How to Photograph the Total Solar Eclipse April 8, 2024

How to Photograph the Total Solar Eclipse

If capturing stunning images of the April 8, 2024 eclipse is on your bucket list, then it's time to start preparing now.

Here are my top tips so you can take amazing photos like the one below I took in 2017. You can download it free from Unsplash here.


#solareclipse2017
Total Solar Eclipse 2017 -Diamond Ring - Nikon d300 with Nikkor 70-300 f/4-5.6  (f11 at 1/5 sec.) Natural colors
  
If you're reading this now you may just want a few quick tips. Here they are, then my more detailed tips follow.

My Quick Tips for 2024

Get your solar filter ASAP. Hopefully you can still get one on Amazon for your camera. In 2017 they sold out a couple weeks before. Try B&H Photo as well.

Get your camera stable and vibration free.  Put your camera on a sturdy tripod, and use a remote release or turn on a 3 second delay on your camera's timer so your shutter press does not blur things. And hands off the tripod so you don't create shake.

Lens: Use at least a 300mm zoom or prime telephoto on a crop camera, and 400-600 for a full frame camera.

Use AF to set your focus then switch to Manual Focus.  With more recent DSLR's and mirrorless cameras you often can use Auto focus to get your initial focus on the sun. But then switch your camera to manual focus so it doesn't "hunt" and cause some vibration. Check sharpness by zooming in on your back screen all the way to see if it's sharp.  With the newer mirrorless camera AF's I've found that it locks in a sharp focus very consistently.

Try ISO 400. You don't need to go higher probably and you want a shutter of around 1/60 or 1/125 during the partial eclipse phase with your solar filter in place.  Put your camera in Manual Mode and test it with your solar filter ahead of time on a regular day as the density of solar filters varies by 1 or more stops of exposure.  This ISO works well for totality too when you take off your solar filter. During totality, you take off your solar filter and set your camera at 1/125 at ISO 400, f11. Then shoot again at 1/60, 1/30, and 1/15 and even 1/8 seconds to get more of the outer corona.

Shoot in RAW if you want the best ability to adjust your photos afterward for exposure and have a program such as Adobe Lightroom. Otherwise, jpeg's can work fine so long as you get some good exposures following the tips below.

Set your camera to Manual Mode and use the following aperture, shutter, and ISO settings:

 Settings for the PARTIAL eclipse phase with your solar filter in place 

With your filter start with ISO 400, f11, 1/125, then shoot 1/60 and 1/250.  You should be able to zoom in and see sharp sun spots. The sun should not be blown out, but a somewhat bright yellow disc that darkens slightly around the edges, and surrounded by sharp total black.

Settings for the TOTALITY when you should remove your solar filter.

If you are in the path of totality and only during totality, take the solar filter off then start at ISO 400, f11 shoot a shot at 1/500, then 1/250, 1/125, 1/60, 1/30, 1/15, 1/8 and 1/4 second to capture a lot of the white wispy corona of the sun extending far out.  You can't catch it all in one exposure as the light varies many stops from the edge of the sun to the outer corona details.  You can even combine your shots later in Photoshop or Lightroom to take just the properly exposed parts of each and assemble them into one photo.

You'll have a variety of shots some with the outer corona (the white feather like parts) extending well past the edges of the sun

 Do check your focus again! If it got out of focus, then focus again and retake them.

Practice ahead of time with your gear.  Get your camera, sturdy tripod, solar filter, remote release and lens you will use and practice on a normal day at about the same time as the eclipse will be. That is, if in your chosen location the eclipse will start at 1:00pm then practice at 1pm. Don't use untested gear on eclipse day!

Stay mobile on eclipse day to get good weather. Clouds can kill any view of the eclipse, so have a plan ahead of time to get up early and drive 200 miles if need be to get clear skies. Check the eclipse forecast for sunny skies and drive to it.

Download the Solar Eclipse Timer app on your phone. This is a very handy app that knows your GPS location and gives you spoken verbal cues about what to observe with your eyes as well as when to shoot the different phases of the eclipse such as Bailey's Beads, and more.

PRO SET UP. Hudson Henry has some good pro or semi pro tips on his YouTube channel, which I'll be following and adding a few extra brackets to get more exposure latitude. 

