Have you heard about the amazing solar eclipse that’s going to happen this August? Well, now you know! To be more precise, the event will occur on August 21st - and did we mention it’ll be amazing? It’s been almost 40 years since the last time this happened! So, we know that when such a phenomenon takes place, people enjoy capturing the universe’s beauty on their cameras. And you need to be prepared to know the best location, position of the sun, safety concerns, and adequate equipment for the moment!
That being said, it’s exactly the reason why we’re giving you this article: to learn how to photograph a solar eclipse!
Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man's desire to understand. - Neil Armstrong
First Things First: Safety
The most important thing to remember is that you can’t look directly at the sun - especially through the telephoto lens that’ll be attached to your camera. You could go blind from doing so, so remember to be careful! A simple pair of sunglasses won’t work properly to protect your eyes during the solar eclipse, but you can equip yourself with specific eclipse glasses.
Where to See It
Depending the place you’re located in the country, the eclipse will happen at different times. The places you’ll be able to see the total eclipse are:
- Idaho
- Wyoming
- Nebraska
- Kansas
- Missouri
- Illinois
- Kentucky
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
Camera Equipment
The ideal camera to achieve this goal is a DSLR camera, and here’s the equipment you’ll need:
- Lenses: Use lenses with a focal length of at least 400mm or above.
- Filters: Black polymer filters give a yellowish image of the sun, while there are some such as glass filters that produce a light, greenish image.
- Camera support: Even though carbon-fiber tripods are a bit more expensive, they are highly recommended since they give your camera better support throughout the process.
Here are some extra tips:
- Carefully focus the camera the night before using a bright star.
- Set your camera to high resolution (jpeg), or even take uncompressed images (raw) for better quality.
- You can also photograph through a telescope as long as it has enough focal length. Just remember this object will also need a solar filter to work properly.
- The eclipse will last around 3 minutes, so take a couple of pictures but make sure to also enjoy it naturally.
How to Take a Picture of a Solar Eclipse with Your Phone
It is indeed possible to take pictures of the eclipse with your smartphone, but of course, you’ll also need special telephoto lens. The recommended type for phones are those rated 12x or above since they give enough magnification allowing you to see more of the total eclipse with more details. Another gadget that you might want to invest in is a tripod for your phone so it will have better focus and take clearer images. Try taking some pictures at night to test your equipment beforehand.
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Are you feeling confident about taking the best photo of the solar eclipse ever? Let us know your plans for capturing this awesome event and follow us on Facebook to share your awesome photos with us after the eclipse!
