Hi I'm Gordon from camera labs and in This video I'll show you how to Photograph a total solar eclipse as well As planning a trip to maximize your Chances of seeing one I've personally Chased and photographed three total Solar eclipses across three continents And at the time we've making this video I'm planning my fourth so in this Tutorial I'll share everything that I've Learned so far and if you're interested In lunar eclipses instead I've got a Separate video all about them a total Solar eclipse is one of Nature's Most Spectacular sites as the Moon passes Between the Earth and Sun it gradually Obscures the disc into an Ever Decreasing cresant then for a brief Period of totality it covers the sun Entirely blocking the bright disc Sufficiently to temporarily darken the Sky around it and reveal the wispy Coronal atmosphere to the naked eye if This weren't enough sometimes a tiny Sliver of the sun's bright disc can Peak Through the moon's uneven surface just Before or following totality to produce A fleeting diamond ring effect where for A brief moment you'll see the outer Atmosphere is a circle punctured by an Intensely bright portion almost like a Precious Jewel many thanks to my friend Eric Chang for his wonderful time-lapse Videos here from the 2017 eclipse in
This tutorial I'll show you how to Capture all the phases of an eclipse but Before going any further there's two Important points to make first always Use a certified solar filter to view or Photograph the partial phases of a solar Eclipse and second if anything goes Wrong with your camera gear I'd Recommend not wasting any precious time Trying to fix it after all depending on The eclipse and your location totality May last less than a couple of minutes And believe me that time is better spent Enjoying the spectacle with your own Eyes rather than diagnosing and Attempting to resolve a camera problem Okay let's get started the first step to Photographing a solar eclipse is of Course finding when and when the next One will take place now solar eclipses Typically occur two to four times a year But not all of them are total and not All of them are in Easy places to get to Some eclipses are only partial where the Moon only obscures a portion of the disc Before then moving away again others are Annular eclipses where the moon May pass Completely in front of the Sun but due To a mismatch of distances actually Leaves a bright ring visible around it Preventing the frint corona atmosphere From revealing itself both are lovely to See but don't come anywhere near The Wonder of a true total solar eclipse
Believe me if you've only ever seen a Partial or annular Eclipse you've missed Out on the grand finale so if if you get A chance to view proper totality I'd go For it without hesitation in theory Viewing a total solar eclipse should be Simple find out where and when the next One takes place and ensure you're within The narrow path of totality directly Underneath the shadow of the Moon NASA Kindly provides very detailed maps and Timings for eclipses past and in the Future so many thanks to the various Teams behind them over the years Including Mr Eclipse himself Fred Espenak and the current scientific Visualization Studio team if you're Interested in the April 2024 Eclipse Across the USA I have links below to Maps and timings generated by a team led By Michaela Garrison with Ernie Wright And tech support for me and Jones and Lawren Schuler your work is truly Invaluable and we salute you all now the Path of totality varies in width with Each Eclipse but you're typically Looking at a strip roughly 100 Mi wide And to maximize your time enjoying Totality you'll want to be as close to The middle of it as possible as you move Out towards the end edges of the path The period of totality will gradually Decrease and if you go outside the path Entirely you're only going to witness a
Partial eclipse so make sure you're in That path but don't assume that every Eclipse path will simply pass over a Location that's convenient for you some Will cross remote or even dangerous Regions perhaps crossing a mountain Range Deep Jungle or another Wilderness Area some Eclipse paths aren't even Overland at all and can only be seen From the ocean now while it is possible To view an eclipse from the sea or even From the air most of us will want to be On Terra Firma especially if you're into Photography then there's the timing an Eclipse could take place when the sun is Low in the sky making it hard to view or Perhaps during a season when cloud or Rain is likely to obscure it so when an Eclipse comes along that's in a fairly Easy to access location positioned nice And high in a hopefully cloudless Sky You should doubly go for it once again I've been luy enough to view and Photograph three total solar eclipses my First in Europe in 19 1999 my second in Zambia in 2001 and my third in the USA In 2017 each were very different in Terms of preparation and the final Experience so here's what I've learned The first step is of course to study NASA's detailed maps for upcoming Eclipses to find the next one that You're going to be able to access before Then drilling down to find a suitable
