
> 4. Mount that Tracks the Sky
How to Photograph the Moon Out of Eclipse (Normal Full Moon)
How to Photograph the Moon During Partial Umbral Eclipse
How to Photograph the Moon During Totality
How to Process the Photographs Out of Eclipse
How to Process the Photographs Partial Umbral Eclipse
How to Process the Photographs Totality
Putting it All Together - The Final Product
Additional Photographing / Processing Tip: Image Arithmetic
Copyright Notice

Aquarium Dreams · Jan 4, 2008

Unless it tells how to shoot through clouds or includes a plane ticket, it will do me no good.

astrostu · Jan 4, 2008

Aquarium Dreams said:
Unless it tells how to shoot through clouds or includes a plane ticket, it will do me no good.

I don't mean to offend you, but I want to let you know that after spending a few hours on this already for those who do want it, your post is really obnoxious. :er:

Aquarium Dreams · Jan 5, 2008

It's just coincidence that my post is the first and only one after your summary of the work you've done so far on the guide. I was responding to the thread title, not your post, and wasn't disparaging your expertise, simply bemoaning the fact that it's usually cloudy where I live. Poor timing for an off-the-cuff comment, I guess. I'll probably read your guide now, though, just because I'm superstitious.

Sideburns · Jan 5, 2008

astrostu said:
I don't mean to offend you, but I want to let you know that after spending a few hours on this already for those who do want it, your post is really obnoxious. :er:

It's a joke. You know...irony....all that kind of stuff.

I'm sure everyone is interested.

Josh66 · Jan 5, 2008

That would be great! My photos from the last lunar eclipse were a little disappointing... I under-estimated how fast the moon moves, didn't realize I'd need such high shutter speeds.

Garbz · Jan 5, 2008

Aquarium Dreams said:
Unless it tells how to shoot through clouds or includes a plane ticket, it will do me no good.

You should read it anyway. Can you guarantee it will be cloudy on the day of the next lunar eclipse? Or the one after? Or the following 20 or so? You may not even be living in the same place

Aquarium Dreams · Jan 5, 2008

Garbz said:
You should read it anyway. Can you guarantee it will be cloudy on the day of the next lunar eclipse? Or the one after? Or the following 20 or so? You may not even be living in the same place

And during every lunar eclipse for the rest of my life, I will be haunted by memories of this thread, sulking in the shadow of my past ignorance. :lol:

Astrostu's photography is amazing. I feel like we're lucky he's taking the time to share some of his secrets with us.

However, I'm pretty sure that getting too excited will guarantee full cloud cover for me, and probably even snow.