My Full Tips for the Eclipse

1. Don't treat the Sun like an earthly object

What makes shooting the eclipse so unique? It's not just having to manually set exposure and focus (or at least switch to manual after your camera gets sharp focus), it's not just having to use a solar filter during the partial eclipse phases, then take it off and use completely different exposure settings for totality. Add to that this the totality only lasts just over 4 minutes this time. And it is awesome! You'll want to balance getting some great shots but also using your own eyes to view it and enjoy it.  
 
To do so you'll need to be prepared ahead of time with the gear you'll use and practice using it on a normal day with the sun. 
 
Practice shooting the full moon with settings of ISO 100, f/11 at 1/125 if you want to practice tracking the sun as it moves. The moon moves the same way.  Also it simulates the "center exposure" setting for the totality phase of the eclipse. They are about the same except to get the full corona (the sun's wispy atmosphere) you'll have to shoot some shots at least 2-4 full stops over that center. And to get any of the rim of the sun with solar flares or prominences you'll need to shoot at least a few shots 3 stops under your center exposure. So practice changing those shutter speed settings or your ISO. But leave your aperture on f/11. I use my camera's auto-bracket feature to make this easy.

#2

Your location is crucial

THE PATH: Get in the path of totality. Do not settle for a partial eclipse.  A 99% eclipse is 0% percent like totality.  In the path of totality you actually will take off solar filter and eclipse glasses during the totality segment, which can last up to just over 4 minutes depending on your location. It is amazing! The totality in 2017 left everyone speechless. There was simply nothing to compare it to. 
 
But move just a few miles to a "99%" zone and you miss all of that and must leave those dark glasses on. It will just be a yellow sliver of the sun with no corona.

For best results, get near the center line of the path. Use this link for a handy map
 
BEST WEATHER: Determine the best "typical" weather location well ahead of time.  Clouds can ruin everything. Consider the general weather conditions of your chosen location. Some places have a much lower chance of clouds or rain in April.  San Antonio, TX gets just 3 days of rain in April, while Paducha, KY gets 8.  Weather sites can give you the skinny. Research not just rain but  cloudiness and typical atmospheric "clarity" and "stability."  This is an astronomical event and small differences matter as your are shooting through miles of atmosphere.  Visit Clear SkyHere is San Antonio for example.

#3

Be flexible and ready to drive to good weather on eclipse day

Stay mobile on eclipse day! Because weather is your biggest challenge be ready to get up on eclipse day early and drive 200 miles if need be to find clear skies.  Folks who relocated from Charleston to Gaston, SC in 2017 exchanged total overcast for one of the best viewing conditions in the country. With the eclipse happening mid-day you have time to drive to good weather.
Despite clouds in the distance it was perfectly clear over head


#4

Book your accommodations way in advance

If you're reading this now....good luck.  When this first posted over a year ago, I advised to book your stay many months or a year in advance. Now you'll have to do at a 50 to 100 mile drive on eclipse day. But don't worry, you can do it! Just plan on traffic, so get up extra early.
Choose a viewing spot with a toilet nearby.  Oh yes! You don't want the call of nature to hit right at the wrong time. 
Here is a composite I made of the phases of the total solar eclipse of 2017. You can download this free on Unsplash here. The corona image (second from right) is actually 2 different exposures composited together.  There is about 7 stops of difference between the "outer" corona below and the inner right at the rim.  The image at far right however was a single one exposure just as the totality was ending.  I shot 150 shots during the totality alone (in just 2 minutes 40 seconds!). The star burst was due to perfect timing during one of those auto-bracket sets.
total solar eclipse 2017 phases

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#5

Get your solar filter well in advance

Buy your solar filter now.  Most places, including Amazon ran out in the weeks before the 2017 eclipse.  For this time I purchase a Thousand Oaks Optical Solar Lite filter (for telescopes) solar filter that slips on the front of a 300mm Nikkor lens and a 95mm threaded version for my Nikon 200-500 /5.6 lens. Slip-on is preferred so you can take it off and put it back on quickly as the totality occurs and ends. Get a "white light" filter so the sun appears it's natural yellow color.  
 
