Annular Solar Eclipse

October 14, 2023: The

Photography Guide

www.photopills.com
 Feel free to share this eBook

© PhotoPills
December 2020

2
Never Stop Learning

The Definitive Guide to Shoo-

ting Hypnotic Star Trails

How To Shoot Truly Conta-

gious Milky Way Pictures

Understanding Golden Hour,

Blue Hour and Twilights
 7 Tips to Make the Next Su-
permoon Shine in Your Pho-
tos

MORE TUTORIALS AT PHOTOPILLS.COM/ACADEMY

Understanding How To Plan the

Azimuth and Milky Way Using
Elevation The Augmented
Reality

How to find moon-

How To Plan The
rises and moon-
Next Full Moon
sets

h o to P il ls Aw ards
P
d
yo u r p h oto s featured an
Get
cash prizes
win $6,600 in

Learn more+
 Join PhotoPillers from around the
world for a 7 fun-filled days of learning
and adventure in the island of light!

Learn More
You're about to learn everything you need to photograph the October 14, 2023 annular so-
lar eclipse.

Everything!

Where to go and when…

How to plan your annular solar eclipse photo idea with PhotoPills...

All the gear you need…

And how to photograph the solar eclipse step by step…

Including all camera settings!

Ready?

Keep reading!

6
"A goal without a plan is just a wish" - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

7
Content
1 What is an annular solar eclipse? 9

2 When and where is the annular solar eclipse visible? 12

3 How to plan a photo of an Annular Solar Eclipse like a pro 17

4 All the gear you need to photograph the Annular Solar Eclipse 21

5 How to photograph an Annular Solar Eclipse step by step 25

6 Do you need more help? 29

Section 1:
What is an annular
solar eclipse?

Annular Solar Eclipse October 14, 2023: The Photography Guide

A solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth casting its
shadow on some parts of our planet.

Depending on how the Moon's shadow falls on Earth, the eclipses are classified as:

• Partial solar eclipse: the Moon covers only part of the Sun.

• Total solar eclipse: the Moon covers the Sun disk completely.

• Annular solar eclipse: the Moon covers the Sun disk partially, creating a spectacular
ring of fire around the Moon.

When it comes to an annular eclipse, you want to be in a location where you can enjoy (and
photograph) all the phases of the eclipse:

• Partial eclipse begins (1st contact - C1): The Moon starts to cover the Sun.

• Total eclipse begins (2nd contact - C2): The Moon starts to be inside the Sun. you
begin to see a ring of light around the Moon.

What is an annular solar eclipse? 10

 • Totality and maximum eclipse (Max.): The Moon covers the center of the Sun com-
pletely creating a stunning ring of fire in the sky.

• Total eclipse ends (3rd contact - C3): The Moon starts to move away from the Sun.

• Partial eclipse ends (4th contact - C4): The Moon completely leaves the Sun.

All the eclipse phases are spectacular!

Unfortunately the eclipse will be visible only from certain places on Earth.

And only the locations that fall within the so called "path of totality" will be able to enjoy all
the phases of the eclipse.

So, the question is:

Where on Earth you should go, and when, to have the best chance to photograph all the
phases of the eclipse.

Well, all you need is to do is find the path of totality.

What is an annular solar eclipse? 11

Section 2:
When and where is the
annular solar eclipse
visible?

Annular Solar Eclipse October 14, 2023: The Photography Guide

The path of totality of the October 14, 2023 annular solar eclipse goes across the United
States, Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Brazil.

And here you have a list of places that fall within the path of totality, where you can enjoy
all the phases of the eclipse (including the maximum phase). The table also shows the time
the eclipse begins (partial begins C1), the maximum and when it ends (partial ends C4).

Note: Time is shown in Hours:Minutes:Seconds.

