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Solar Eclipses 2020 The Definitive Photography Guide
Solar Eclipses 2020 The Definitive Photography Guide
Solar Eclipses 2020 The Definitive Photography Guide
Definitive Photography
Guide
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”There you are, outdoors, wearing some goofy special eclipse glasses to protect your eyes.
You don’t look very classy but, you know, the least you want to hear once you get back home
is your Mom all pissed off yelling at you ”I told yaaaa!”.
Everything is in place. The tripod, the camera and the lens are perfectly aligned, anxiously
waiting for the Moon to completely cover the Sun... for the show to begin.
Suddenly, I noticed how the skin on Daniel López’s right arm was filled with bumps. ”Are
these goosebumps?” I asked myself.
The eyes of the astronomer stopped staring at me and got lost into his memories. Daniel
wasn’t with me anymore in that crowded assembly hall... He had been teleported to God
knows where.
He continued speaking...
6
”It’s hard to explain what you feel. The day becomes night without a warning. The Sun and
the Moon merge into a black hole wrapped up in a crown of light and fire. Stars and planets
flood the sky... Only the whispers of people surrounding you can break the spell.
I don’t know. I’ve never lived anything like this. People become crazy, they do weird stuff...
You are going to flip out.
Man, listen to me, as a friend and an astronomer, I know what I say. If you happen to be in the
States this summer, you can’t miss the August 21 total solar eclipse.”
I had no plans to miss it... Neither I nor the rest of the PhotoPills team.
We had just added to PhotoPills a tool to plan that eclipse precisely (since then it has now
been updated with the best upcoming solar and lunar eclipses)...
This guide is the result of that trip. Here, I’ll give you everything you need to capture any
solar eclipse photo you imagine.
Everything!
From photo examples to inspire you, a calendar of the best solar eclipses and how to use
PhotoPills to plan them to the equipment you need and how to photograph a solar eclipse
step by step.
Note: If you are interested in lunar eclipses, do not miss our guide to the best Moon
eclipses ;)
7
Content
1 Solar eclipse calendar 9
3 The solar eclipse photos that you should capture before you die 30
10 The 11 mistakes you should avoid when shooting a solar eclipse 115
These are all the solar eclipses until 2030 along with their date, type, magnitude, duration
and where they are visible.
Don’t worry about that now, in section 2 I’ll explain you what each of these concepts mean.
The table above gives you a generic view about the upcoming solar eclipses. But if you want
to photograph them (section 8)... you’ll need to go a little further and learn how to plan
them (section 5).
And if you’re one of us (you use the PhotoPills app), you’ll be happy to know that we’ve
added a full calendar of solar and lunar eclipses to PhotoPills (until 2050!). :)
But it’s not just a calendar, you can also visualize the visibility zones of the eclipse on a
map so you can easily plan it. That is, knowing where to go and when to go to be able to take
the photo you’re dreaming of. :)
So open PhotoPills, go to the Planner (Pills Menu) and click on the Map Settings button.
You’ll find it in the lower right part of the map, just next to the (+) button on the map.
Note: If you want to learn how to use PhotoPills as a real master, download the user guide
in pdf format.
After tapping the Map Settings button, you’ll see the Map Settings screen. In the Map layers
section, look for the Eclipse layer.
To access the eclipse calendar, simply tap the little arrow you see to the right of the Eclipse
layer.
If you are also interested in lunar eclipses, you can read the guide of the best lunar
eclipses, but now we’re going to focus only on solar eclipses.
So tap the word Object in the header of the table to see the solar eclipses first.
You can also sort the calendar by Date, eclipse Type or Red Pin.
The Red Pin column tells you, considering the position where you have placed the Red Pin in
the Planner, if you are going to see a total, annular, partial eclipse or if the eclipse won’t be
visible.
Therefore, if you place the Red Pin near your house, you can quickly find out which eclipses
are going to be visible in your area, and if you can see a total, partial or annular solar eclipse
:D
The Type column indicates the type of eclipse: total, partial, annular and hybrid.
Don’t worry if you don’t know the differences between eclipses. In section 2 I’ll explain you
all the eclipse types with great detail.
• In the eclipse calendar, tap the eclipse you wish to plan. For example, the total solar
eclipse of July 2nd, 2019.
• On the Map Settings screen, activate the Eclipse layer. To do this, tap the eye icon to
the left of the layer.
• Finally, tap OK in the upper right corner in iOS or the arrow to go back in Android.
PhotoPills Planner - The Eclipse layer is activated. PhotoPills Planner - Areas of the planet where the
The eye icon is not crossed out or shaded. total solar eclipse of July 2nd, 2019 will be visible.
Look at the second screenshot. The visibility information of the eclipse is displayed on the
map. Thus, it’s easy to find out the areas of the planet where the eclipse won’t be visible,
where you’ll only be able to see the partial eclipse and where you’ll be able to enjoy the to-
tal eclipse.
Simply move the Red Pin over the map to get the eclipse information for that location in
Panel 9 and Panel 10. Swipe the top panels to the left to find them.
The next step would be to understand the lines that you can see on the map and learn how
to plan your photos of the solar eclipse (section 5)... But don’t go so fast.
First, it’s important to have a full understanding of the different types of solar eclipses.
Keep reading!
The Moon is 400 times smaller than the Sun, but it is also 400 times closer. Therefore the
two celestial bodies appear nearly the same size, an extraordinary coincidence!
No?
Remember that the New Moon is the time when the Sun and the Moon are aligned, both on
the same side of the Earth. That is, the Earth is not between the Sun and the Moon. There-
fore, a solar eclipse occurs when the shadow of the Moon is projected onto the Earth.
The first one is that the New Moon has to be near a lunar node.
A lunar node is one of the two points where the plane of the Moon’s orbital path around
Earth meets Earth’s orbital plane around the Sun. This plane, the Earth’s orbital plane
around the Sun, is named the ecliptic.
However, both planes (the Earth one and the Moon one) are not perfectly aligned. Actually,
the plane of the lunar orbit around the Earth is inclined about 5° with respect to the ecliptic.
Therefore, as you can see in the diagram below, both planes intersect only at two points:
the lunar nodes.
Therefore, it’s only during this time that eclipses can take place.
Most calendar years have 2 solar eclipses, but remember that not all are total.
Up to 5 solar eclipses can occur in the same year, but this is rare. According to NASA calcu-
lations, in the past 5,000 years only about 25 years have had 5 solar eclipses. The last time
this happened was in 1935, and the next time will be in 2206!
The magnitude represents the fraction of the solar diameter that is covered by the Moon. It
has a value between 0 and 1 inclusive, where 1 is totally eclipsed.
Sometimes, the eclipse magnitude can have a value greater than 1. This happens when the
apparent size of the Moon is larger that the diameter of the Sun.
The obscuration represents how much of the solar area (not the diameter), is covered by
the Moon.
Each eclipse is defined by how much of the Sun is covered by the Moon. As I have just ex-
plained you, this measure is called magnitude and it depends on which part of the Moon’s
shadow falls on Earth.
But because the full shadow of the Moon (also called umbra) is not big enough to cover the
Earth completely, it only covers a portion.
If you are in the path of totality, you’ll be able to enjoy all 5 phases of a total solar eclipse:
• Total eclipse begins (2nd contact - C2): The Sun is almost entirely covered by the
Moon. If you happen to be in the path of the Moon’s umbra (its full shadow projected
on Earth) you might see Baily’s beads and the diamond ring effect, just before totality.
• Totality and maximum eclipse (Max.): The Moon covers the Sun completely. Only the
Sun’s corona (the outer atmosphere of the Sun) is visible. Aren’t you excited? The sky
is now dark! You also experience a fall in the temperatures and notice how animals go
quiet. Again, if you happen to be in the path of the Moon’s umbra you may be able to
see Baily’s beads and the diamond ring effect, just after totality ends.
• Total eclipse ends (3rd contact - C3): The Moon starts to move away from the Sun,
allowing it to reappear.
• Partial eclipse ends (4th contact - C4): The Moon stops overlapping the Sun. The
eclipse ends at this stage in this specific location.
The time each phase happens depends on the location (latitude/longitude). But don’t panic!
You can use PhotoPills to figure it out. I’ll show you how to do it in section 5.
In section 3 I’ll tell you all the photos you can take during a total solar eclipse. And in sec-
tion 8 I’ll explain you how to capture them step by step. ;)
• Partial eclipse begins (C1): The Moon starts becoming visible over the Sun. The Sun
looks as if the Cookie Monster has bitten it.
• Partial eclipse ends (C4): The Moon stops overlapping the Sun. The eclipse ends at
this stage in this specific location.
