Tips for photographing solar eclipses.
Photographs of the eclipse - "Close-up"
Equipment :
A telephoto lens, a lens with a long focal length (preferably above 400mm), is recommended so that you don't have to do a lot of cropping, which would lose image quality and detail. In the case of cameras with APS-C sensors, this can be helpful because, for example, a 400mm lens on an APS-C sensor camera becomes a 620mm lens.
A sturdy tripod that can easily support the camera and telephoto lens.
Solar filters , designed to block sunlight and, more importantly, protect the camera sensor (ND filters block sunlight but do not protect the sensor).
Optional - Star Tracker (since the Earth rotates, the sun quickly moves out of the frame; with a star tracker, the camera automatically cancels out the Earth's rotation, saving you the trouble of constantly adjusting the camera); Sunglasses (to be able to observe the eclipse directly while photographing).
Preparation:
Prepare the tripod, setting it as high as possible (if it's windy and the tripod has weight supports, add weight so that the tripod doesn't wobble too much).
If using a Star Tracker, place it on a tripod and align it with the North Star (this step is complicated when photographing in sunlight since it's not possible to see the North Star; however, it's possible to use mobile phone apps that help with this alignment, such as " Polar Scope Align ". Another, more complicated method is to go to the location the night before, do the alignment, and find a way to fix the tripod's position and tilt. After placing the star tracker, you can no longer move the tripod.
Place the camera on the tripod (or star tracker if used) and apply the solar filter;
Find the sun, set the focal length to its longest setting and focus - Caution - if the camera is an SLR, never look through the viewfinder; use live view instead. Another option is to connect the camera to your mobile phone and observe from there. Focus must be done manually, as autofocus will never fully lock onto the sun.
Camera settings:
- If it is a mirrorless camera, put it in "electronic shutter" mode to reduce camera shake during shutter release;
- Set the ISO to 100 and the preferred aperture to f/8; however, a range between f/8 and f/16 also produces good results. Closing the aperture further would be necessary if filters weren't used, but since filters are being used, it's not necessary to close the aperture so much, especially since using a smaller aperture would cause the final image to lose detail due to light diffraction.
- Adjust the correct exposure to the sun by adjusting the shutter speed and observing the histogram;
- If you are not using an external shutter release or mobile phone to take photos, set a 10-second timer; however, using an external shutter release or mobile phone is highly recommended, as having to wait 10 seconds may prevent good photos at the time of the entire shot.
Photograph
This part will depend on the type of eclipse: partial, annular, or total.
Starting with partial and annular eclipses, since they are photographed in a similar way. After preparation, you just need to wait for the eclipse to begin to take the picture. During the photography of these types of eclipses, you don't need to make many adjustments, perhaps only in the case of an annular eclipse, in terms of shutter speed, in order to be able to see, for example, the moon when the eclipse reaches "totality". It may not be necessary to remove the solar filter when it reaches totality.
In total eclipses, the main difference from previous eclipses is that the light decreases significantly when totality is reached, making it necessary to remove the sunscreen.
Photographs of the eclipse - "Angled"
The only difference in this type of photography is that it requires more planning because it involves the location where the photos will be taken, giving more thought to the framing. In terms of equipment, it's the same; however, it's not necessary to use a "star tracker," and a wide-angle lens is used.
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