Country Place Partial Eclipse Maximum Partial Eclipse

Begins (C1) Eclipse Ends (C4)

USA Eugene (Oregon) 08 05 24 am 09 18 50 am 10 39 43 am

USA Corvallis (Oregon) 08 05 33 am 09 18 48 am 10 39 23 am

USA Albuquerque (New 09 13 11 am 10 36 53 am 12 09 22 pm

Mexico)

USA Santa Fe (New Mex- 09 13 32 am 10 37 21 am 12 09 47 pm

ico)

USA Midland (Texas) 10 18 24 am 11 45 47 am 01 21 49 pm

USA San Angelo (Texas) 10 20 17 am 11 48 45 am 01 25 40 pm

USA San Antonio (Texas) 10 23 45 am 11 54 13 am 01 32 55 pm

Mexico Chetumal (Quintana 10 50 52 am 12 31 48 pm 02 17 00 pm

Roo)

Belize Orange Walk Town 10 50 52 am 12 31 48 pm 02 17 00 pm

Belize Belmopan 09 51 15 am 11 32 16 am 01 17 34 pm

Belize San Pedro 09 52 28 am 11 33 49 am 01 19 10 pm

Belize Belize City 09 52 50 am 11 34 16 am 01 19 43 pm

Belize Dangriga 09 53 45 am 11 35 23 am 01 20 55 pm

Honduras La Ceiba 09 53 45 am 11 35 23 am 01 20 55 pm

Costa Rica Limón 09 58 15 am 11 41 02 am 01 26 44 pm

Panama Santiago de Ver- 09 58 15 am 11 41 02 am 01 26 44 pm

aguas

Colombia Cali 11 25 07 am 01 12 09 pm 02 56 11 pm

continues on next page

When and where is the annular solar eclipse visible? 13

 Table 1 – continued from previous page

Country Place Partial Eclipse Maximum Partial Eclipse

Begins (C1) Eclipse Ends (C4)

Brazil São Félix do Xingu 11 25 07 am 01 12 09 pm 02 56 11 pm

(Pará)

Brazil Balsas (Maranhão) 03 04 24 pm 04 34 45 pm 05 51 21 pm

Brazil Natal (Rio Grande do 03 29 23 pm 04 45 45 pm 04 47 25 pm (1)

Norte)

(1) Solar eclipse ends at Sunset.

To create the table above, I've used the eclipse information that the Planner tool included in
the PhotoPills app provides.

PhotoPills allows you to plan your photos ahead of time so you're always at the right place,
at the right time to capture the scene you want.

It's super fun!

There are already 400,000+ photographers across the world using PhotoPills to plan their
Sunset, Sunrise, golden hour, blue hour, Moon, solar eclipses, lunar eclipses, Star Trails,
Meteor Showers and Milky Way photos.

Curious?

Check out the pictures that the PhotoPills community is capturing.

And if you're one of us, to get all the eclipses info you need, all you have to do is to:

• Go to the Planner and choose the October 14, 2023 annular solar eclipse from the
eclipse calendar. The path of totality will appear on the map.

• Place the Red Pin in the location you want to photograph the eclipse within the path of
totality. You can use the Load button (at the bottom) to type the name of the place if
you know it. Otherwise you can drag and drop the Red Pin. Or just do a long press on
the spot you wish to place the Red Pin and it'll be placed there.

• Get the local times each eclipse phase occurs from the eclipse panel above the map.
Swipe the panels until you find it.

• Swipe the Time Bar (below the map) to change the time and see on the map where the
eclipse occurs at all time (thin line).

When and where is the annular solar eclipse visible? 14

 • And if you're right where the Red Pin is, you can also use the Augmented Reality (AR)
button to visualize the position of the eclipse in the sky.

PhotoPills Planner - The Red Pin is located in Corpus
Christi (USA), within the path of totality (dark blue
band), where all the eclipse phases are visible. If
you're in a location that falls within the area
between the yellow lines, then you'll be able to enjoy
a partial eclipse only.
PhotoPills Planner - On the top panel you have all the
eclipse phase times. On the map you also have the
position of the Sun during the eclipse for the
selected time (using the Time Bar). Zoom in the map
as much as you want to help you plan your photo.