The time at which each phase occurs depends on the location (latitude/longitude). Find it
out quickly with PhotoPills (section 5). ;)
In this case, the Sun’s outer edges remain visible to form a ring of fire in the sky. An annular
eclipse of the Sun takes place when the Moon is near apogee (the point of the Moon’s orbit
farthest from Earth), and the Moon’s antumbra (its lightest shadow) falls onto the Earth.
• Partial eclipse begins (1st contact - C1): The Moon starts to cover the Sun little by
little. The Sun looks as if the Cookie Monster has bitten it.
• Total eclipse begins (2nd contact - C2): The Moon starts to be inside the Sun while
creating a ring of fire around it. If you happen to be in the path of the Moon’s antumbra
(its full light shadow projected on Earth) you might see Baily’s beads and the diamond
ring effect, just before annularity.
• Totality and maximum eclipse (Max.): The Moon covers the center of the Sun com-
pletely. Before the annular eclipse finishes you may be able to see Baily’s beads and
the diamond ring effect.
• Total eclipse ends (3rd contact - C3): The Moon starts to move away from the Sun,
allowing it to reappear.
• Partial eclipse ends (4th contact - C4): The Moon stops covering the Sun. The eclipse
ends at this stage in this specific location.
The time at which each phase occurs depends on the location (latitude/longitude). You can
easily find it out with PhotoPills (section 5).
Great, now you know what a solar eclipse is, as well as its different types and phases.
It’s time to see some pictures, get some inspiration and let your imagination fly.
These are the eclipse photos you should take before you die...
And the best way to get some inspiration and to have some ideas is to see the types of pho-
tos you can capture during a solar eclipse.
Let’s start with the first photo, one of the partial solar eclipse...
Nikon D500 | 480mm | f/8 | 1/500s | ISO 100 | 7460K | Solar filter
The solar eclipse photos that you should capture before you die 31
Video of a total eclipse (2)
When you’re photographing a total solar eclipse from the path of totality, there are several
phenomena that you can capture.
Take a look at this video and get inspired by all the photos we captured during the total so-
lar eclipse of August 21st, 2017. :)
The solar eclipse photos that you should capture before you die 32
Shadow Bands (3)
This phenomenon happens in all solar eclipses (total, partial and annular).
During a total solar eclipse, about 1 or 2 minutes before totality, you may notice eerie bands
of undulating shadows racing across the ground, along the sides of buildings or across
other light-colored surfaces.
The solar eclipse photos that you should capture before you die 33
Diamond ring (4)
About 10 to 15 seconds before and after totality, the solar corona (the outer atmosphere
of the Sun) becomes visible. As the last bits of sunlight pass through the valleys on the
Moon’s surface, and the faint corona around the Sun is just becoming visible, it looks like
a ring with glittering diamonds on it.
The solar eclipse photos that you should capture before you die 34
Baily’s beads (5)
Approximately 5 seconds before totality, get ready to see the Baily’s beads. They are an
ensemble of brilliant beads of sunlight caused by the Sun shining through valleys and de-
pressions on the Moon’s surface.
The solar eclipse photos that you should capture before you die 35
Sun’s corona (6)
As the diamond ring fades away, you are now able to see the Sun’s corona. Can you spot the
faint rays that surround the silhouette of the Moon?
The solar eclipse photos that you should capture before you die 36
Sun’s chromosphere (7)
The chromosphere is a low layer of the Sun’s atmosphere. Just a few seconds after totality
ends, you can notice a reddish glow – it’s the chromosphere.
These phenomena also occur when the Moon uncovers the surface of the Sun.
The solar eclipse photos that you should capture before you die 37
Capturing detail on the Moon (8)
With the appropriate camera settings and a slight editing later on, you can get images that
show all the detail of the Moon covering the Sun. The effect is simply magnetic. :)
The solar eclipse photos that you should capture before you die 38
Annular eclipse ring of fire (9)
In annular solar eclipses, the Moon never covers the Sun completely, so you can see a ring
of fire in the sky at its peak. It’s an amazing show!
The solar eclipse photos that you should capture before you die 39
Include the landscape with a wide angle lens (10)
When you want to include the landscape in the photo, the planning and composition are a
bit more complicated. As I’ll explain in section 4, in these cases you should find a location
with an interesting background and subject that, combined with the show happening in the
sky, produce a unique image.
The solar eclipse photos that you should capture before you die 40
Include the landscape with a telezoom (11)
It’s possibly one of the most difficult pictures to plan and capture. It requires scouting and
knowing the locations extremely well, having advanced planning skills and not failing dur-
ing the shooting key moment.
But don’t worry, they’re not impossible photos. In section 4 and section 5 I’ll give you ev-
erything you need to plan this type of pictures.
A great example is the photo that Ted Hesser captured during the total solar eclipse of Au-
gust 21st, 2017. He was able to capture the silhouette of a climber inside the Sun’s disk.
This photo turned him into a legend, becoming the PhotoPiller of the Year 2017, and winning
$3,000 in cash with the PhotoPills Awards!
Or get inspired by the photos of other PhotoPillers that we publish every day on our Pho-
toPills Instagram account.
The solar eclipse photos that you should capture before you die 41
Close-up and wide-angle composites of the solar
eclipse (12)
This type of images are very attractive for the spectator. And it’s another way to take ad-
vantage of the photos you’ve captured during the eclipse.
Simply take photos that you’ve taken during the eclipse and use your processing skills to
create different images.
Multi-photo composites
Blend all phases of the eclipse in a photo of the scene (taken with a short focal length) to
tell the whole story.
The solar eclipse photos that you should capture before you die 42
Layered composites
These images allow you to show in more detail the different phases of the eclipse. They are
equally spectacular.
In short, the photographic (and creative) opportunities that an eclipse offers you are huge.
But for this, you’ll first need to find the perfect location...
The solar eclipse photos that you should capture before you die 43
Section 4:
Where to go (finding
the perfect location)
To help you choose the best possible location according to the photos you have imagined,
here are some factors that you should take into account.
”When you are going to photograph a total solar eclipse, forget about photographing the
partial eclipse, go to the path of totality. You must photograph the eclipse in its maximum
splendor, when the Moon completely covers the Sun!”.
Within the path of totality there is a line called the centerline. This is a very thin area where
the Moon covers the Sun for the longest time.
Therefore, if you set your shooting spot there, you’ll have more time to experience and cap-
ture totality.
So use PhotoPills to find out where on the planet you can enjoy totality (section 5) and go
for it.
In section 5 you’ll find everything you need to plan your partial eclipse.
First, because if you have more room to maneuver it will be easier to plan the photo. For
example, if you want the eclipse to be in a certain position in the frame (aligned with your
The second reason is that you may not be alone in the location. Depending on the eclipse
and where you’re going, you’re possibly going to be with a lot more people.
Considering the setup preparation and the gear you plan to use (section 6), the last thing
you want is someone (or even you!) tripping with your tripod or backpack!
Additionally, try to avoid dusty or sandy sites. As totality approaches and temperatures
cool, the so called ”eclipse winds” can start out.
As I explain in the articles of the Moon, the Milky Way or even of Star Trails, the subject
plays a key role in the composition.
Let me include again here the photo that Ted Hesser captured during the total solar eclipse
of August 21st, 2017. Magnificent subject, and magnificent composition to capture a leg-
endary photograph.
How far?
The rule is very simple, multiply by 100 the diameter of the Sun you want to capture.
For example, if your subject is 10 meters tall, and you want the solar eclipse to have a di-
ameter of 10 meters (to be as big as the subject). Multiply 10 meters by 100 and you will get
that the shooting distance must be 1,000 meters.
As simple as that!
You can learn more about this topic in the following article: 7 Tips to Make the Next Super-
moon Shine in Your Photos.
Now, it’s time to get down to work and plan your photos of the solar eclipse...
Let’s plan!
In this section, I’ll explain you step by step how I planned the total solar eclipse of August
21st, 2017 with PhotoPills.
Everything you’ll learn here will also help you plan any solar eclipse, whether it’s partial,
annular or total.
But if you don’t want to read, you can have a look at this video:
Finally, the best way to master PhotoPills is by studying the super user manual and taking
a look at these video tutorials :P
Ready?
Look at the Red Pin on the map. Right now it’s located on the island of Menorca, Spain (Pho-
toPills headquarters). The Red Pin is key to planning eclipses, since all the information the
Planner displays is referenced to its position.
PhotoPills Pills menu - Tap Planner. PhotoPills Planner - You’ll find the Map Settings
button next to the (+) button on the map.
After tapping the Map Settings button, you’ll see the Map Settings screen. To access the
eclipse calendar, simply tap the little arrow you see to the right of the Eclipse layer.
