A Complete Guide to Beautifully Capturing a "Lunar Eclipse" with Your Smartphone: The Shortest Route to Success

1. A Lunar Eclipse is "Enough with a Smartphone" —— First, the Premise and Mindset

• Safety: Since a lunar eclipse is not a phenomenon where you look directly at the sun, it can be safely observed with the naked eye. No special protective gear is needed.NASA ScienceTime and Date

• Smartphone Capability: Latest Smartphone + Simple Tips are Enough. For commemorative photos, "simple smartphone is enough," according to expert media explanations.teltarif.de

• Approach: High magnification to clearly capture lunar craters is the domain of specialized equipment. Smartphones focus on "atmosphere, color, and story" (combine with foreground) to create a winning strategy.Time and Date

2. Necessary Tools (Minimal Setup / Useful Additions)

• Minimal Setup: Smartphone, Tripod or Stable Stand + Timer (2-3 seconds) / Self-timer, Lens Cloth.Time and Date

• Useful Additions:

  • Bluetooth Remote / Wired Remote (to reduce shake when pressing the shutter).Time and Date

  • RAW Recording (iPhone's Apple ProRAW / Galaxy's Expert RAW / Third-party) to increase editing resilience.Apple Support

  • Smartphone × Binoculars / Telescope Adapter ("Afocal" shooting) ... maintains better image quality than digital zoom.Sky at Night Magazine+1

  • Spare Battery, Cold and Dew Protection (batteries drain faster in cold and condensation).

3. Preparation (30-60 minutes)

1. Understand Time and Direction: Check the Moonrise / Altitude and Eclipse Progress at your observation location. The freedom of composition changes depending on the planning.Time and Date

2. Choosing a Location: A high place or waterside with a clear view from east to south. The fewer city lights, the more gradation remains in the sky.Time and Date

3. Setting Up the Composition: Including not only the moon but also trees, buildings, towers, and the horizon adds a sense of scale.Time and Date

4. Weather: Thin clouds are a feature, thick clouds are an enemy. Aim for color changes with passing clouds, and switch to live streaming if it's rain clouds.Time and Date

4. Basic Principles of Shooting (Common)

• Flash OFF, Avoid Handshake Thoroughly (Tripod + Timer/Remote).Time and Date

• AE/AF Lock to fix exposure and focus on the moon, and Exposure Compensation for fine-tuning brightness.Apple SupportiPhone Photography School

• Avoid Using Digital Zoom as Much as Possible (Crop Later). If necessary, consider Optical Zoom / Adapter.The Times of IndiaSky at Night Magazine

• Bracketing (Continuous Shooting with Different Brightness) to Prevent Failures.Time and Date

5. Exposure Guidelines (Creating a "Starting Point" with a Smartphone)

Smartphones vary greatly between models, so it's just a starting point. Please adjust +/- based on your results.

※ For Partial/Total, the concept of ISO and Shutter aligns with each company's explanation. During totality, it's dark, so adjust with ISO↑ or Shutter↓, and for partial, use low ISO + fast shutter to preserve lunar details.Sky at Night MagazineTime and Date

6. iPhone Edition: Quick Setup

1. Night Mode: Automatically activates in low light. Using a tripod to extend exposure time improves detail.Apple Support

2. AE/AF Lock: Long press the moon → AE/AF LOCK → Adjust brightness with sun icon slider.Apple Support

3. ProRAW (Supported Pro Models): Go to Settings > Camera > Format > Turn on Apple ProRAW. Increases development resilience, saving the gradation of copper red.Apple Support+1

4. Burst / Time-lapse: Depending on the model, Night mode time-lapse is also possible. Record the color changes of totality in a "video-like" manner.Apple Support

Supplement: The standard camera does not have a function to fix exposure and focus separately (AE/AF is locked simultaneously), so consider third-party manual