Confused?

Don't worry...

Everything will become clear in the next section.

I'll show you how to plan your solar eclipse photo step by step in a video.

When and where is the annular solar eclipse visible? 15

Keep reading!

When and where is the annular solar eclipse visible? 16

Section 3:
How to plan a photo of
an Annular Solar
Eclipse like a pro

Annular Solar Eclipse October 14, 2023: The Photography Guide

Stop!

The idea goes first.

Then you plan it!

Then you shoot it!

Imagine. Plan. Shoot!

That's the PhotoPills workflow :)

So decide what you want first.

Maybe you want to create an image of the eclipse aligned with an interesting subject. Like
Josh Cripps did during the December 26, 2019 annular solar eclipse.

Nikon Z7 | 500mm | f/8 | 1/100s | ISO 200 | ND 3.0 (10 stops) filter
Photo by Josh Cripps.

How to plan a photo of an Annular Solar Eclipse like a pro 18

Or maybe you're interested in capturing all the phases of the eclipse. Like I did during the
2017 total solar eclipse in Oregon, USA.

No matter the photo you want to capture, watch this video and you'll learn how to easily
plan it.

So you can go and capture it!

In the video you'll see Rafa (the Bard of PhotoPills) planning the 2020 Total Solar Eclipse in
Chile. All you have to do is to follow the same workflow for the annular eclipse ;)

How to plan a photo of an Annular Solar Eclipse like a pro 19

Now that you've planned your photo, you know your shooting spot and shooting time.

Let's have a look at the gear you'll need to photograph the eclipse.

How to plan a photo of an Annular Solar Eclipse like a pro 20

Section 4:
All the gear you need
to photograph the
Annular Solar Eclipse

Annular Solar Eclipse October 14, 2023: The Photography Guide

I love my solar eclipse checklist.

It's the only way I make sure to bring everything I need for the shooting session.

So I thought you might like it too :)

Long story short...

This is the gear you need to photograph the eclipse:

• Solar filter

• Telephoto lens

• Your camera

• Sturdy tripod and head

• Shutter release or intervalometer

• Memory cards and batteries

• Special eclipse glasses to protect your eyes

All the gear you need to photograph the Annular Solar Eclipse 22
Solar filter
You need to put a solar filter in front of your lens if you want to photograph the solar
eclipse. Otherwise you'll damage your camera and your eyes when you look through the
viewfinder of your camera.

Nowadays you can buy a solar filter almost everywhere, including Amazon and B&H.

Make sure you buy a solar filter that works with your lens diameter.

My to go filters are:

• 77mm Solar Filter "White light" by Thousand Oaks Optical.

• Baader Solar Filter for my telephoto lens.

Can you use an ND filter instead?

In practice, you can, but you shouldn't.

There is the risk of damaging your camera.

I wouldn't definitely use an ND filter to photograph a solar eclipse :)

Lens
The lens choice depends on the photo you want to capture.

Go wide (14-35mm) if you want to include the landscape. The Sun will be small dot in your
photo, but you can make it work in your composition.

Go long (200-500mm) for a close-up view and to create a powerful image of the eclipse
aligned with a subject. Or to photograph all the phases of the eclipse.

Camera
Use your own camera!

You don't need a special camera to photograph the eclipse.

The advantage of using a crop sensor camera vs a full frame camera is the focal length mul-
tiplier effect.

All the gear you need to photograph the Annular Solar Eclipse 23
For instance, using a APS-C camera with a 1.5x crop sensor, a 200mm focal length turns into
a 300mm focal length.

Tripod and head

The filter, the camera and the lens are heavy. Therefore you need a sturdy tripod and head
capable of bearing it, and that are as stable as possible on a windy day.