The calendar displays all the solar and lunar eclipses, showing:
• Date
Note: Tap Date, Object, Type or Red Pin at the top to sort the table according to the criteria
you prefer.
PhotoPills Planner - Map Settings. Tap Eclipse to see PhotoPills Planner - PhotoPills solar and lunar
the full calendar of eclipses. eclipse calendar. Swipe the Calendar up to see more
eclipses.
In the calendar, tap the eclipse of August 21st, 2017 to select it. Once you’ve done it, you’ll
return to the previous screen (Map Settings).
Notice that now in the Eclipse layer the eclipse of August 21st, 2017 is selected.
To see the eclipse information on the Planner map (visibility zones, etc.), click on the eye
icon that you see to the left of the Eclipse layer to activate it. Finally tap OK (upper right
corner) in iOS or the arrow to go back in Android.
On the map, zoom out to get a global view of the eclipse visibility information on August
21st, 2017.
Right now, the Red Pin is still located on the island of Menorca. But to know the detailed
information of the eclipse in a specific location, you’ll have to place the Red Pin in that lo-
cation. If you don’t know how to do it, this video shows you how to move the Red Pin.
Remember that in order to place the Red Pin in a specific postal address, a point of inter-
est that you have saved or in certain coordinates (latitude, longitude) you can use the Load
button (located at the bottom, next to the Save button).
Great. You just selected the solar eclipse you want to plan!
Let’s see where you have to go and at what time. In order to do this you should understand
the information that is displayed on the map and the two top eclipse panels (Panel 9 and
As I told you in section 3, if you’re going to photograph a total solar eclipse, whenever pos-
sible you should go to a location within the path of totality... from where you can see (and
photograph) the total eclipse. :)
In the following screenshots, the Red Pin is within the path of totality (the dark strip cross-
ing the United States). I have used the Load button to place the Red Pin in Salem (Oregon),
the location where the PhotoPills team went in 2017 to photograph the eclipse.
When to go?
In other words...
At what time does the eclipse start at the Red Pin position?
Swipe the top panels to the left until you find the two eclipse information panels (Panel 9
and Panel 10). They show you the times of the main phases of the eclipse (section 2), and
other essential details.
Look at the second screenshot. The top panel indicates that, considering the Red Pin posi-
tion, the eclipse of August 21st, 2017 starts at 09 05 23 am.
But as I am foresighted and I like to work without any hassle, all my gear was set up one
hour before that and ready to take action. :)
This is the information you will find on the map that will help you decide where to go:
• Map central dark area: It’s the path of totality (the area of total darkness). In other
words, the area where you can observe how the Moon will completely cover the Sun.
• Map blue line within the path of totality: It’s the centerline. The further away from
the centerline you are (while being in the path), the shorter amount of time the Sun will
be covered by the Moon. In other words, you will see a shorter totality duration.
• Map yellow lines: Outside the path of totality you’ll be able to see a partial eclipse.
The first yellow line on both sides of the path represents the locations where the Moon
will cover 80% of the Sun. The next yellow line represents 60% and so on. The furthest
from the path of totality, the more partial the eclipse will be.
• Map Greatest Duration Point (GD): The location where totality lasts longer, where the
• Map Greatest Eclipse Point (GE): Don’t confuse it with the Greatest Duration Point.
The Greatest Eclipse Point is not where the total eclipse lasts longer. It is just a geo-
metric point. GE wasn’t a good name choice at all. It is actually the location where the
shadow of the Moon is nearest to the center of the Earth. Sometimes, it falls very close
to the GD point, but it’s not always the case.
In Panel 9 (above the map) you’ll find the basic information of the eclipse for the position
of the Red Pin:
• Eclipse selector button: If the Eclipse layer is active on the map, you can deactivate
it by tapping this button. Tap it again to access the eclipse calendar and select the
eclipse you wish to plan.
• Selected eclipse: In this case, the total solar eclipse of August 21st, 2017.
• Eclipse magnitude: Considering the Red Pin position, it represents the proportion of
the solar diameter that covers the Moon. Its value is usually between 0 and 1, where 1
means total eclipse. But sometimes the apparent size of the Moon may be greater than
that of the Sun. In that case, the magnitude may be greater than 1.
• Eclipse type: The type of eclipse that you can see from the Red Pin position (total, par-
tial, annular or not visible). If the Red Pin is within the path of totality, it also indicates
the duration of totality.
Finally, Panel 10 (above the map) will help you to quickly find out the exact time in which
the different phases of the eclipse happen considering the Red Pin position:
• Eclipse phase picture: Image on the left of the panel. It shows the phase of the
eclipse at all times as seen from the Red Pin position. Tap it to jump in time to the next
phase. The time will be set in the Time Bar. Review section 2 to understand the differ-
ent phases of a total solar eclipse.
• Eclipse phase time: The panel displays the times at which the eclipse phases occur.
To select the time of a phase, tap and hold the time of the phase that is displayed on
the panel. The time will be set in the Time Bar.
Perfect!
• How to move the Red Pin to place it in the location you want to study.
• When the different phases of the eclipse happen according to the Red Pin position
(Panel 10).
The next step is to know where to frame the camera to get the shot.
In other words, you need to know the azimuth (direction) and the elevation of the Sun at
all times.
Let’s find it out quickly. Go back to PhotoPills and select the start time of the eclipse. Now
look how the Sun moves from that hour onwards.
If you do it, you’ll see the direction (azimuth) of the Sun on the map and the elevation on
one of the top panels (Panel 3). I’ll show you how to find this information in a moment.
Go to the PhotoPills’ Planner and tap the eclipse button you see on the second eclipse panel
(Panel 10). You’ll find it on the left side of the panel. It has a picture of the Sun (a yellow
circle).
Tap the eclipse image until the date is set on August 21st, 2017 and the time when the
eclipse begins (09h 05min 23s am in this example). You can also do it by tapping and hold-
ing the time of the eclipse start phase that Panel 10 displays.
Notice that the icon of the button has changed. It is now showing you the phase of the
eclipse for the selected time (at the beginning of the eclipse).
Note: The blue thin line indicates the position of the Moon, so the two lines practically over-
lap during the eclipse.
If you keep tapping the eclipse picture (Panel 10), you’ll jump from phase to phase. And the
thin orange line will show you the direction of the Sun at all times seen from the position of
the Red Pin. :)
PhotoPills Planner - Tap the Sun button on Panel 10 PhotoPills Planner - Tap the Sun button on Panel 10
until the date and time of the start of the eclipse is to set the end date and time of the eclipse. On the
set. On the map the thin orange line indicates the map the thin orange line indicates the direction of
direction of the Sun at the beginning of the eclipse. the Sun at the end of the eclipse.
According to the top panel, the Sun will have an elevation of 27.73º at the beginning of the
eclipse (09 05 23 am). And its azimuth will be exactly 101.2º. This is the angle, measured
clockwise around the observer’s horizon, between the Sun and the north. It’s represented
on the map by the thin orange line.
Now you can change the time with the Time Bar (or with the eclipse Panel 10) and see how
the elevation of the Sun changes during the eclipse (Panel 3).
PhotoPills Planner - Second eclipse panel (Panel 10) PhotoPills Planner - Sun/Moon azimuth and
at the beginning of the eclipse (09 05 23 am). elevation panel at the beginning of the eclipse
(Panel 3).
The Planner hides a surprise that makes things much much simpler... :P
Remember that what you’re seeing in the Augmented Reality view is what you’d see from
the Red Pin position on the selected date and time. You should position yourself at the Red
Pin position when using the AR view on the Planner.
PhotoPills Planner - Augmented Reality View of the PhotoPills Planner - Augmented Reality View of the
Sun position at the beginning of the total solar Sun position at the time of maximum solar eclipse
eclipse (09 05 23 am). (10 18 15 am).
This is how I planned the total solar eclipse of August 21st, 2017. If you follow these simple
steps you can plan any photo of eclipse that you resolve... Well, almost all.
We have yet to cover a more advanced planning case: when your goal is to capture a huge
Sun with your subject...
• Calculate the shooting distance with respect to the subject to get the eclipse size you
wish (applying the Rule of 100 of PhotoPills that I explained in section 4).
• Find the shooting spot and shooting time that allows you to align the eclipse with your
subject.
In this article I explain step by step how to do it with the Moon (with a solar eclipse it’s ex-
actly the same): 7 Tips to Make the Next Supermoon Shine in Your Photos.
Imagining is fun...
Planning is fun...
Everything!
From solar filters, camera and lens to tripod, intervalometer and more...
But first, let me tell you the equipment we brought to USA in 2017 for the total solar eclipse
of August 21st.
