Photographing the Ring of Fire Solar Eclipse

The upcoming Solar Eclipses this week and April 2024 are amazing photo opportunities. REMEMBER you need approved protection (Solar Filter) for your eye and camera, lens, binoculars and telescopes to view and photograph the Eclipse!  Sunglasses, ND Filters or home remedies are not approved protection.

For technical HOW TO and settings refer to the links below.  Let’s think about the FINAL PHOTO and the LOCATION to capture nature’s glory.

The October 14^th Eclipse will begin Saturday morning ~ 8am with maximum occurring ~ 9:20am and concluding ~11am in Southern California.    You will need an east facing location with a clear view of the sky ~30 to 70 degrees above the horizon.  Fog, clouds and obstructions are your main concern!

Do you want to capture the eclipse with a telephoto lens so the sun is large in the photo?  400, 500, 600 or 800mm lens is recommended.  You may hand-hold or use a tripod.  Refer to Mr. Eclipse’s Exposure Guide for settings.

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Do you want to choose a moderate telephotos lens to capture the progression of the sun’s movement?   Choose a 200, 300 or 400mm lens on a rigid tripod and the Time Lapse Settings in your camera.  Adjust the tripod to capture the range of movement of the sun in the sky making a photo every 5 minutes for the duration of the eclipse.  We’ll combine the photos in Photoshop later.

Another option is to use a wide or normal lens to capture the eclipse with the foreground.  You will need a sturdy tripod and make 2 (or more) photos. Expose the foreground element normally (or -1 exposure compensation)  then photograph the eclipse as a single image.  We’ll combine the 2 photos as layers in Photoshop.  You can also capture movement of the sun in relation to the foreground with the time lapse settings from above.

Eclipse photography can be fun and exciting for beginners to veteran photographers.  Let’s pray for clear skies, find a great location and have fun on Saturday!

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How to TIPS

https://www.nikonusa.com/en/learn-and-explore/a/tips-and-techniques/how-to-photograph-a-solar-eclipse.html

https://eclipse.aas.org/imaging-video/images-videos

https://www.mreclipse.com/SEphoto/SEphoto.html

Mr. Eclipse’s Exposure Guide

https://www.mreclipse.com/SEphoto/image/SE-Exposure1w.GIF

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