Location for viewing and photography You'll obviously want to find somewhere Within the eclipse path that matches Your budget for travel both in terms of Cost and time but while it's it's easy To choose a nice town or city located Conveniently close to the center of the Path and just plunk yourself somewhere Comfortable to await the action there is Another big factor to consider that's The weather and how to mitigate for bad Conditions after all NASA's Maps may Help position you directly on the path But on the day you may equally find Yourself under a big cloud that refuses To budge a certain location may be very Convenient and affordable but it's Absolutely no good if it's generally Raining or shrouded in fog at that time Of year so it's important to check Historic weather reports to choose a Location with the best chance of clear Skies and then keep up to date with the Latest forecasts and predictions as the Big day approaches because even if Clouds threaten to spoil the sh on the Day all is not lost simply driving a few Miles to either side could open a Weather window which is why I also Choose a location based on access to Fast and reliable roads that run close To or ideally within the path while also Trying to avoid sections of the path Which could delay or entirely prevent
Movement Like borders coastlines or Other pinch points and while basing Yourself in a city may seem tempting in Order to access accommodation and other Facilities as well as having the Potential to compose a shop with say a Local Landmark they're really quick to Get in or out of if you need to in a Hurry so I generally choose smaller Towns or even rural locations for an Actual viewing site so while the path of The 1999 Eclipse crossed a small portion Of the UK not too far from where I live My astrop pales and I rejected it as it Was a very narrow area right up against The coast with nowhere to go if the Conditions deteriorated which on the day They did instead we drove to Mets close To the French German Border in order to Access a broad swaye of the path East And West which ended up being a good Call as the clouds also moved in on that Location on the big day so after Hurriedly studying radar weather maps With only a few hours to go we set off Westward eventually pulling over into a Motorway layby near to the English Channel less than half half an hour Later we'd set up all our gear and Managed to view and phra totality Gathering more than a few beused Onlookers during the process back in 1999 I was photographing The Stills with Film and I was capturing video with a
Standard definition Canon cam Corder Onto which you could Mount EF lenses the Tiny crop sensor delivering a huge view So just for fun here's a short clip of The totality that we recorded on the Camcorder returning to the location you May be satis I to Simply find a nice Cafe campsite parkour view within the Path and just keep your fingers crossed For good conditions but if you've Invested a lot of time or money getting There is good to have options if the Conditions don't play ball beyond the Weather it's also useful to take note of The sun's positioned and elevation During the time of totality from a Proposed location as a building or Natural feature or even a tree could Block The View I use Sun surveyor an Excellent phone app which uses augmented Reality to project the sun or moon Position at any time in the future or Past against a live view from your Camera for the 2001 Eclipse in Zambia The path conveniently passed right over The capital city of luaka which we flew Into and with almost guaranteed clear Skies at that time of year we simply Needed to find a calm an unobstructed View our actual Hotel letters accessed Their roof which proved ideal for the Event where we watched it alongside the Staff I think that was probably my Easiest eclipse for 2017 in the USA
Viewing the eclipse was incorporated Towards the end of a family road trip Traveling from east to west now our Family trips normally have quite a fluid Itinerary but as the big day approached We narrowed our direction to keep close To the path taking note of weather and Possible viewing locations after all if You spot an unexpectedly great location Or have to stop for whatever reason it's Reassuring to be close or within the Actual viewing window then with only a Day or two to go we ended up basing Ourselves in Baker City Oregon scouting The nearby area for suitable viewing Positions now the only problem with a Fluid plan like this is finding Accommodation close to Eclipse day with Most towns on the path being sold out Long and advance and my final location Tip is to have somewhere to stay not Just the night before the eclipse but Also the night after after all people May gradually arrive at different times To prepare for an eclipse but most of Them generally leave straight after it Which can cause huge travel delays Especially where there's a pinch Point Like a bridge or simply getting out of a City after the 2017 USA Eclipse our Fluid schedule had us heading Southeast Planning to stop at the first available Motel possibly in Idaho or maybe even Still in Oregon but we didn't end up