Solar Filters
A 77mm Solar Filter ”White light” by Thousand Oaks Optical and a Baader Solar Filter to
be used on the telephoto lens.
Also Olympus OM-D E-M1 + Olympus Zuiko 300mm f/4 + Manfrotto aluminium tripod.
But this is just our gear. Let me give you a more general view of the equipment you’ll need.
Yes! And it has to be one made for this specific purpose: to photograph a solar eclipse!
Do not risk damaging your eyesight and equipment by using some cheap filter or one not
designed for looking directly into the Sun.
Your filter must also block infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) light as well which, though invis-
ible, can also damage your eyes.
• Aluminized Mylar®
• Metal-coated
• Circular or square.
• Mounted in a metal cell, making it very easy for you to clamp them over your lens and
adjustable to different diameters.
How are you going to see the Sun through a solar filter?
Aluminized Mylar® filters are the most expensive ones. However, they provide a white Sun
which is true to the Sun’s real color (Surprise! It’s not yellow).
Do not be deterred by their wrinkled surface. This surface tends to scatter light a little bit,
but these filters are actually very sharp! They are particularly good for highly magnified
images.
Metal-coated glass filters and black polymer filters result in a saturated yellow Sun. Any
of them will work fine, since you can always change the color of the Sun later on, in post-
processing.
Finally, metal-coated glass filters offer you a sharper picture than black polymer filters
which are more appropriate for naked eye observation and wide-angle images.
• Space blankets and other forms of household Mylar, or silvery CD/DVD disks
• Floppy disks
You must avoid them because, while they dim visible light, they do not block infrared (IR)
and ultraviolet (UV) light that can damage your retinas.
However, if you prefer to order yours online here are a few alternatives:
• Amazon
• B&H
• Orion Telescopes
The camera
Just about any camera will work to capture a solar eclipse, but some will produce better pic-
tures depending on your expectations.
Nevertheless, since the camera on your smartphone has a wide-angle lens, don’t photo-
graph the eclipse itself. Focus on what people around you are doing while including the
eclipsing Sun in the frame.
And while you are taking photos here and there, don’t forget to wear eclipse glasses. Grab a
second pair to use one of the glasses’ filters in front of your smartphone’s camera as well!
When shooting, use the LCD of your camera, put a solar sheet in front of the lens and wear
the special eclipse glasses. Safety first!
These cameras have lenses that fully retract into the body of the camera when they fall
asleep or when you turn them off. The problem here is that you won’t be able to mount a
solar filter. Without the solar filter, both the camera sensor and focusing system will be
burnt by the Sun as soon as you shoot your first picture.
And please, don’t try to tape or attach in any fancy manner some sort of filter to these type
cameras. Chances are the filter will be ripped off, breaking your camera sensor and harm-
ing your retinas.
Low-end cameras
The following cameras allow full manual basic exposure:
• Cameras with APS-C sensor: Nikon D3400, D5300; Canon 4000D, 1300D; Sony a3000,
a68, SLT-A58; Pentax K-5.
Mid-range cameras
These cameras deal acceptably in terms of noise at a reasonable price.
For eclipses it’s less critical as the scene will never get very dark (the sky will be like at twi-
light) and even the eclipsed Sun and corona will be quite bright. However, the lesser noise,
the better quality you get.
• APS-C cameras: Nikon D7200, D7500, Canon 700D and 7D Mark II, Fuji XT-1, Pentax
K-5 II and the Sony a6500.
• Cameras with a 4/3 sensor: Olympus OM-D E-M1 and OM-D E-M5 Mark II.
• Full Frame cameras: Nikon D610 and D750, Sony a7 and a7R.
• Full Frame cameras: Nikon D800, D810, D4s, Df, D5; Pentax K-1 Mark II, Canon 6D
(which outperforms the Canon 5D Mark III in terms of noise, high ISO, etc.), 6D Mark
II, 1D X, 1D X Mark II, 5D Mark IV, 5DS, 5DS R; Sony a7S II, a7 III, a7R III, a7R IV and a9.
The lens
Your choice of lens and its focal length will depend on how big you want the Sun to appear
on your photos.
Are you looking to include part of the landscape and don’t mind having the Sun as a dot?
Use a wide-angle lens, like the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8, my favorite.
You don’t worry about the landscape and it’s ok to get a small Sun? Take a standard-length
telephoto lens, like the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 or the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8.
Would you like to capture a big (or huge) Sun? Use a super telephoto lens. For example,
the Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6, the Canon 100-400mm f/3.5-5.6, the Fujifilm 100-400mm
f/4.5-5.6, the Olympus Zuiko 300mm f/4 PRO, the Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6, the Sony
400mm f/2.8 or the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 for Nikon and Canon.
For the total eclipse, take advantage of crop sensor cameras when trying to capture a big
Sun in the photo!
Not only it has a fixed focal length, you won’t be able to change the aperture either. In addi-
tion to this, the out of focus areas of the picture can result into a doughnut-shaped bokeh.
This is particularly important if you plan to shoot composites (section 8) because you must
make sure that your framing doesn’t change from one capture to the next.
In any case, you need to keep your camera steady in order to prevent vibrations that could
• Hang a bag filled with stones or even your camera bag from the hook located at the
bottom of your tripod’s center column. But don’t do it when it’s windy, you’ll get the
opposite effect!
• Don’t raise the center column of the tripod if it has one, it will make it more unstable.
If you want to spend a little bit more, have a look at carbon fiber tripods.
These tripods are robust and weigh less than the aluminium ones. They allow loads from 5
kg to over 25 kg (11-56 lb) depending on the model.
Brands like Gitzo, Manfrotto, Benro, Induro or Really Right Stuff offer tripods of great
quality in both materials, carbon and aluminum.
In my opinion, the tripod’s best friend is a good ball head. The Really Right Stuff BH-55 is
the one that I use. Supporting up to 23 kg (50 lb), it bears the weight of my gear with no
problem. It allows me to work comfortably and with great precision.
Other heads we like are the Gitzo GH1382QD, the Kirk Enterprises BH-1 and the Arca
Swiss Monoball Z1 SP, all robust and with very high endurance (minimum 13.5 kg or 30 lbs).
Additionally, if you are using a super telephoto lens you may want to use a gimbal head,
such as the one I use, the Benro GH2.
Shutter releases and intervalometers will do the job. But, in my opinion, you should forget
about the remote shutter release and get a good intervalometer.
Why?
Because remote releases are not programmable. You cannot shoot at regular intervals au-
tomatically.
The intervalometer is programmable. You can set the exposure time, the time interval be-
tween photos, the total number of photos to be taken and even the time delay of the first
picture.
A great alternative is a device called CamRanger. Right now it’s available for Nikon, Canon,
Fuji and Sony cameras.
It’s a stand-alone device that you connect to your DSLR or mirrorless camera with a USB ca-
ble. It creates an ad hoc WiFi network to which you can connect your smartphone or tablet
(iOS, Android and Windows). Thanks to the CamRanger application you can control your
camera without a computer or an Internet connection.
Best of all, this device is independent. Therefore, if your mobile device loses its connec-
tion, the CamRanger has an internal memory to keep shooting. Imagine that you are mak-
ing a timelapse, your sequence would be cut if the camera stops taking pictures in the time
frame you’ve set...
So the CamRanger is great for many types of photos: timelapses (of the Milky Way, of Star
Trails, of a solar or lunar eclipse...), bracketing, focus stacking for macro and landscapes...
and many more!
Today their price has plummeted so even the highest capacity cards (64GB, 128GB or even
256GB) have a good price.
However, I like to use medium capacity cards (16GB or 32GB). So if a card breaks or I lose it
(let’s hope not!), the number of lost pictures is lower.
Although there are still cameras that use CompactFlash (CF) cards, it’s a system that is
slowly disappearing.
And to replace it, SanDisk, Nikon and Sony launched a new card format called XQD avail-
able for several Full Frame (D4, D4s, D5 and D850), APS-C (D500) and mirrorless (Z6 and Z7)
models. These cards
• Have a super fast reading and recording speed (400MB/s compared to 160MB/s for a CF
card or 250 MB/s for an SD card).
But first, let me tell you some general advice that is useful regardless of the type of pic-
tures you plan capturing.
”You are right Toni... How will I know when to remove the filter? And then, when do I have to
replace it on my lens?”
Just to remind you, if for any reason you plan to view (not shoot) the eclipse using a tele-
scope or a pair of binoculars, do not remove the solar filter until the last bit of the Sun is
completely covered.
Now, If you want to capture the diamond rings and the Sun’s corona you must remove the
solar filter.
Contrary to your eyes, your camera is safe for the few seconds or even a minute before to-
tality, and again afterwards for a short time.
