A rare total solar eclipse is set to happen on the night of Monday, April 9, but unfortunately, it will not be visible to viewers in India. But in case you can reach the path of the eclipse, these five smartphone photography tips could help you take a great picture of the eclipse.
You have probably heard of solar eclipses being referred to as a “once-in-a-lifetime” event and for most people, that is probably the case. Because of the small size of the Moon relative to the Sun, it can only throw the darkest part of its shadow across a small path during the eclipse. That path is where a total eclipse will be visible to viewers. And once one part of the world sees a total eclipse, it could be hundreds of years before that exact spot witnesses another one, according to Royal Museums Greenwich.
These five tips, compiled from recommendations by NASA and Googlecan help you capture this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for your memories.
Prepare ahead of time
The first thing you need to do is make sure that you can reach a location where totality will be visible. If you live in the United States, this map from NASA could help you find out which towns and cities the eclipse is passing through. Once you decide a location to watch the eclipse, make sure you make the right travel arrangements to get there on time and accommodation if necessary.
Preparation will also involve having the right smartphone — one with a good telephoto lens and a larger sensor would be ideal. But not everyone has access to any smartphone they like so if you don’t think you have the right smartphone for the job, bring a friend who does. And this goes without saying for all kinds of photography, please clean your smartphone’s lens before you take pictures.
Protect your eyes and even your smartphone
Unless you have superhuman abilities, there is a good chance you already know that looking directly at an eclipse is bad for you. When you are photographing the eclipse using your smartphone, there is a good chance that you might end up looking at the eclipse and therefore, the Sun, yourself. Make sure you wear specially designed solar viewing glasses or eclipse glasses to protect your eyes.
Just like your eyes, your smartphone’s camera sensor could also use a special filter, albeit a solar imaging filter. A good filter will not only protect the sensor but it will also turn your smartphone into a fairly capable solar imaging device. This does not mean that you can’t take an image without the filter. In fact, you might want to remove the filter at the time of totality so that you can capture the Sun’s Corona.
You need to practice
Lionel Messi never goes straight into a league football match without practising the week ahead. So no matter how good of a photographer you are, you need to practice. If your smartphone has a “Pro” camera mode which allows you to adjust ISO, shutter speed and focus manually, use that to take images of the Moon and the setting Sun in the days before you step onto the big stage and take an image of the Sun during the eclipse. This can help you understand your smartphone and what it can do a lot better, preparing you to not waste the precious moments in which you can capture totality.
Try out different things
Capturing the solar eclipse does not have to mean you only take pictures with nothing but the eclipse in the centre of the frame. For one, even with images of just the Sun, you can try out different compositions by moving the smartphone and placing the eclipse in different parts of the frame.
But considering the fact that most people might be trying to take a picture of just the eclipse, you could make your photograph more unique and interesting by capturing unique foreground elements. It can also be a great memory with your friends and family if you take pictures like the one above.
Do more than photography
With all of that being said, you must not forget that this is a once-in-a-lifetime event. Yes, you will probably be able to look at the images of the solar eclipse for the rest of your life. But that memory of actually looking at the eclipse with your eyes (using a filter of course)? Now that will only happen once. So do not forget to enjoy the moment as you try to capture the eclipse.
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First uploaded on: 05-04-2024 at 13:40 IST
