Watch this video with Alan Dyer to discover ways to {photograph} a solar eclipse.
Astronomy creator and photographer Alan Dyer spoke to the Hamilton Beginner Astronomers group about tips on how to {photograph} (and nonetheless take pleasure in!) the 2024 total solar eclipse. The following tips can even apply to the upcoming annular solar eclipse that might be crossing the Americas on October 14, 2023. In addition to the total solar eclipse crossing from Mexico throughout the US to northeastern Canada on April 8, 2024, thousands and thousands may have the prospect to seize a solar eclipse. So, for those who additionally wish to attempt your hand at pictures, you may watch Alan Dyer’s recommendation within the video above. Or learn on for a abstract of his ideas.
The right way to {photograph} a solar eclipse
Complete solar eclipses go by fairly shortly. In 2017, I used to be in Wyoming and was handled to the quickest two minutes and 19 seconds of my life because the moon blotted out the sun. So first you must determine if it’s actually price your effort and the stress of photographing the eclipse. For me, personally, I solely plan to carry my cellphone up a pair instances in the course of the 2024 totality and snap a pair amateurish pictures. I do know that I received’t be capable of get something as stunning as astrophotographers can do. And that’s what Alan Dyer recommends in his first of 5 potential ranges for photographing the eclipse: the best technique is taking a photograph together with your cellphone.
Listed here are his 5 choices for photographing the eclipse, in growing order of problem:
- Cellphone digicam
- Vast-angle time-lapse
- Telephoto movies
- Telephoto stills
- Telescope on monitoring mount
1. A cellphone digicam {photograph} of a solar eclipse
Alan says which you can set your digicam on a wide-angle lens view with the intention to seize the bottom and the sun on the similar time. Or you might zoom in to seize a closeup of the sun throughout totality. However he says the most effective shot together with your cellphone’s digicam might be to mount it on some kind of tripod after which set it to take a time-lapse. Or, maybe higher but, is take a 4K film that may seize your expressions of awe and marvel because the eclipse progresses. On this case, he recommends beginning a minute or two earlier than totality, so that you don’t must fuss with it and may simply benefit from the occasion.
2. Vast-angle time-lapse
Set your digicam up on a tripod and set it on auto publicity. Manually focus the lens on infinity. Then begin the digicam earlier than totality and let it do all of the work! The digicam will take a whole lot of pictures when you benefit from the view reside.
Relying on what dimension lens you employ, you could possibly embody the panorama in your photograph. This might be more difficult in areas the place the sun might be greater within the sky. Chances are you’ll wish to use planetarium software program with field-of-view indicators to arrange the framing and composition of your pictures. You’ll wish to do the planning and framing upfront, so that you’re not beneath a time crunch when the second of eclipse arrives.
Among the extra technical facets that Alan contains are: set the publicity with vast space sampling (not spot metering), set publicity compensation to -1 EV, and use an intervalometer with 1-second interval.
Utilizing the identical digicam, you might additionally shoot 4K video, and this time you’ll seize the audio as nicely.
And don’t neglect to show off your digicam when totality ends!
3. Telephoto movies
To take a telephoto video by your digicam, Alan recommends utilizing a 300mm to 500mm lens on a hard and fast tripod. For the partial phases, you’ll need an accredited solar filter. Arrange and apply taking pictures of the sun earlier than the day of the eclipse.
Alan units up his digicam with the filter on, and rechecks the main target a pair minutes earlier than totality. Then, a few minute earlier than totality, he takes the filter off when he’s not wanting by the lens. After all, as all the time, take into account that wanting by a digicam on the sun can lead to blindness. So don’t try this! And bear in mind to interchange the filter after totality.
As with the earlier strategies, he says that you should utilize autofocus for simple and clear outcomes. And simply let the sun drift by the body. Among the different technical specs he recommends are to depart the lens aperture vast open and have a low ISO. Be sure to have a strong tripod and head.
4. Telephoto stills
If you need close-up nonetheless pictures of the eclipse, you’ll wish to use a telephoto lens on a digicam with a tripod, or else a small telescope. The publicity size can range extensively relying on what you wish to seize. A one-second publicity can seize extra of the wisps of the corona and earthshine on the darkish aspect of the moon. Whereas a 1/1000 publicity gives you a greater have a look at the diamond ring.
Alan says to shoot the most important RAW picture you may and to make use of your DSLR digicam on reside view. With a mirror-less digicam, Alan recommends utilizing {the electrical} 1st-curtain shutter.
Auto-exposure bracketing will allow you to click on the shutter as soon as and have it take a spread of exposures for you. You possibly can set this up as a customized capturing mode as a way to click on out and in of it simply.
5. Telescope on a monitoring mount to {photograph} a solar eclipse
Essentially the most tough possibility is to make use of your telescope on a monitoring mount to {photograph} the eclipse. Hopefully you have already got expertise together with your telescope and mount and have practiced photographing together with your setup. However if you wish to have a very close-up view of the eclipse, you’ll must have it monitoring the sun and moon in order that there’s no blurring in your pictures.
Alan suggests utilizing the crescent moon as apply for the eclipse. Listed here are some inquiries to ask your self whereas training taking pictures with the moon:
- Does every part join securely?
- Are you able to focus precisely?
- If you deal with the digicam, does it blur your picture?
- How lengthy of an publicity can you’re taking?
And if it’s cloudy on eclipse day … go forward and shoot lengthy exposures anyway, particularly in the course of the partial or diamond ring phases. Who is aware of what your digicam may seize? So long as you have got the monitoring arrange, your digicam is aware of the place the eclipse is even by the clouds.
If you need much more ideas from Alan, watch the complete video above!
Backside line: Get recommendations on tips on how to {photograph} a solar eclipse with creator and astrophotographer Alan Dyer. Use the following pointers for the October 14, 2023, annular eclipse and the April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse.
Via Alan Dyer on Hamilton Amateur Astronomers’ YouTube