Once you’ve done so, do not look through the viewfinder of your camera while the solar fil-
ter is off!
Look at the image on the camera’s Live View LCD screen instead.
Later on, when should you place again the solar filter on your lens?
This is even easier because you will see the edge of the Moon becoming brighter. So, once
the diamond ring ends, put your filter back in place.
And you are thinking about purchasing new gear (a camera, a lens, a telescope, a tripod,
etc.) to capture it. Why not? After all, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, isn’t it?
If you decide to do so, try out the gear at home. Not once, not twice, but as much as you
need to know it by heart and master it.
Rehearse the actions of setting up the tripod and the camera, aiming it high and adjusting
exposures.
Trust me, during totality you’d be so surprised that you can get easily distracted... So much
so that you can even forget to take pictures!
• How many frames per second (fps) can your camera shoot on Burst mode?
• Can you access all controls and the LCD screen with the camera aimed up high?
What you should test shooting at the Sun (during the partial phases the Sun will have the
same brightness):
• Figure out the best exposure settings with your solar filter on.
What you should test shooting in twilight (during totality the sky will be as dark as twilight):
• Figure out the best exposure settings (no solar filter here!)
What you should test shooting in Full Moon (it has the same brightness as the inner
corona):
What you should test shooting at the Waxing and/or Waning Crescent Moon (it has a similar
brightness to the corona):
If you mess it up you’ll have to wait until the next eclipse. And I don’t think you want to wait
that long :)
As a first approach, practice shooting the Moon. It’s there for you almost every day.
Aim to capture extremely sharp and well exposed photos of the Moon and you’d have done
the hardest part!
The Waxing Crescent Moon is an intermediate Moon phase that comes after new Moon. Dur-
ing this period, the lit up portion of the Moon increases from 0.1% to 49.9%.
Waxing is a synonym of growing, while crescent refers to the curved shape the Moon has.
It’s similar to a banana, don’t you agree?
As a rule of thumb, the Waxing Crescent Moon rises in the daytime before noon. You can
easily spot it in the day sky, although it’s easier to do so around Sunset. Later on, it usually
sets before midnight.
The Waning Crescent Moon is an intermediate Moon phase that comes right before the fol-
lowing New Moon. During this period, the lit up portion of the Moon decreases from 49.9%
to 0.1%.
As a rule of thumb, the Waning Crescent Moon rises after midnight. You can still see it in
the morning before it sets in the afternoon.
As you can see from the pictures above, the (Waxing or Waning) Crescent Moon has a bright
sunlit side, similar to the prominences and inner corona. Since it’s really bright, you’ll need
a fast exposure (just a fraction of a second).
The dark side, lit by the sunlight reflected off the Earth (known as Earthshine), is similar to
the outer corona and nearby stars during totality. To expose for it, you will need a shutter
speed of more than a second.
Shoot during the period in which the Waxing Gibbous Moon turns
into Full Moon
”Toni, what’s the Waxing Gibbous Moon?”
Again, Waxing means that the Moon gets bigger. Gibbous refers to the shape, and in this
case it is less than the full circle (that would be Full Moon), but larger than the semicircle
shape of the Moon at Third Quarter.
As a rule of thumb, the Waxing Gibbous Moon rises after noon. So you can see it during the
During twilight the Waxing Gibbous Moon has a similar brightness and size to the eclipsed
Sun and its inner corona. So it’s great to practice on your focusing using the Live View
function on your LCD screen, and your exposure settings.
Additionally, it will also help you to establish how much the Moon’s motion will affect your
images.
Take into account that the Sun will be very bright during most of the eclipse phases. So the
idea here is to shoot at the same local time as the eclipse will take place.
Ideally, you should get to your shooting spot at least one of two days in advance. This extra
As I explained in section 5, use PhotoPills to find out about the azimuth and elevation of
the Sun in that location on the previous days.
How?
Easy, schedule a shooting session during the same frame of time in which the total solar
eclipse will take place.
• An elevation of the Sun similar to the eclipse’s, so you can have an idea of the compo-
sition you can work with.
Time yourself, and rehearse the procedure over and over until you master it.
Take into account the excitement you will have during eclipse day. So you may well be
slower than the times you achieve at home.
However the most important thing is not speed. It’s not forgetting to remove the filter a few
seconds before totality starts!
If you don’t do it and you keep shooting, your camera won’t capture anything. It will be too
dark and all your pictures will be underexposed.
The best trick to remember removing the solar filter is to set up an alarm on your smart-
phone to buzz a couple of minutes before the start of totality.
PhotoPills tells you exactly when totality will start at the location you are (section 5).
As soon as you figure it out, set the alarm. Don’t procrastinate it or you will forget!
• Partial eclipse.
• Shadow bands.
Now that you know what type of photos of the solar eclipse you can imagine, let’s see how
you can actually take them!
A challenge you can get stuck with if you try to cover everything at once.
Truth is that each one of the photos you can take has its own secrets. Secrets you should
know. That’s why I’ve decided to split this section in shorter sections where I’ll teach you
how to take each of the pictures.
So choose the photo you wish to take and study the corresponding section. ;)
Note: Check this article to learn how to expose your photos in any situation.
If you’re near a tree, or any other subject that has small holes, get ready to capture this
stunning effect in the shadows.
• Equipment: All you need is your camera and lens (no matter the type, even the camera
of your smartphone works).
• Focal length: Not a short focal length. I recommend you a focal length between 35mm
and 200mm.
• Metering mode: Spot metering mode. Meter in the brightest part of the scene you want
to capture detail.
• Aperture: Use a narrow aperture so you can get a sharper detail in the shadows. For
example f/5.6 or f/8.
• ISO: Keep the ISO as low as possible (nominal, that is 100 or 200).
• Shutter speed: Taking into account the metering, the aperture and the ISO, adjust the
shutter speed to have the light meter centered at zero (correctly exposed).
• Where to focus: Focus on the shadows projected by the eclipsed Sun to capture the
effect of the shadows tack sharp.
Nikon D500 | 480mm | f/8 | 1/500s | ISO 100 | 7460K | Solar filter
• Equipment: Your camera (the type of sensor doesn’t really matter, although I recom-
mend you an APS-C or Micro 4/3 sensor, because of the larger effective focal length
you’ll get). A telephoto lens or a super telephoto lens. A Baader 80mm solar filter
(equivalent to an ND 5.0 filter, that is a 16.6-stop filter). If you photograph the total
eclipse, don’t forget to put the solar filter back on the lens after totality. A sturdy tri-
pod and head. And an intervalometer (to avoid vibrations).
• Focal length: Long focal length (300mm, 450mm, 600mm, etc.) to cover the area of the
sky where the Sun and Moon are located so they take most of the frame.
• Metering mode: Spot metering mode. Meter on the Sun before the eclipse begins.
• Aperture: Use a relatively narrow aperture so the celestial bodies are perfectly in fo-
cus. Since this picture is a close-up, depth of field is not a critical. In this case I shot at
f/8 to get the maximum detail of the partial eclipse.
• Shutter speed: Taking into account the metering, the aperture and the ISO, adjust the
shutter speed to have the light meter centered at zero (correctly exposed). During the
partial eclipse I used a shutter speed base of 1/500s.
• ISO: Keep the ISO as low as possible (nominal, that is 100 or 200). I used ISO 100.
• Bracketing: To make sure you’re getting at least one photo correctly exposed, bracket
your exposure starting with a base shutter speed of 1/500s. For this photo I used an
exposure bracketing of 3 stops.
• Where to focus: Put the solar filter in front of the lens. Focus at the edge of the Sun
before the eclipse begins. To make sure the Sun is in focus, zoom in the image using
your camera Live View on the LCD screen.
In those moments, light changes drastically. So you’ll need to act quickly and remove the
solar filter.
You won’t have time to measure light either, so it’s best to bracket the exposure starting
with a base shutter speed. This way you’ll be able to capture all the phenomena that are
coming.
The diamond ring is the first one. And also the last one, the moment between the end of
totality and the beginning of the partial eclipse.
• Equipment: Your camera (the type of sensor doesn’t really matter, although I recom-
mend you an APS-C or Micro 4/3 sensor, because of the larger effective focal length
you’ll get). A telephoto lens or a super telephoto lens, but no solar filter. You must re-
move the filter a few seconds before the partial eclipse ends. A sturdy tripod and head.
And an intervalometer (to avoid vibrations).
• Camera settings: Shoot in RAW. Turn off the image stabilization function if your lens
has it.
• Focal length: Long focal length (300mm, 450mm, 600mm, etc.) to cover the area of the
sky where the Sun and Moon are located so they occupy most of the frame.
