The upcoming solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, promises a rare and awe-inspiring spectacle, captivating not only the general public, but also photography enthusiasts keen on photographing a solar eclipse for what might be the first and only time in their lives.
For photographers aiming to capture this once in a lifetime event, it is crucial to understand the nuances of capturing solar eclipse images, from selecting the right equipment to safeguarding your eyes and camera.
What is a Solar Eclipse?
A solar eclipse happens when the Moon’s shadow falls on the Earth during a New Moon, effectively blocking the Sun’s light.
During a total eclipse there are two types shadow (umbra and penumbra) cast by the Moon as it passes between the sun and the earth.
The umbra is usually a very narrow path where the Sun’s light is completely blocked causing a total eclipse, and the penumbra is where the sun’s light is only partially blocked causing a partial eclipse.
It’s important to remember that due to the rapid movement of the Moon, the total eclipse phase at any given location along the path of totality is brief, using lasting only a few minutes.
Understanding these basic principles is crucial for planning how to photograph a solar eclipse, as capturing this fleeting moment can require precise timing and positioning.
Over the course of two hours and 21 minutes, Canadians living in Southern Ontario and Quebec as well as parts of the Maritime provinces will experience a total or partial eclipse
Here are the times and coverage amounts for select cities along the path of the eclipse.
Note: Mid-eclipses times are shown as it is the time when the maximum amount of the sun’s disk is covered.
Canadian Eclipse Times:
- Niagara Falls (Total): Mid-Eclipse at 3:18pm (EDT) – Totality lasting for 3m 32s
- Hamilton (Total): Mid-Eclipse at 3:18pm (EDT) – Totality lasting for 1m 47s
- Toronto (Partial): Mid-Eclipse at 3:19pm (EDT) – (99.56% coverage)
- Kingston (Total): Mid-Eclipse at 3:23pm (EDT) – Totality lasting for 2m 51s
- Ottawa (Partial): Mid-Eclipse at 3:25pm (EDT) – (98.5% coverage)
- Montreal (Total): Mid-Eclipse at 3:26pm (EDT) – Totality lasting for 1m 25s
- Fredericton (Total): Mid-Eclipse at 4:34pm (ADT) – Totality lasting for 2m 12s
- Gander (Total): Mid-Eclipse at 5:14pm (NDT) – Totality lasting for 2m 13s
You can find more information including additional cities and eclipse times at www.eclipse2024.org
Safety First: Protecting Your Eyes and Camera
When photographing a solar eclipse, prioritizing safety for both your eyes and camera equipment is paramount. Here’s how to ensure both are protected:
Eye Protection
Before and Immediately After Totality: Always wear solar viewing glasses during the partial phases of the eclipse. They look a bit like retro 3-D glasses, but have Mylar or Polymer lenses that should filter out 100% of UV and infrared rays, and 99.999% of visible light.
Important: Regular sunglasses are not sufficient protection against the Sun’s rays and using them to view the eclipse can lead to solar retinopathy, a condition that can cause permanent vision loss.
During Totality: This is the only time it’s safe to view the Sun directly without protection. You can remove your solar viewing glasses allowing you to witness the breathtaking corona and other celestial phenomena, but be sure to replace them as soon as this phase passes back into the partial phase.
Camera Protection
Partial Phases: Attach a special solar filter to your camera lens to safeguard the camera’s sensor and your eyes if you’re using a viewfinder. These filters allow only a minuscule fraction of the Sun’s light to pass through, ensuring safe photography and viewing.
During Totality: Remove the solar filter from your camera to capture the Sun’s stunning corona and other features. Ensure the filter can be quickly and easily reattached as the totality phase ends.
Camera Settings and Techniques
As you prepare to photograph a solar eclipse, understanding the right camera settings and techniques is important so you don’t miss your opportunity to capture the eclipse’s grandeur because you are changing settings.
- Pre-Eclipse Camera Preparation
- Aperture: Set between f/8 to f/11 to capture the sun’s intricate details.
- ISO: Begin with your camera’s native ISO to minimize noise and adjust settings as needed, especially during totality when the solar filter is removed
- Shutter Speed: Adjust according to the phase of the eclipse, with a starting point of around 1/4000s to capture the partial phases and slowing down as totality approaches.
- Metering Mode: Use spot metering to accurately expose for the sun.
- Focus: Utilize live view to manually focus on the sun, this can help ensure the image remains sharp.
- During Totality Only (Important: Do not remove filter if viewing a partial eclipse)
- Remove Solar Filter: This is essential to photograph the corona’s full dynamic range.
- ISO Adjustment: Increase ISO to 1000 or higher to capture the corona’s faint details.
- Bracketing: Try bracketing your shots to help cover the vast 12-stop dynamic range from the corona to the outer edges.
- Post-Totality Adjustments
- Reattach Solar Filter: As the sun re-emerges, remount your solar filter to the lens in order to protect your camera’s sensor.
- Shutter Speed: Return to faster shutter speeds (e.g., 1/4000s) to capture the concluding phases of the eclipse.
Practicing Before the Eclipse
- Gear Preparation
- Clean Your Gear: Dust and smudges can significantly affect image quality so you’ll want to make sure your lenses, camera body, and sensor are spotless ahead of time.
- Secure Your Equipment: Arrive at your chosen location early, level your tripod for stability, and compose your shot well before the eclipse begins. This will allow time for minor adjustments and prevents last-minute rushes.
- Manual Focus: Autofocus can be unreliable in low light conditions or when photographing the sun. Try manually focusing on the sun or moon, and then secure the focus ring (if your lens has a lock feature) to prevent accidental adjustments.
- Practice Sessions
- Practice with the Moon as a Target: Use the moon to practice telephoto photography to help you understand the potential challenges of photographing a celestial body at a long focal length.
- Solar Filter Use: Practice shooting the uneclipsed sun with a solar filter to familiarize yourself with the necessary settings. Remember, capturing images of the sun without a filter can permanently damage your camera’s sensor.
- Settings Adjustment
- Dial in Settings: Try experimenting with aperture, ISO, and shutter speed settings ahead of time this will help to make sure you get the best possible images at show time!
Other Safe Ways to View the Eclipse
Another fun and safe way to view the eclipse is the indirect method using a “pinhole projector”.
A pin hole projector is basically two sheets of paper held apart, one with a hole is poked through the middle (aka the projector) which allows the sun’s image to shine through onto the bottom piece of paper (aka the screen) giving you an inverted image of the sun. – Find out how to build your own pinhole projector here.
Alternatively, you can also use a pair of binoculars or a telescope (not held up to your eyes) to project the image of the sun in much the same way as the pinhole projector above. – Find out how to make a sun projector using binoculars here.
Cover Image Credit: Wikipedia
Solar Eclipse Photo Credit: Jongsun Lee