We recently had the privilege to witness the Complete Lunar Eclipse which took place on the 15th of June.  This was one of the longest lunar eclipses in the existence of humankind where the moon wasn’t visible for up to an 1 hour and 20 minutes.  Starting from around 8:22 pm with the moon completely hidden in plenet Earth’s shadow at roundabout 10:22.  This is also one of few eclipses which could be witnessed all over the whole of Africa (with the exception of West-Africa who would miss the beginning, but could see the rest)  My grandmother always follows the planets on her calendar and so we always learn when to watch for the next sun or lunar eclipse through her

When taking photos of the moon (during a lunar eclipse or any other night for that matter) you will soon find that the moom is really bright and you will be shooting at settings somthing along the lines of F8.0 -for your aperture, 1/800 shutter speed (or higher) and ISO of 200-400 – These settings will vary depending on how much of the moon can be seen.  Notice how your exposure settings change everytime you go out and the moon is showing less and less.

I basically watched the clock and tried to go outside for a photo of the lunar eclipse every 10-15 mins and let me tell you it was freezing, but totally worth it!!!

Riani Labuschagne

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