• Metering mode: You don’t have time to measure light. To work out the exposure, I used
Fred Espenak’s exposure table, and I bracketed my exposures taking the values of the
table as a reference.
• Shutter speed: Since you don’t have time to meter to find out the shutter speed you
need, the safest move is to use Fred Espenak’s exposure table to choose a base shut-
ter speed (here 1/30s) and then do an exposure bracketing of 9 photos.
• ISO: Keep the ISO as low as possible (nominal, that is 100 or 200). I used ISO 100.
• Exposure bracketing: To make sure you’re getting at least one photo correctly ex-
posed, bracket your exposure starting with a shutter speed base of 1/30s. For this
photo I used an exposure bracketing of 9 photos from 1/2s to 1/500s. The best image
was the one with a shutter speed of 1/125s.
• Where to focus: The first thing you have to do is to put the solar filter on your lens (this
is essential if you don’t want the Sun to scorch the sensor!). Focus at the edge of the
Sun before the eclipse begins. To make sure the Sun is in focus, zoom in the image us-
ing your camera Live View on the LCD screen. Don’t forget remove the solar filter at the
end of the partial eclipse. Otherwise, all your photos will be underexposed.
Be careful with this photo, because you need to change the base shutter speed for the ex-
posure bracketing.
• Equipment: Your camera (the type of sensor doesn’t really matter, although I recom-
mend you an APS-C or Micro 4/3 sensor, because of the larger effective focal length
you’ll get). A telephoto lens or a super telephoto lens, but no solar filter. You must re-
move the filter a few seconds before the partial eclipse ends. A sturdy tripod and head.
And an intervalometer (to avoid vibrations).
• Camera settings: Shoot in RAW. Turn off the image stabilization function if your lens
has it.
• Focal length: Long focal length (300mm, 450mm, 600mm, etc.) to cover the area of the
sky where the Sun and Moon are located so they take most of the frame.
• Metering mode: You don’t have time to measure light. To work out the exposure, I used
Fred Espenak’s exposure table, and I bracketed my exposures taking the values of the
table as a reference.
• Aperture: Keep the same aperture you’ve used for the partial eclipse. Use a relatively
narrow aperture so the celestial bodies are perfectly in focus. Since this picture is a
• Shutter speed: Since you don’t have time to measure light to work out the shutter
speed you need, the safest move is to use Fred Espenak’s exposure table to choose
a base shutter speed (here 1/500s) and then do an exposure bracketing of 9 photos.
• ISO: Keep the ISO as low as possible (nominal, that is 100 or 200). I used ISO 100.
• Exposure bracketing: To make sure you’re getting at least one photo correctly exposed,
bracket your exposure starting with a shutter speed base of 1/500s. For this photo I
used an exposure bracketing of 9 photos. The best image was the one with a shutter
speed of 1/8000s.
• Where to focus: The first thing you have to do is to put the solar filter on your lens (this
is essential if you don’t want the Sun to scorch the sensor!). Focus at the edge of the
Sun before the eclipse begins. To make sure the Sun is in focus, zoom in the image us-
ing your camera Live View on the LCD screen. Don’t forget remove the solar filter at the
end of the partial eclipse. Otherwise, all your photos will be underexposed.
• Equipment: Your camera (the type of sensor doesn’t really matter, although I recom-
mend you an APS-C or Micro 4/3 sensor, because of the larger effective focal length
you’ll get). A telephoto lens or a super telephoto lens, but no solar filter. You must re-
move the filter a few seconds before the partial eclipse ends. A sturdy tripod and head.
And an intervalometer (to avoid vibrations).
• Camera settings: Shoot in RAW. Turn off the image stabilization function if your lens
has it.
• Focal length: Long focal length (300mm, 450mm, 600mm, etc.) to cover the area of the
sky where the Sun and Moon are located so they take most of the frame.
• Metering mode: You don’t have time to measure light. To work out the exposure, I used
Fred Espenak’s exposure table, and I bracketed my exposures taking the values of the
table as a reference.
• Aperture: Keep the same aperture you’ve used for the partial eclipse. Use a relatively
narrow aperture so the celestial bodies are perfectly in focus. Since this picture is a
• Shutter speed: Since you don’t have time to measure light to work out the shutter
speed you need, the safest move is to use Fred Espenak’s exposure table to choose
a base shutter speed (here 1/30s) and then do an exposure bracketing of 9 photos.
• ISO: Keep the ISO as low as possible (nominal, that is 100 or 200). I used ISO 100.
• Exposure bracketing: To make sure you’re getting at least one photo correctly ex-
posed, bracket your exposure starting with a shutter speed base of 1/30s. For this
photo I used an exposure bracketing of 9 photos from 1/2s to 1/500s. The best image
was the one with a shutter speed of 1/30s.
• Where to focus: The first thing you have to do is to put the solar filter on your lens (this
is essential if you don’t want the Sun to scorch the sensor!). Focus at the edge of the
Sun before the eclipse begins. To make sure the Sun is in focus, zoom in the image us-
ing your camera Live View on the LCD screen. Don’t forget remove the solar filter at the
end of the partial eclipse. Otherwise, all your photos will be underexposed.
• Equipment: Your camera (the type of sensor doesn’t really matter, although I recom-
mend you an APS-C or Micro 4/3 sensor, because of the larger effective focal length
you’ll get). A telephoto lens or a super telephoto lens, but no solar filter. You must re-
move the filter a few seconds before the partial eclipse ends. A sturdy tripod and head.
And an intervalometer (to avoid vibrations).
• Camera settings: Shoot in RAW. Turn off the image stabilization function if your lens
has it.
• Focal length: Long focal length (300mm, 450mm, 600mm, etc.) to cover the area of the
sky where the Sun and Moon are located so they take most of the frame.
• Metering mode: You don’t have time to measure light. To work out the exposure, I used
Fred Espenak’s exposure table, and I bracketed my exposures taking the values of the
table as a reference.
• Aperture: Keep the same aperture you’ve used for the partial eclipse. Use a relatively
narrow aperture so the celestial bodies are perfectly focused. Since this picture is a
• Shutter speed: Since you don’t have time to measure light to work out the shutter
speed you need, the safest move is to use Fred Espenak’s exposure table to choose
a base shutter speed (here 1/500s) and then do an exposure bracketing of 9 photos.
• ISO: Keep the ISO as low as possible (nominal, that is 100 or 200). I used ISO 100.
• Exposure bracketing: To make sure you’re getting at least one photo correctly exposed,
bracket your exposure starting with a shutter speed base of 1/500s. For this photo I
used an exposure bracketing of 9 photos. The best image was the one with a shutter
speed of 1/1000s.
• Where to focus: The first thing you have to do is to put the solar filter on your lens (this
is essential if you don’t want the Sun to scorch the sensor!). Focus at the edge of the
Sun before the eclipse begins. To make sure the Sun is in focus, zoom in the image us-
ing your camera Live View on the LCD screen. Don’t forget remove the solar filter at the
end of the partial eclipse. Otherwise, all your photos will be underexposed.
To take this photo, you’ll have to change the base shutter speed for the exposure bracket-
ing again.
The image results from blending two photos, one of the Sun’s corona and one of the Earth-
shine.
• Equipment: Your camera (the type of sensor doesn’t really matter, although I recom-
mend you an APS-C or Micro 4/3 sensor, because of the larger effective focal length
you’ll get). A telephoto lens or a super telephoto lens, but no solar filter. You must re-
move the filter a few seconds before the partial eclipse ends. A sturdy tripod and head.
And an intervalometer (to avoid vibrations).
• Camera settings: Shoot in RAW. Turn off the image stabilization function if your lens
has it.
• Focal length: Long focal length (300mm, 450mm, 600mm, etc.) to cover the area of the
sky where the Sun and Moon are located so they take most of the frame.
• Metering mode: You don’t have time to measure light. To work out the exposure, I used
Fred Espenak’s exposure table, and I bracketed my exposures taking the values of the
table as a reference.
• Aperture: Keep the same aperture you’ve used for the partial eclipse. Use a relatively
narrow aperture so the celestial bodies are perfectly focused. Since this picture is a
• Shutter speed: Since you don’t have time to measure light to work out the shutter
speed you need, the safest move is to use Fred Espenak’s exposure table to choose
a base shutter speed (here 1/2s) and then do an exposure bracketing of 7 photos.
• ISO: Keep the ISO as low as possible (nominal, that is 100 or 200). I used ISO 100.
• Exposure bracketing: To make sure you’re getting at least one photo correctly ex-
posed, bracket your exposure starting with a shutter speed base of 1/2s. For this photo
I used an exposure bracketing of 7 photos from 1/15s to 4s. The best image of the
Sun’s corona was the one with a shutter speed of 1/8s. The best image of the Earth-
shine was the one with a shutter speed of 2s.
