{"id":501717,"date":"2026-02-26T22:17:15","date_gmt":"2026-02-26T22:17:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/501717\/"},"modified":"2026-02-26T22:17:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T22:17:15","slug":"7-easy-tips-for-photographing-the-blood-moon-total-lunar-eclipse-on-march-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/501717\/","title":{"rendered":"7 easy tips for photographing the ‘blood moon’ total lunar eclipse on March 3"},"content":{"rendered":"

On the night of March 3, 2026<\/a>, skywatchers across the U.S. will be treated to a total lunar eclipse<\/a> \u2014 the only one until the end of 2028. During this “blood moon<\/a>,” the full moon will pass through Earth’s shadow and glow a rich coppery red for nearly an hour. It’s a beautiful and accessible celestial event \u2014 and one that anyone can photograph with a little planning.<\/p>\n

You don’t need advanced gear to photograph a lunar eclipse<\/a>. What matters more is being ready: knowing when it happens, where to look, and how to adapt your camera or smartphone to changing light. Whether you’re snapping on a smartphone or setting up a carefully composed telephoto shot, the most important things are timing, location, and focus. So check your sky, prep your settings, and make it an early morning worth remembering.<\/p>\n

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Here are 7 easy tips to help you capture the magic.<\/p>\n

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1. Get the exact time and schedule for your location <\/p>\n

The only total lunar eclipse<\/a> of 2026 \u2014 and the last until New Year’s Eve 2028-2029 \u2014 will take place at the same global time, 08:44 and 14:22 GMT on Tuesday, March 3. It will be best seen in western North America, the Pacific, New Zealand, Australia and East Asia. Totality \u2014 the most photogenic part, when the moon<\/a> will be completely reddish \u2014 takes place at these times:<\/p>\n

Eastern time: 6:04-7:02 a.m. EST on March 3, 2026 (the moon will set during totality in the Eastern time zone)Central time: 5:04-6:02 a.m. CST on March 3, 2026Mountain time: 4:04-5:02 a.m. MST on March 3, 2026Pacific time: 3:04-4:02 a.m PST on March 3, 2026Alaska time: 2:04-3:02 a.m. AKST on March 3, 2026Hawaii time: 1:04-2:02 a.m. HST on March 3, 2026<\/p>\n

Although totality is the headline act, there are partial and penumbral phases on either side, which together make the event last over five hours. Visit Time and Date<\/a> to get a schedule for your location, which will also include where the moon will be in the sky to help you plan your shot.<\/p>\n

2. Go west for the best views<\/p>\n

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Total lunar eclipse captured from Germany on Sept. 7, 2026. The main image you’ll want is of a totally eclipsed moon. (Image credit: fhm via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

U.S. states in the east won’t have a great view, with the moon setting during totality \u2014 a frustrating sight. The farther west you head, the better the view will be, with the West Coast a better option than the Midwest. Although the majority of the eclipse will be visible from Chicago, for example, the moon will set just 20 minutes after totality ends, meaning totality will be viewed close to the western horizon. Even in the western U.S., the moon will be low in the western sky during totality, so it’s vital to find a site with an unobstructed view to the west. Elevated spots and open fields are wise choices, as is scouting your location a few days beforehand so you know what to expect.<\/p>\n

Related: 10 best places to see the ‘blood moon’ total lunar eclipse on March 3 <\/a><\/p>\n

Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!<\/p>\n

3. Check the climate, then the weather <\/p>\n

Cloud cover is the biggest threat to all kinds of eclipse photography, and in early March, it’s likely to be a huge consideration. According to historical cloud cover data (which you can check for any location using NASA Worldview<\/a>), the clearest skies in the U.S. are typically found in the southwestern U.S., making Arizona and California theoretically the best places to be. However, climate is only useful in pre-planning; from about three days out, use weather apps like Windy<\/a> and Clear Outside<\/a> to track local forecasts for cloud cover. If you can, have wheels so you can relocate if your original spot is looking cloudy a day or two before.<\/p>\n

4. Practice focusing a camera on the moon<\/p>\n

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One option is a collage of shots from different stages of the eclipse, like this one captured from Japan during an eclipse on Nov. 8, 2022. (Image credit: Copyright Crezalyn Nerona Uratsuji via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

