This research paper presents the results of a comprehensive photometric analysis of the M42 nebula, covering three main aspects: photometry of selected variable and non-variable stars as well as the nebula itself, creation of a brightness gradient map, and estimation of the distance to the analyzed object. Stellar photometry was conducted using the AstroImageJ software, and results were compared with the PanSTARRS DR1 catalog and the AAVSO VSX database. The obtained measurements for variable stars fall within the cataloged brightness oscillation ranges, and the non-variablet star Brun 928 shows a deviation of only about 0.02 mag from the catalog value. A brightness gradient map was created using the Python programming language with the Matplotlib library, employing a moving median and appropriate scaling to precisely represent gas structures. The distance to the nebula was determined using the spectroscopic parallax method, again employing AstroImageJ, yielding a result of 414 pc, which falls within the catalog distance range. The obtained results, despite minor deviations from catalog values, are consistent with predictions of empirical models. A small impact on the accuracy of the results may have been caused by the lack of dark frame noise correction. The final conclusions confirm the validity of current physical models of diffuse nebulae, providing a solid foundation for further, more detailed astronomical research. This preprint has been uploaded to Zenodo to make it publicly accessible prior to journal submission.