• Where to focus: The first thing you have to do is to put the solar filter on your lens (this
is essential if you don’t want the Sun to scorch the sensor!). Focus at the edge of the
Sun before the eclipse begins. To make sure the Sun is in focus, zoom in the image us-
ing your camera Live View on the LCD screen. Don’t forget remove the solar filter at the
end of the partial eclipse. Otherwise, all your photos will be underexposed.
To take this photo, follow the same steps as the partial eclipse, as follows:
• Equipment: Your camera (the type of sensor doesn’t really matter, although I recom-
mend you an APS-C or Micro 4/3 sensor, because of the larger effective focal length
you’ll get). A telephoto lens or a super telephoto lens. A Baader 80mm solar filter
(equivalent to an ND 5.0 filter, that is a 16.6-stop filter). A sturdy tripod and head. And
an intervalometer (to avoid vibrations).
• Camera settings: Shoot in RAW. Turn off the image stabilization function if your lens
has it.
• Focal length: Long focal length (300mm, 450mm, 600mm, etc.) to cover the area of the
sky where the Sun and Moon are located so they take most of the frame.
• Metering mode: Spot metering mode. Meter light on the Sun before the eclipse begins.
• Aperture: Use the same aperture you’ve used for the partial eclipse. Use a relatively
narrow aperture so the celestial bodies are perfectly focused. Since this picture is a
close-up, depth of field is not a critical. In this case I shot at f/8 is a great option.
• ISO: Keep the ISO as low as possible (nominal, that is 100 or 200). I used ISO 100.
• Exposure bracketing: To make sure you’re getting at least one photo correctly exposed,
bracket your exposure. For this type of photo I recommend an exposure bracketing of
3 stops.
• Where to focus: The first thing you have to do is to put the solar filter on your lens (this
is essential if you don’t want the Sun to scorch the sensor!). Focus at the edge of the
Sun before the eclipse begins. To make sure the Sun is in focus, zoom in the image us-
ing your camera Live View on the LCD screen.
Besides, if you also take photos during the partial eclipse, you’ll be able to combine them to
create a beautiful composition. Have a look at example 11.
• Equipment: DSLR or mirrorless camera. A wide angle lens. A solar filter. A sturdy tripod
and a head. And an intervalometer (to avoid vibrations).
• Camera settings: Shoot in RAW. Turn off the image stabilization function if your lens
• Focal length: Your composition will determine the focal length you need. If you wish
to capture as much landscape as possible, despite of the Sun appearing super small,
choose a short focal length (8-35mm). If you have an interesting subject in the fore-
ground, get close to it.
• Metering mode: Spot metering mode. To photograph the partial eclipse, put the solar
filter on before the eclipse begins and meter on the Sun. To photograph the phases
during totality, remove the filter, meter on the brightest spot in the scene and overex-
pose by 1 or 2 stops (+1EV o +2EV). Be careful not to move the camera when changing
the settings so that you can then blend all the photos seamlessly.
– The good news is that light is pretty stable until totality, so you can keep the same
camera settings for most of the shooting.
– However, during totality light will drastically change, and you’ll have to adjust your
camera settings.
– One more time... Don’t forget to take the solar filter out during totality!
– At totality, the settings you need to use are very similar to the ones you usually
need at the beginning of the astronomical twilight. The sky is pretty dark, but not
pitch black as during nighttime.
– Use an small aperture to increase depth of field (f/8, f/11) and get a better quality
image.
– Keep the shutter speed between 1/125s y 1/4000s during the partial eclipse. It will
depend on the solar filter you use and the weather conditions. Use a slower shutter
speed during totality (probably about 1-2 seconds, but make sure it doesn’t result
under or overexposed).
– Keep the ISO as low as possible (nominal, that is 100 or 200).
– During totality, bracket your exposures to increase your chances of success.
• Where to focus: Since you’re using a short focal length, focus at the hyperfocal dis-
tance.
That’s what Ted Hesser probably thought when he captured the photo that would make him
the PhotoPiller of the Year 2017... :P
• Equipment: Your camera (the type of sensor doesn’t really matter, although I recom-
• Camera settings: Shoot in RAW. Turn off the image stabilization function if your lens
has it.
• Focal length: Long focal length (300mm, 450mm, 600mm, etc.) to cover the area of the
sky and landscape where the Sun, Moon and subject are located so they take most of
the frame.
• Metering mode: You don’t have time to measure light. To work out the exposure, I used
Fred Espenak’s exposure table, and I bracketed my exposures taking the values of the
table as a reference.
• Aperture: Keep the same aperture you’ve used for the partial eclipse. Use a relatively
narrow aperture so the celestial bodies are perfectly focused. In this case Ted Hesser
used an aperture of f/5.6.
• Shutter speed: Since you don’t have time to measure light to work out the shutter
speed you need, the safest move is to use Fred Espenak’s exposure table to choose
a base shutter speed of 1/30s (if you want to capture the diamond ring with your sub-
ject) and then do an exposure bracketing of 9 photos. Adjust your shutter speed to
the phenomenon you wish to capture.
• ISO: Keep the ISO as low as possible (nominal, that is 100 or 200). Ted Hesser used ISO
100.
• Exposure bracketing: To make sure you’re getting at least one photo correctly ex-
posed, bracket your exposure starting with a shutter speed base of 1/30s. For this type
of photos I recommend you to use an exposure bracketing of 9 photos 1/2s to 1/500s.
Ted Hesser’s best image was shot at 1/200s.
• White balance: Manual. Nevertheless, you can always correct it in post-processing. For
this type of images, I like a cool white balance (5600K).
Close-up and wide-angle composites are a great way to show how the eclipse changes over
time.
• To take as many photos as possible to capture the evolution of the whole eclipse.
Use the techniques explained in the example 9 of this section depending on the focal
length you want to use.
Multi-photo composites
A multi-photo composite shows the Sun moving naturally along a static frame. So you
won’t need to move your camera during the entire eclipse.
Whether you are planning a close-up or a wide-angle image, make sure you follow these
tips:
• Determine how the Sun will be drifting across your sensor at your shooting spot (use
PhotoPills!).
Obviously, your goal is to orient your lens’ field of view according to the Sun’s movement
and get the image of totality close to the center.
Depending on the focal length you use, you can also add an interesting foreground or land-
scape into your frame.
Remember to shoot all the partial phases with you solar filter on and the total phases with-
out it.
As for the time intervals, you can shoot as often as you like (especially if you are looking to
produce a time lapse). As a rule of thumb, a composite still image looks best with frames
taken no less than 5 minutes apart.
Again, your main concern should be framing the scene so the Sun moves nicely across the
frame and ends up centered at totality.
This type of composite is much easier to produce because you don’t need to worry much
about composition. You will only need a portion of the image and no landscape or fore-
ground to appear in the frame.
In this case, all you have to do is use the images you already have shot and display them in
a natural way to show the eclipse evolution.
Align and center each individual frame. Make sure that all the images are symmetric and
that there is a constant distance between each one.
You must use them throughout the whole eclipse, except when totality occurs. A few sec-
onds before it happens, take you eclipse glasses off and enjoy the views! Once it’s done,
put them on again.
First, because since you were a kid you’ve had the instinct not to look directly at it. It hurts
and it’s annoying. This instinct is called ”aversion reflex”.
Secondly, because there’s nothing to see after all! The Sun is so bright and its light is so
powerful that you are blinded.
So if that’s what you do on a regular day, why would you expose your sight to potential
damage looking at the Sun during a solar eclipse?
Because it’s a unique event and you don’t want to miss it. I get it.
In fact, you could be able to override your aversion reflex since your willpower can be ex-
tremely powerful (pun intended) and take you beyond the usual boundaries. After all, you
could be thinking that ”it’s just going to be a couple of minutes”.
However, the consequences are fatal. You would suffer eclipse blindness, an eye damage
that would negatively affect your sight forever and from which you might never recover.
Well, your eyeballs get burned and your retinas can suffer a permanent damage. In other
words, you can lose sight (partially or globally, depending on how much you expose your
eyes).
Think about an excess of light applied to your retinas. They just can’t bear it and this huge
light destroys the retina’s photoreceptors.
These photoreceptors are the cells allowing you to see in the dark, to view in color and to
have sharp vision.
The problem with eclipse blindness is that you won’t feel its effects until the next morning
or even later. Some of the symptoms, affecting mainly your central vision, could be seeing
blurry or not seeing at all (black image or black spots). Your peripheral vision is generally
spared, but it really depends.