If you’ve never imaged the moon before, read up on how to photograph the moon using a camera<\/a> and practice \u2014 it will make all the difference. If you’re using a long lens (200-600mm), try auto-focus on the moon, but also manual focus, using ‘live view’ to magnify the moon. Make adjustments and, if you want, mark the exact point on the focus wheel. You can do the same for a wide-angle lens, though turning to the infinity icon (\u221e) on the dial may suffice. Adjust the focus until it’s sharp as a tack \u2014 blurry totality images are so common and so disappointing.<\/p>\n

After the first-quarter moon on February 24, there will be a bright moon in the south and southeast after sunset each night through the eclipse in March. 3. It will get brighter every night; use any clear skies to practice.<\/p>\n

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5. Adjust exposure throughout the eclipse<\/p>\n

During the eclipse, the moon will be swallowed first by Earth’s fuzzy outer penumbral shadow, noticeably losing its brightness, but remaining grey. As it enters the darker inner umbral shadow (the partial phase), it darkens significantly before finally turning reddish. According to the late, great eclipse photographer Fred Espenak<\/a> on Nikon, those after a close-up of the blood moon should set the camera to ISO 400, open the lens to the widest aperture, and try a variety of exposures, adjusting the shutter speed in five-second increments. You’ll likely start with fast shutter speeds like 1\/250s, aperture at f\/8 to f\/11 at ISO 400 as the eclipse begins, but for totality it will be more like 1\u20132 second exposures, f\/2.8 aperture and ISO to 800-1600. Making constant adjustments is key \u2014 and it’s a 58-minute totality, so you have plenty of time to experiment. Bracketing (taking multiple exposures at different settings) is a wise move during totality, with 0.5-second, 1-second and 2-second exposures \u2014 all at the same ISO and aperture \u2014 will help retain lots of detail.<\/p>\n

6. Know how to use a smartphone <\/p>\n

Smartphones are getting really good at astrophotography, but that only applies to wide-angle shots; resist the temptation to zoom in on the moon and instead aim to frame it reflected in a lake or pond, among buildings or above mountains or trees. As well as restricting yourself to landscape shots, use some stabilization, such as a small tripod supporting a universal smartphone holder attachment.<\/p>\n

At a pinch, you can prop it up against a bottle or a rock \u2014 particularly since the eclipse will be taking place relatively low in the sky. It’s also wise to use timed exposures to further reduce the threat of movement. Once you’re happy with the composition, tap the moon to focus, then slide your finger down to lower the brightness. Shooting in raw is also a good idea, if that’s an option.<\/p>\n

7. Other things to think about<\/p>\n

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A group of people enjoying the total lunar eclipse over Amager Strandpark during a total lunar eclipse in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Sept. 7, 2025. (Image credit: Photo by Kristian Tuxen Ladegaard Berg\/NurPhoto via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Stay warm, always use a tripod, charge your batteries or bring a portable battery, keep spare empty SD cards, and use a shutter release cable or app you trust. Espenak also advises turning on a camera’s Long Exposure Noise Reduction feature and, more importantly, placing the moon’s image in one corner of the camera’s viewfinder. That way, it can drift through the camera’s field of view during the exposure, rather than drift out of it. But which corner? For North America, during the eclipse, the moon will move from top-left to bottom-right \u2014 it will be on its way to setting in the west.<\/p>\n

Photographing a total lunar eclipse \u2014 whose totality lasts almost an hour \u2014 is so much less frenetic than a total solar eclipse<\/a>, but take some time between exposures to take in the stunning sight. Total lunar eclipses are like buses; you get none for years, then three come along at once. The blood moon on March 3, 2026, is the last until a trio of total lunar eclipses begins in late 2028, so enjoy it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On the night of March 3, 2026, skywatchers across the U.S. will be treated to a total lunar…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":501718,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[76,354,355,49,48,356,75],"class_list":["post-501717","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-design","tag-entertainment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/501717","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=501717"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/501717\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/501718"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=501717"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=501717"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=501717"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}