Finding one until many hours later in Salt Lake City each Eclipse really is a Learning event for the next one at the Time I made this video I was planning my Trip to view the April 2024 eclipse in The USA which conveniently passes Directly over several large cities the Best weather prospects are definitely Earlier in the day around Texas but my Trip would also have to work with Flights in and out of New York as well As a road trip that was heading north From there so with that in mind I'm Concentrating on a section of the path In New York state across Vermont and Into Canada cities including Buffalo Rochester Burlington and Montreal are All good options for accommodation with The ability to access quieter areas Nearby that are still within the path And while the weather prospects do grow Worse as the eclipse heads northeastward There are Road opportunities along it to Seek a clear window of necessary so if You're planning to be there I wish you The best of luck and if it's already Happened do let me know in the comments How you got on okay now for the Photography part and again I'll mention That depending on your location and the Eclipse in question you may only have a Couple of minutes of totality or even Less so if anything goes wrong with your Gear I'd recommend forgetting all
Together about your photos and just Enjoying the event in person after all You'll probably be shooting at long Focal lens where the focus and framing Can EAS easily go wrong and you may not Have time to resolve any issues okay so There are two main parts of a total Solar eclipse first the partial eclipse Before and after totality and secondly The brief period of totality itself each Has completely different requirements For both photography and viewing the First and most important point to make Is it remains dangerous to look directly At the Sun during the partial phases and That even includes the final moments Just before totality or those just Following at these times the sun is Still bright enough to damage your Eyesight not to mention your equipment If you want to view the partial phases Of a solar eclipse or photograph them You will need an appropriate filter and By that I mean proper solar filters with Official safety certification not just Any old stacked neutral density filters Sunglasses or a welding hood but you Won't need a filter or glasses to view The brief period of totality if it is a True Turtle solar eclipse and you are Within the path you can view totality Directly and shoot it safely without any Filters but immediately before and after You'll need to use filters to protect
Your eyes and camera gear so be ready to Put that filter back on again as soon as It's over solar glasses and filters in a Variety of sizes for camera lenses Binoculars or telescopes are available From most astronomy shops I've Successfully used pre-assembled and also Homemade filters using bar Astro solar Film for all three of my solar eclipses And I can also recommend products by Astronomy giant Celestron just remember That demand will be high approaching Clipse so don't leave it to the last Minute to get the equipment you need Many solar filters will change the color Of the sun's surface typically to a Bluish silver tint so if you'd like to Present your partial phases with a more Attractive yellow color you'll need to Do it in post the partial phases are Essentially monochrome anyway so I Normally turn the image to Grays scale And post before then adding a duer tone With the desired tint moving on the Sun's brightness gives the impression of An object that's bigger in the sky than It really is but in reality the sun and The moon are both relatively small Subjects so if you want them to be large In your picture you'll need a lens with A very long focal length in fact if you Want to completely fill the frame with The Sun or the moon you'll need to shoot At an equivalent focal length of over
2,000 mm but don't worry that is rarely What you'll actually want to photograph A total solar eclipse for me the most Unique and attractive total solar Eclipse photos include the faint wispy Coronal atmosphere surrounding the sun Which can extend to over twice its Diameter So to avoid cropping any of it You can actually get away with a shorter Focal length lens and I'd recommend Something in the range between 500 and 700 mimet for the best results now you Can achieve that sort of range with a Super zoom camera although if this is Your plan I would recommend using a Higher quality one with manual control Over the focus and exposure as I'll Describe later something like the Sony Rx10 Mark I is ideal for the best Results though use a DSLR or mirrorless Camera fitted with a suitable telephoto Lens cameras with cropped apsc or 43 Sensors have an advantage in terms of Reach as they effectively magnify the Subject by around 1.5 or two times Respectively and that allows you to use More common and affordable lenses to Deliver the desired field of view so to Get to around 600 mil equivalent you Could use a lens with a 100 to 400 range These are ideal for Eclipse photography On a cro frame camera and even a 70 to 300 can produce a fair result if you'd Prefer to use a fullframe body though