Shutter release or intervalometer

Don't press the shutter button of your camera! If you do so, you'll shake your camera and
your images won't be 100% tack sharp.

And you want them crispy and sharp!

Always use a shutter release or and intervalometer.

Memory cards and batteries

Don't forget to bring several memory cards and spare batteries just in case something goes
wrong.

Eclipse glasses
And last but not least...

Protect your eyes.

And that's it...

You're ready to go!

All the gear you need to photograph the Annular Solar Eclipse 24
Section 5:
How to photograph an
Annular Solar Eclipse
step by step

Annular Solar Eclipse October 14, 2023: The Photography Guide

The ring of fire around the Moon is hypnotic.
Photo by Alan Dyer/Stocktrek Images.

Photographing the annular solar eclipse will be lots of fun.

And the good news is that you have plenty of time…

So practice a bit photographing the Sun before the eclipse begins.

Just follow the steps in this section.

And you'll nail the photo.

Go to the planned shooting spot

On June 21, go to planned shooting spot. And make sure you set up the tripod and head
right where the PhotoPills' Red Pin is in your photo plan.

Being at the right spot is key, especially if you're photographing the solar eclipse aligned
with a subject.

How to photograph an Annular Solar Eclipse step by step 26

Use the PhotoPills Planner and Augmented Reality views to make sure you're at the right
spot.

Shoot in RAW
Don't shoot in JPG, shoot in RAW to collect as many data as possible for a better post-
processing work.

Use a long focal length (200-500mm)

If you want to center the attention of the viewer on the eclipse, use a long focal length. The
longer the better!

Attach the solar filter to the lens

The solar filter is key here. Use it to protect your camera.

However, you don't have to take it out during totality as you would during a total solar
eclipse.

During an annular eclipse, the Moon never covers completely the Sun. Therefore you need
to keep the solar filter in front of your lens at all times.

Set spot metering mode

And meter light on the Sun to nail the exposure.

Close the aperture (f/8)

I usually shoot my eclipse photos (close up) at f/8. It works great for these type of images.

How to photograph an Annular Solar Eclipse step by step 27

Use ISO 100
Use a low ISO to prevent image noise. Use the nominal ISO of your camera (100 or 200).

Set shutter speed (1/500s-1/1000s at f/8 and ISO

100)
Since you've metered light on the Sun and you've set the aperture and ISO, set the shutter
speed to have an image correctly exposed (exposimeter centered to 0).

Usually a shutter speed between 1/500s-1/1000s should work.

Bracket your exposure

After all the planning, the last thing you wish is to fail the get the exposure right.

So make sure you apply the bracketing technique. A 3-stop bracketing will work.

Focus at the edge of the Sun

When you're ready to start shooting, focus at the edge of the Sun, take a test shot, and use
the Live View option on the LCD screen to double check that the Sun is in focus.

How to photograph an Annular Solar Eclipse step by step 28

Section 6:
Do you need more
help?

Annular Solar Eclipse October 14, 2023: The Photography Guide

Congratulations!

Now you can successfully photograph the October 14, 2023 annular solar eclipse.

But...

If you want to know much more about solar eclipse photography, check our super detailed
solar eclipse guide!

There you'll find everything you need to photograph any solar eclipse, including a total solar
eclipse.

And if you want to improve your photography, make sure to have a closer look at our collec-
tion of free photography guides. I'm sure you'll love them ;)

And if you have a question, leave a comment below.

I'm ready to help!

Do you need more help? 30

Antoni Cladera is a landscape photographer with commitment to the environment. Artist
of the Spanish Confederation of Photography and member of the Spanish Association of
Nature Photographers (AEFONA). He's part of the PhotoPills Team.

Note: Some links on this page are affiliate links. What does this mean? If you buy/rent using
these links you're helping support us and it costs you nothing extra. Thank you for your
support.

Do you need more help? 31

www.photopills.com