Capture perfectly the lunar eclipse of "Blood Moon" this month using these tips from a professional photographer

The lunar eclipse of the blood moon that will take place later this month on July 27 will give photographers a spectacular chance of catching some amazing pictures.

Even if you are not very comfortable with a digital SLR, we have compiled some tips with the help of a professional photographer to guide you.

You'll have plenty of time to get the picture right too, as this lunar eclipse is set to be the longest this century.

A so-called "blood moon" occurs during a lunar eclipse when the Earth's shadow blocks the sunlight that would normally reflect the moon. Instead, the light bends around the atmosphere of the Earth, which filters out different colors (Rayleigh Scattering) and projects the moon into a reddish hue

As you might expect, this makes an excellent subject for budding landscape photographers.

Although the blood moon will be visible the longest in the southeast of In Europe, you will get a good view of it wherever you are in the UK. This is provided that the weather remains clear and that no cloud opposes it.

Here are the best tips from the famous landscape photographer and Canon ambassador David Norton to get the best shots of the blood moon:

Download the right apps to be in the loop

The position of the sun in the sky at any time the time of day varies enormously with the latitude and the season.

This is not the case of the moon because its passage through the heavens is governed by its complex elliptical orbit of the earth. This orbit causes monthly rather than seasonal variations as the moon moves in its lunar cycle. The result is great differences in the timing of its appearance and its trajectory across the sky.

Fortunately, we no longer need to rely on weight tables to consult the behavior of the moon, we can simply download an application on our phone

The Photographer's Ephemerides are useful for giving the times , sunrises and phases of the moon and the moon; while the Photopills application gives full information about the position of the moon in our sky.

Armed with these two applications, I intend to turn the Blood Moon that rises in Dorset, England. I aim to capture the moon in the first fifteen minutes of the moonrise so that I can catch it low in the sky and juxtapose it against an object on the horizon line to scale – it could be as simple as a tree on a hill.

Investing in a Lens with Optimum Zoom

On July 27, one of the biggest challenges we face Let's face it is shooting the moon is great in the frame so we can see each crater on the surface of the pockmarked asteroid.

This is a task normally reserved for astronomers with super powerful telescopes, but if you have a long telephoto lens on a full frame DSLR with around 600mm focal length, this can be done, depending on the composition.

I will use the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV with an EF 200-400mm f / 4L IS USM Ext. 1.4 x lens.

Use a Tripod to Capture Intimate Detail

When you frame your shot, something immediately becomes apparent; Lunar tracking is incredibly difficult as the moon moves surprisingly fast in the sky.

As you will use a long lens for this shoot, it is important to invest in a sturdy tripod to capture the best possible picture.

While it's tempting to take the picture by hand, it's important to remember that your subject is over 384,000 km from you and that even with a high shutter speed, the slightest movement will become exaggerated.

Embed the Moon in Your Landscape

While the images of the moon in the frame can be beautifully detailed, they are essentially astronomical in their attractiveness.

Personally, I am much more attracted to the use of lunar pace as an element in my landscapes, or using moonlight as a light source. The latter is difficult because the amount of light reflected by the moon is tiny, while the lunar surface is so bright by comparison.

Up to now, night photography meant long and long exposures, but with cameras such as the Canon EOS-1D The X Mark II and the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV are now capable of stunning performance in Low light, a whole new night-time world of opportunity has been opened to photographers.

Master the shutter speed for your subject

The most evocative and most authentic use of the moon in landscape portraits results from situations where the light on the moon balances with dusk in the surrounding sky. These images have a subtle appeal, mood and credibility.

By definition, any scene incorporating medium or wide-angle vision will make the moon a tiny sting of light, but its presence will always be felt. Our eyes gravitate naturally, as insignificant as it may seem. Of course, the question of the shutter speed is still there; too slow an exposure and all we will see is an unsightly lunar trail, even with a wide-angle lens.

On a clear night, mastering the shutter speed of your camera is an integral part of capturing the moon – expose to 1/250 sec @ f8 ISO 100 (depending on the distance focal) is what you will need To prevent the movement from becoming blurred and you get the right technique, with the high quality of cameras such as the Canon EOS 5DS R, you could even see the twelve cameras that were left behind there by NASA in the 1960s

Well, thanks for that – so when is the blood moon going on?

The next lunar lunar eclipse visible in the United Kingdom will take place the night of July 27 and the first hours of July 28 for get the best view. No matter where you are in the UK – if you can access an open space with an unobstructed view of the sky, you should be able to see it.

As always, be sure to get as far away from light pollution as possible.