I developed a course for one of my homeschoolers and titled it the Photographic Process. The process includes planning from way before I pick up a camera. It drives through the execution of the shot(s), and then to the editing. After that we need to know the medium or media to be the final craft of my trade—digital, paper, canvas, or, my current favorite, metal prints. And this is still talking planning.
The lunar eclipse of January 2018 required timing—when to be there. And since it was a freezing, windy day donning the right clothes. It required a scouting trip the morning prior to the eclipse as I needed a clear sky to the west and we live in the mountains. Not all skies are clear in all directions.
I needed the multiple lunar exposures to fit easily on the same file. Therefore, I set the zoom and did not touch it during the entire event. (Made random zooming mistake in August 2017 at the solar eclipse.)
Of course, I needed to be sure the moon had texture, which blackens the remainder of the sky.
Ok, then there were the usual others: coffee, tripod, flashlight, remote trigger, lens cleaner, and more coffee.
Finally, totality would end up with many f-stops less light, but that beautiful orange glow from refracted light around the earth. Prepare. Prepare. Anticipate