Nevertheless, once you suffer from eclipse blindness, you are considered a visually im-
paired person.
And to make things worse, your healing process is a mystery. According to the statistics,
50% of the people affected recover full vision in the next 6 months. The other 50% recover it
only partially or are impaired for the rest of their lives.
So, please avoid any risk and view the eclipse taking some basic precautions!
Avoid:
I’ve repeated the word ”protection” several times. So, what are the different tools that you
can use to protect your retinas?
• Cameras, binoculars and telescopes with approved solar filters (section 6).
• A pinhole projector.
Just because ”it looks good”, it doesn’t mean it will serve its purpose. So check that yours
are ISO-approved solar eclipse glasses. Look for an ISO (International Organization of Stan-
dardization) label; ISO 12312-2 is the U.S. standard, while ISO 12312-2 2015 is the UE stan-
dard.
In addition to this, make sure that the glasses’ filters are pristine (no defects, such as
scratches, bubbles and dents), and that they cover both eyes perfectly.
One more thing. Don’t look up at the Sun without a pair of solar eclipse glasses. Always
wear them before looking up at it.
Most people believe that once they are wearing the solar eclipse glasses these are enough
protection to look through any optics (such as your camera o your binoculars). You risk
from damaging you retinas severely because of the magnifying glass effect!
Make sure you always put a solar filter in front of the glasses of your camera lens or binocu-
lars.
You can get your approved pair of solar eclipse glasses of American Paper Optics, Rainbow
Symphony or Thousand Oaks Optical on Amazon.
First of all, use a needle to punch a small hole in one of the cards. Then, use this card to get
the light through it and project it onto the second card, the blank one.
• Space blankets and other forms of household Mylar, or silvery CD/DVD disks
• Floppy disks
You must avoid them because, while they dim visible light, they do not block infrared (IR)
and ultraviolet (UV) light that can damage your retinas.
According to the experts, sunglasses typically let in between 10% and 20% of daylight. This
is still too bright for your retinas.
The filters used on any approved solar eclipse glasses are generally 100,000 times darker.
Now that you know what to use to protect your eyes, let’s see when it is safe to look.
At that moment, the Moon is blocking the Sun’s rays and only the corona (the outer atmo-
sphere of the sun) is visible.
So, yes, remove your protection. Otherwise you won’t see anything at all!
However, be extremely cautious because even when the Sun is almost completely covered
(98-99%), this tiny crescent that remains is still bright enough to cause you eclipse blind-
ness.
This is only valid if you are in a location from which you will see a total solar eclipse. If you
are watching the partial or an annular solar eclipse from other parts of the U.S. or the rest
Remember that you must use proper eye protection while viewing the total solar eclipse to
prevent your eyes from suffering partial or total blindness.
And as soon as you have everything ready, practice using your protection and equipment
before the eclipse actually happens.
Now that you have a proper eye protection, your gear is ready and you know where you will
be admiring this amazing phenomenon, don’t improvise!
First, make sure that you know exactly when and how it is safe to look.
Then, depending on the tool you plan to use to observe the eclipse (camera, binoculars or
telescope), practice in advance how you will be using it.
In other words, don’t play around with the solar filters during the eclipse. You should know
exactly what to do and how to do it before it actually happens.
Please, take all the necessary precautions (especially if you will be accompanied by chil-
dren) and enjoy the eclipse without having to regret it later on!
You are so focused on the eclipse, setting your gear correctly, nailing the perfect shot...
that you forget to remove the solar filter from the lens!
If you want to capture the Sun as the Moon covers it completely, you must remove the solar
filter.
Remember that it will be almost dark and that a solar filter is much darker than a regular 10-
stop neutral density filter. It only transmits 1/100,000th of the light while a 10-stop ND filter
transmits 1/1,024th.
To avoid forgetting the solar filter removal you can do a couple of things.
The first one is setting an alarm on your smartphone. Thanks to PhotoPills you are able to
predict exactly when totality will start at the location you are (section 5).
Take advantage of this and set an alarm on your smartphone to buzz a couple of minutes
before totality happens.
And while you are at it, set another one to buzz before the end of totality so you don’t forget
to put the solar filter back!
The second is to ask people around you (you won’t be alone, I’m sure) to remind you. It’s
probably less effective, but it’s always good to have a backup.
On eclipse day you will be dealing with a lot of people moving around you and your gear.
And most of them won’t be photographers so they might not be very careful with your tri-
pod.
Ideally, you would have scouted the area in advance (the day before, for example) so you
already know the location and the exact spot from where you will be shooting.
Once you are there on eclipse day, my second piece of advice is to try to spread your gear
The 11 mistakes you should avoid when shooting a solar eclipse 116
around you and your tripod. That way, people will more likely step on your backpack or trip
over your folding chair, not over your camera or your tripod.
If you are shooting a single shoot with a telephoto lens, chances are you will have enough
negative space around both the Sun and the Moon to fix it in post-processing cropping the
frame.
Even if you are shooting with a huge telezoom (or a telescope!), you might have a frame
large enough for you to crop and adjust the Sun’s position.
If you are shooting a single shoot with a wide angle lens, chances are your photo will be ei-
ther ruined (let’s hope not!) or different from what you initially composed.
If the former happens, who knows, you might end up with a nice result anyway. The problem
is that you may not be able to create a multiple exposure composite.
So, I won’t say it enough, make sure you have enough space around your setup so that you
can move freely and no one else disturbs your shooting session.
You could even cause this yourself while removing the solar filter, especially if it’s a screw
one.
The 11 mistakes you should avoid when shooting a solar eclipse 117
A checklist! (See section 6)
The more complete and detailed your checklist is, the more helpful you will find it.
And don’t write it on a piece of paper, put it on your smartphone so it’s always with you.
A few days before eclipse day, test all your gear and make sure that everything works.
While doing so you might find handy to write and go through a complete checklist like the
one I suggested you in section 6.
When possible, bring two (or more like memory cards or batteries) of each. That way, if
something goes wrong in spite of your previous check, you can always use your spare in-
tervalometer, another battery or a different memory card.
Refocus again and make sure that you are focusing the lens at a slightly longer distance
than the hyperfocal distance (e.g. 1 meter). But most importantly, make sure not to fall
short again!
The 11 mistakes you should avoid when shooting a solar eclipse 118
You are shooting with a telephoto lens
In this case, most of your photo is covered by both the Sun and the Moon. Here, you failed
when focusing.
To refocus again accurately use the Live View option on your LCD screen and, if your cam-
era has them, both the Focus Peaking and the Focus Magnifier.
• Turn off the lens stabilisation system. You’re using a tripod, and there is no need to
use this function. Despite the absence of vibrations, it may try to correct inexistent
movements causing the opposite effect!
• Use an intervalometer. Don’t touch the camera unless it’s strictly necessary.
• Double check the focal length is the right one. Make sure you don’t touch the ring of
the lens.
Does that mean that if the clouds appear at the last minute and it’s too late for you to move
you shouldn’t shoot?
No way!
And yes, it is possible to shoot the eclipsed Sun through some clouds. Sometimes the cam-
era sees things your eye cannot.
The 11 mistakes you should avoid when shooting a solar eclipse 119
You can shoot the partial phases of the eclipse and totality through clouds.
If the clouds are too dense, remove the solar filter (otherwise it would be too dark for the
camera to capture anything) and start shooting.
If they’re not, try the best you can while the solar filter is on.
Worst case scenario, if the Sun is completely blocked by clouds, you can always capture the
lighting changes and the shadow of the Moon on the clouds...
When should you do this? As soon as you see the edge of the Moon becoming brighter. Put
your filter back in place once the diamond ring ends.
Never look through the viewfinder of your camera while the solar filter is off! Look at the
image on the camera’s Live View LCD screen instead.
But weren’t you the one who was asking how to shoot a solar eclipse?
The RAW file contains all the information captured by the sensor of your camera. So it’s
much easier to make adjustments later on in the image without risking losing of quality.
The JPEG format is a compression of the image. So a lot of information gets lost in this
compression.
The 11 mistakes you should avoid when shooting a solar eclipse 120
Section 11:
Imagine. Plan. Shoot!
It’s time to take action, choose a solar eclipse and let your imagination fly.
Use PhotoPills to plan the photos that pop into your mind. So when the moment arrives,
you’re ready to live and capture a unique scene, a scene maybe you and only you have
imagined.
And if you nail the photo, why not sharing it with the rest of the tribe?
By the way, I almost forget... If you need help with your solar eclipses, don’t hesitate to ask
me leaving a comment below.
Good luck.
Special thanks to Sandra Vallaure, a great photographer and friend, for her tremendous
help in making this article possible.
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