How to photograph the August 27 lunar eclipse with iPhone Live Photos

The August 27 partial lunar eclipse will place 96.3% of the moon inside Earth's shadow, and an iPhone Live Photo can give photographers several chances to capture a sharp image. Here's how to do it.

The partial phase begins at 10:34 p.m. EDT and reaches its maximum at 12:13 a.m. EDT on August 28, according to NASA. Before 10:34 p.m., the moon will pass through Earth's lighter penumbra, producing only subtle shading.

Most of North and South America will see the eclipse, while parts of western Europe and western Africa will catch portions of it. Unlike a solar eclipse, it's safe to view and photograph without protective glasses or a filter.

Why the lunar eclipse can turn red

Often described as an almost blood moon, the event is technically a deep partial lunar eclipse because a small portion of the moon will remain outside Earth's umbra. The 96.3% figure refers to the portion of the lunar disk inside that darkest part of Earth's shadow.

A narrow section will remain directly illuminated, producing a high-contrast scene that can challenge the iPhone's automatic exposure. The shadowed portion may appear orange, red, or copper instead of disappearing completely.

NASA explains that blue wavelengths scatter more easily as sunlight passes through Earth's atmosphere, while longer red and orange wavelengths continue through the air and reach the lunar surface. The same process colors sunrises and sunsets.

The agency notes that dust and clouds in Earth's atmosphere can change how red the eclipsed moon appears. Lowering the iPhone's exposure may reveal colors that its automatic settings would wash out.

Best iPhone camera settings for the lunar eclipse

Successful iPhone lunar eclipse photography depends more on exposure and stability than maximum zoom. The moon can become a featureless white dot when the iPhone overexposes it.

Touching the shutter can also introduce enough movement to soften the small subject.

Apple's Live Photos record 1.5 seconds before and after the shutter press. That short sequence lets photographers choose another frame if the default key photo catches movement at the wrong moment.

1. Open Camera and remain in Photo mode.
2. Turn on Live Photo through the camera controls.

Enabling Live Photos will turn off Night mode, since the two features can't operate at the same time.

Choose the longest optical or optical-quality telephoto setting offered by the iPhone. Depending on the model, that may be 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, or 8x.

The iPhone 17 Pro offers 4x and 8x options, as detailed in our camera guide. Apple lists the 8x setting as a 200mm-equivalent optical-quality view, while the standard iPhone 17 provides a 2x optical-quality option.

Avoid pinching all the way into the camera's maximum digital zoom. Digital zoom crops and enlarges the available image, making noise, blur, and processing artifacts more visible without capturing additional optical detail.

Brace the iPhone against a solid object at least, or better, place it on a tripod before adjusting the image. Stabilizing the phone matters because longer focal lengths magnify small movements along with the subject.

Touch and hold the moon on the screen until AE/AF Lock appears. A single tap moves the focus and exposure point, while the longer press prevents the camera from immediately recalculating both settings.

A yellow sun icon will appear beside the focus box. Drag it downward until the white glare recedes and the moon's surface, shadow boundary, or reddish color becomes visible.

Apple documents both controls in its camera tools guide. Supported models can also adjust exposure through Camera Control, but touching the screen provides the same basic result.

Take several Live Photos as the eclipse progresses. The illuminated portion requires a lower exposure early in the event, while the shadowed moon will need progressively more light as the eclipse approaches its maximum.

Choose a sharper Live Photo frame

The default key photo may not be the sharpest frame in the Live Photo. Movement from pressing the shutter, a brief focus adjustment, or a passing cloud can leave another recorded moment looking better.

1. Open the Live Photo in Photos and tap Edit.
2. Select the Live Photo control at the bottom of the screen.
3. Move the white frame through the sequence.
4. Stop on the clearest image, tap Make Key Photo, and tap Done.

Apple's editing guide also explains how to trim the sequence or turn its key photo into a regular still image.

Changing the key photo can improve timing and reduce visible movement, but it can't repair missed focus or severe overexposure. The exposure must be adjusted correctly before pressing the shutter.

Live Photos also aren't available while ProRAW or HEIF Max is active. Anyone who normally uses those formats will need to switch them off before using this method.

Work within the iPhone camera's limits

Even the iPhone 17 Pro's 8x camera won't fill the frame with the moon like a long telescope lens. A tree line, building, monument, or other foreground can produce a stronger composition than pushing digital zoom beyond the camera's optical limits.

Standard iPhones with shorter telephoto views will benefit most from that wider approach. iPhone Pro models can bring the moon closer, but controlled exposure and a stable phone will have a larger effect on the finished image than the maximum number displayed on the zoom dial.

A tripod, binocular adapter, or telescope mount can improve moon photography with an iPhone, especially when the built-in telephoto camera can't provide enough reach. Our earlier astronomy guide covers those accessories and explains how optical zoom differs from digital enlargement.

Clear skies and an unobstructed view of the moon remain the only requirements the iPhone can't supply.