You'll ideally need a longer focal Length lens to start with which in turn Will be larger heavier and more Expensive consider zooms with to 500 150 To 600 200 to 600 or 200 to800 ranges or Of course a 100 to 400 with say a 1.4 Times converter if you are using a zoom Lens though do be aware of possible Creep where the barrel May retract under Its own weight when pointing upwards so I'd recommend doing some tests Beforehand to see if this is going to be An issue with your proposed lens alter Alternatively to avoid potential Zoom Creep just seek out a prime lens instead Canon full-frame mirorless owners could Go for say the RF 600 mil f11 as a light And more affordable way to achieve a Long focal length as its modest aperture Won't actually be a big issue for this Kind of subject back in 2001 I used a Canon ef400 mil 5.6 L telephoto lens With a two times converter on a Full-frame EOS 5 35 mil camera loaded With Fuji provia 100 film the resulting Total of 800 mm proved perfect for the Partial phases and also for the Prominences but for my longer exposures Of the coronal atmosphere during Totality 800 mm was actually a tattoo Long and it did crop some of those wispy Shapes so on full frame I'd recommend Pairing of 400 MM prime lens with a 1.4 Times converter instead fast forward a
Couple of decades to the 2017 eclipse And I actually stuck with the e400 mil Prime but that time mounted it on a Canon cropped DSLR delivering an Effective focal length 640 mil this Proved to be perfect coverage for both Prominences and those wider coronal Shots and while this lens has sadly been Discontinued you may find a used bargain At places like mpb plus you can adapt it To multiple mirorless systems and if you Don't own or can't afford a long Telephoto lens you could consider Renting one for the job do beware that Big lenses can find themselves booked Out approaching popular events so you May need to order early to secure one Try borrow lenses in the US or hire Cera In the UK a full view of the corona may Be the classic Eclipse Shar but there Are other compositions that you could go For if you have access to a very long Focal length how about taking shorter Exposures around the edge of the Sun During totality in an attempt to capture Those nice prominences alternatively why Not go wide and attempt to include some Scenery in your shot wide angle eclipse Photos can look great showing the entire Sky with beautiful gradations around the Tiny solar disc you could also set up an Interval time timer to generate a Time-lapse video of the event and even If your goal is just a totality shot
It's fun to also shoot the partial Phases at regular intervals on either Side in order to generate a composite Image or even a time-lapse video later Again these can work well whether you Shooting wide or BL focal lens indeed You could devote One camera to Automatically capture interval shots With its wide lens while you concentrate On shooting the longer focal lens on Another camera by hand in terms of the Best camera you can photograph a solo E Clips with just about any model but for The greatest flexibility I would Recommend a DSLR or mirrorless body with Interchangeable lenses and full control Over the focus and exposure challenges You'll come up against include focusing On a subject that can be extremely Bright or dark readjusting Focus if Necessary when removing or replacing a Filter and easily changing exposures During the event I'd also recommend Practicing with your equipment before The event with your filter so that you Can get used to focusing and the ideal Exposures I can't stress how important It is to become absolutely familiar with Every aspect of your camera that you'll Need on the day you'll need to Instinctively know where the right menus Buttons and dials are and also how to Operate in both very bright and dark Conditions as it does change fast during
Totality if you intend to shoot a Sequence for a composite or capture a Detailed view a long focal length you'll Also obviously need some kind of tripod Don't forget the rotation of the earth Will mean that the sun will gradually Move across the frame too and if you're Shooting with a long telephoto lens You'll actually need to adjust it every Few seconds to keep it centered typical Tripod ball heads and basic three-way Heads are the worst in this regard and I'd stay well clear of them for long Telephoto Work video heads with fluid Adjustments do allow smoother Adjustments but again an accidental Knock can still Scupper the mission Personally speaking I think the best Options if you can afford them are Geared tripod heads which can be Precisely adjusted by twisting the knobs A more advanced option is to use a Driven equatorial Mount which will Counteract the rotation of the earth and Keep a Celestial subject still in the Frame freeing you from constant Readjustments these are perfect if you Intend to film video and you just want To leave the camera these are however Specialist pieces of equipment that can Be hard to set up especially in daylight So unless you're an experienced Astrophotographer I'd recommend just Using a tripod with a geared or a fluid
