The individual images were then scanned into a Macintosh and the final composition was arranged with Adobe Photoshop. It can take on hues from bright orange, through deep red, dark brown or even dark grey as it's brilliance ranges from bright to dark to nearly invisible. Although the Moon is cut off from all direct sunlight while it is in Earth's umbral shadow, the Moon receives indirect sunlight which is refracted through and modified by Earth's atmosphere. This material filters and attenuates the sunlight before it's refracted into the umbra. For instance, large or frequent volcanic eruptions dumping huge quantities of ash into the atmosphere are often followed by very dark, brownish red eclipses for several years.
Extensive cloud cover along Earth's limb also tends to darken the eclipse by blocking sunlight.
To successfully photograph the total phase of an eclipse, you have to be able make a reasonable guess as to how bright a particular eclipse is. Moon almost invisible, especially at mid-totality. Details distinguishable only with difficulty. Deep red or rust-colored eclipse. Very dark central shadow, while outer edge of umbra is relatively bright.