Do not use an ND filter, even one that claims to be a solar filter! They are not really safe. and usually make the sun look unnaturally blue.  Avoid all "ND 100000" filters on Amazon. I bought one and returned it and got the Thousand Oaks. Sun looked terribly blue and it's not safe even looking through an optical viewfinder with it in place. Thousand Oaks or other true solar films or filters are far better. The silvered film solar filters are actually clearer than the glass ones, but must be handled with care to prevent scratching.
Do not use negative film or other "home brew" methods for filters.  ND filters also are not really for solar, even ones that claim to be. And never point your camera at the sun w/o the filter (except during the few minutes of totality).

 
Get a very sturdy tripod. Tall is good so you don't have to bend down and crane your neck to look through the viewfinder.   I'm using a Surui W2204 tripod with the Benro GD3WH geared head. This combo is rock solid and adjusts to 61 inches without raising the center column. Don't raise your center column on your tripod as it is usually quite shaky. Eliminating vibration is crucial in any astrophotography.

Get a remote shutter release. This is a must, not an option.  No matter how gently you try to press the shutter button it will flex the tripod rig and make horrible streaky blurs out of the sun and details. The only alternative is to use the timer on your camera, or a 3+ second exposure delay or use your camera's timer feature. But that makes taking brackets very long and cumbersome.
 
I use a cable remote rather than wireless so I don't get interference with a dozen other photographer's wireless releases on eclipse day.  I read an account of this happening! I chose a wired remote release (Nikon MC-30A) for this reason. 


Extra fully charged battery or two, especially if using a mirrorless camera. You can turn off your mirrorless between your partial eclipse phase shots, as you'll do that only every 5 minutes. But during Bailey's Beads you'll want to make sure you've got your full 9-shot bracket (1 stop each) set and can fire off bracket after bracket. So you don't want your battery dying.  And during totality you'll want to take at least 2-3 full 9 shot brackets as well.
 

 #6

Eliminate All Vibrations

Mirrored Camera Beware! We said that shooting the sun is not like shooting an earthly subject. Even with a sturdy tripod mirror slap and even shutter shock can blur the details of the sun and the eclipse. These small blurs are masked in an earthly scene to a great extent, but in astronomy they come right out when you are zoomed in at 300mm or higher. The high contrast and pinpoint details reveal even the slightest vibration.
 
Mirror Slap! If using a mirrored DSLR then set an Exposure Delay of 1-3 seconds to cut out mirror slap if you are using a DSLR. Exposure Delay tells the camera to wait 1-3 seconds after the mirror has slapped up out of the way before firing the shutter. This allows the vibration to die down. See how bad mirror slap is in the photos below!
 
Below is the difference mirror slap will make when shooting the sun with a 500mm Nikkor Reflex lens (Nikon D810):

Mirror slap on top shot, eliminated with exposure delay (bottom). The slight double image is from shutter shock. Turn on electronic front/first curtain shutter to eliminate that as well.

Shutter Shock!  Even your mechanical shutter causes blurring vibrations. See the second photo above? That "double image" is caused by the shutter inducting vibration. Even most mirrorless camera have shutters that can cause this. Here's how you eliminate shutter shock...

      Use Electronic Front (first) Curtain Shutter option if your camera has it.  Or on a mirrorless camera shoot in Silent Mode, which uses an electronic shutter rather than the mechanical one. My Nikon Z8 doesn't even have a mechanical shutter, so no worries there.

 

#7

Practice Ahead of Time

 
Get all your gear together then shoot the sun on a regular day, at approximately the same time of day the eclipse will happen. That way you'll be used to the odd angle, tracking the sun, using the solar filter, testing your exposure for your rig to lock in the best. Also, as we said, practice shooting the full moon. It's fun and much like shooting the totality phase. You need to know where all those knobs and buttons are in very dim light.
 
solar eclipse corona & prominences
Solar Eclipse Corona and Prominences - Nikkor 70-300 f/4-5.6  (Combines two images, one at EV -7.3 and one at +1.3)
 
And see the prominences in the image below (zoomed way in). These details would be lost without careful prep to find the sharpest settings and eliminate vibrations.
Solar eclipse close up prominences flares
Not bad for an old Nikon DSLR and $110 Nikkor 70-300mm zoom.  ISO 400 f11 at 1/400 second
 
 
During totality the brightest parts of the corona (the flaring atmosphere of the sun) is 500 times brighter than the outer rim details. To get those shots where you see it all takes combining shots in post-production in Photoshop. 
 