Head okay so you're at your perfect Location you've got your gear set up and You're now ready to shoot due to the High dynamic range and the Rarity of the Subject I'd always recommend shooting a Total solar eclipse in the Raw format This is not the time for compression to Scupper your potential for success as Always though I'd also recommend Recording jpegs along with those raw Files for quick and easy sharing after The event in terms of the exposure you Will be dealing with a huge range of Brightnesses during totality and on Either side of it but in my experience The correct exposure can be be entirely Handled by adjusting the shutter speed Alone with a fixed aperture and ISO for The partial phases and the prominences Before then leaving the shutter speed Fixed and mostly adjusting the iso Instead for those wispy Corona shots so First set your cameras exposure mode to Manual in terms of sensitivity you Should start with the camera's base Value typically 100 or 200 ISO in terms Of the lens aperture you should be able To shoot near to the maximum value That's the smallest F number for your Lens since the subject should be pretty Close to the center of the frame where The optic should perform at their best And an eclipse isn't hugely detailed Anyway I typically set the aperture to
F8 this now leaves adjusting the shutter Speed to deliver the ideal exposure for Your initial shots the correct shutter Speed for the partial phases really does Depend on your filter but luckily you'll Have plenty of time to make adjustments During the event at this stage not to Mention practicing on the full sun Before the event once you found a Shutter speed that works for those Partial phases you should you should be Able to use it for all of them right up To totality easy within totality itself Though that's a lot harder as there's a Whole range of brightnesses you'll want To capture from intensely bright Prominences around the edges to that dim Coronal atmosphere you'll also have to Remember to remove your solar filter as The last diamond ring burst disappears And totality starts properly and then Put it back on again at the other end Depending on your filter you may need to Make Minor Adjustments to the focusing Too for totality wide bracketing is the Order of the day and the easiest way to Handle it is to Simply start with a far Shutter speed then gradually reduce it For multiple shots at 100 ISO and f8 I Found a range of between 500th of a Second and around 15th of a second will Give you a great range of cronal images To work with if you're shooting One Stop Apart you're looking at just six images
In a sequence from 500th of a second to 15th which should be possible during Totality hopefully still leaving you Some time to view it in person with your Own eyes but do beware of slower shutter Speeds when using very long focal length Lenses and a fixed tripod due to the Rotation of the Earth the Sun will Appear to move slowly across the frame And at certain shutter speeds the image Can actually suffer from motion blur at An equivalent focal length of around 600 Mil I found the slowest shutter speed I Could confidently use for a Sharp image Was around a 60th of a second if you're Using longer focal lens you'll need an Even faster speed unfortunately these Shutter speeds will be too short to Capture much of the corona shape at fa And 100 ISO so the solution then is to Stop adjusting the shut speed when you Reach the slowest reliable value so Again for me that's around the 60th of a Second at 600 mil and from that point Increase the iso sensitivity one stop at A time instead you can see an example of This where I used 500th of a second to 100 ISO for the prominences and 50th of A second to 800 ISO for the corona so an Example set of exposures during totality For a 600 mil or thereabouts lens would Be as follows first set the aperture to F8 in manual mode and leave it fixed for The duration of the event next set the
Sensitivity to 100 ISO next shoot your Exposures at 1,000th 500th 250th 125th And 60th of a second before then leaving The shutter speed fixed at a 60th and Doubling the sensitivity going forward First at 200 ISO then 400 then 800 then 1600 then 3200 ISO this 10 shot sequence Should capture everything from those Very bright prominent is to the wispi Coronal clouds and it gives you the Opportunity to combine several of them Into an HDR image later if desired plus You should be able to capture this Sequence and still have time left to View the eclipse in person if you're Filming video you'll probably already be Using a sh speed of say a 50th or a 60th Of a second so during totality just Gradually boost the ISO from 100 to 3200 And maybe back again for a ramping Effect now you'll obviously have to be Extremely careful to avoid wobbling the Camera as you adjust the setting and you May find that a more successful way to Generate a video is to just shoot a Series of SKS at regular intervals to Create a time lapse or simply leave Another camera filming a wideangle view Generally in Auto settings and that's Everything I've got for you if you Previously photographed or filmed in Eclipse I would love to hear in the Comments what worked for you and as Importantly what didn't work along with
What you change or repeat for a future Event good luck clear skies and enjoy These wonderful displays thanks for Watching and I'll see you next next time Bye-bye
