Moon Eclipse Photography

Photographing the Moon during an Eclipse
So many things have to be right to get good photos of the moon during an eclipse or some other event.
Firstly, the weather has to be good and clear. The last one I took, there was a haze in the sky which dulled the image.
Next, you have to have a clear view. If the event happens when the moon is rising, there are ali sorts of items in the way. If that is the case, you need to scout for a good location before the event.
Prepare your equipment. You need a good telephoto lens - minimum of 200mm focal length but preferably more. The photos above where taken with a 500mm lens. A torch is handy so you can see when changing settings.
A good sturdy tripod is essential for sharp images, particularly when the eclipse is at its peak - your shutter speed may be as low as a few seconds! Also, you can set your camera up and come back at intervals and take some more photos without having to re set everything.
Exposures. After you have found the moon in your viewfinder/screen, you need to set your exposures. At the start, the moon is very bright and you could have it at  100 ISO, f8 at 1/ 100sec. Check the image and see if there is enough detail in the moon. If not - make the shutter speed quicker. As there is less of the moon showing, you will need to adjust the exposure by using a longer shutter speed or increasing the ISO.
Almost no Light to see with. When the eclipse is at its peak as there is so little light, it may be hard to see the image in the viewfinder / screen as the light is so low. The image might look very dotty, but it won't look like that after you have taken it. Your camera may not be able to assess the desired shutter speed either so you will have to experiment. At full Eclipse my readings were ISO 1600, f8 at 1 second. At very high ISO's the image had multi coloured spots in it!
The Light Returns. After that the light increases, you need to slowly change your settings back again and then quicker as the moon gets brighter again.
A Series of Photos
The image above was a compilation of seven shots. This was done in photoshop after I had adjusted each one to be the same size and reasonably correct light values.
Try it at the next event. Usually the moon is on the horizon and very large at dusk in mid winter. You have to be very organised and quick for that one though.