All of this was so automatic due to practice that I never felt like I was missing using my own eyes to watch the eclipse.   
 
 

#8

Totality and Non-Totality Stages Shoot VERY Differently

 Photographically, the total eclipse has two very different stages: partial and totality.


1) Partial eclipse phase:  As the moon is beginning to cross the face of the sun it will photograph exactly like the sun on any normal day.  This is true right up to the last 60 seconds or so before totality.   My EV for this first stage ranged from -3 to -5 on these shots, reflecting the fact the image was mostly black space with an orange ball at the center.  But the last center was at least -5 EV.  (The image below is cropped considerably.) 

The moon is just barely hitting the upper right rim of the sun

EV -5 for this "last sliver" before totality.  ISO 400, f11, 1/200.


2) Totality phase:  Suddenly in a few seconds it will begin to darken rapidly and go into the totality where the corona is visible and you remove your solar filter and eclipse glasses.  Be prepared emotionally!

During totality, the light changes every couple seconds.  You will have to shoot LOTS of exposures with very wide bracketing.
HDR-ish - My EV for the totality varied widely, from -7.3 to 1.33.  This was intentional.  Details of the sun's inner corona (atmosphere) and the solar flares require lower exposures.  But to capture the outer edges of the corona require a much higher exposure.  There is no one setting to show both the extent of the corona from the sun and the feathery detail within it. Two or more images much be combined afterward in Photoshop or similar photo editing app.
The Corona and Prominences photo below is an HDR like combo of an EV -7.3 for inner corona and prominence details with a + 1.3 for the outer edges of the corona.  I blended them in Photoshop.  The dot to the upper left is the star Rigel.

Bailey's Beads and the Diamond Ring. This is a very quick phenomenon. First the Diamond Ring is just before the moon fully covers the sun. There is just one little bright sliver left that looks like the diamond on a ring. This lasts just a few seconds. Then comes Baileys Beads immediately after, lasting only about 6 seconds just as the sun crosses into totality. What's happening is the the craters on the moon at the rim will allow tiny slivers of bright sunlight through for just a few seconds. When this happens you can get several very bright spots on the rim called Bailey's Beads. Take as many brackets of shots as you can during Diamond Ring and Bailey's Beads. Just keep repeating your brackets until full totality hits. And if you blew it, remember it will happen again in reverse as the sun comes out of the eclipse. So be ready to a second chance at it.  I took about 150 shots during the Diamond Ring and totality phases last time in 2017. And that's how I got "lucky" to get the amazing shot at the top of this blog. 

solar eclipse corona & prominences
Solar Eclipse Corona and Prominences - Nikkor 70-300 f/4-5.6  (Combines two images, one at EV -7.3 and one at +1.3)
 
The outer edges of the corona were captured at ISO 400 f/11 at 1/2 second (EV 1.3) but the inner detail and solar prominences were shot at ISO 400 f/11 at 1/400 (EV -7.3), and the two images combined.  That's 8 2/3 stops variation to capture it all!

Other things to remember:
Don't forget to have someone capture the overall experience with video.  I set up my iPhone on a clip holder in time lapse mode (2 hours in just 27seconds), pointed back at our 10x10 canopy and my camera rig and the parking lot full of new friends, while my wife took a number of video clips on a second iPhone.  On the time lapse it was cool seeing the shadow hit distant clouds and make them disappear for a couple seconds.  
 
Your smart phone won't get great shots of the sun during totality, but you can try zooming way in and see what you get.  We did use it in 2017 to shoot time lapse video of the event including the crowd reactions and so forth. We just put it on a little clip mount and let it run.

See and download my full sized solar eclipse images at Shutterstock and iStock.

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/solar-eclipse-diamond-ring-2017-gaston-706856203?src=tmhF6c9jgn4KAGD6nMy1lA-1-75


Below - solar prominences (flares).  While not commercial quality, not bad for a plain old DSLR and a cheap 70-300mm zoom
Solar eclipse close up prominences flares
Not bad for an old Nikon DSLR and $110 Nikkor 70-300mm zoom.  ISO 400 f11 at 1/400 second


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

What Does "Incense owns a Deity nigh" mean?

Is Mark Virkler Right About Our Dreams Being God's Voice?