The excitement builds toward Monday afternoon as we anticipate the solar eclipse. While many people are traveling to what is called, “the path of totality,” many are staying in the DC area to enjoy it here.
With a Total Solar Eclipse, the moon completely covers the sun for a few minutes. This can be seen if you are in the 115 mile wide “path of totality” and for the April eclipse, the closest areas are NW Pennsylvania or central Ohio (see map to the right). The trip is worth it as there won’t be another one in the US for another 20 years!
However, if you choose to stay in the DC area, it will be viewed outside the path of totality so it will appear only as partial solar eclipse. We will only see about 87% coverage but it can still be fun to photograph.
Timeline In DC: The eclipse will begin just after 2:00pm. The sun will be most covered by the moon at 3:20 and the eclipse will around 4:30.
Regardless of where you plan to be, here are some tips for photographing it and we can’t wait to seeing what everybody captures.
VIEW AND PHOTOGRAPH THE ECLIPSE SAFELY
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Do NOT look at the sun without proper eye protection! Irreparable damage or even blindness may occur.
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You MUST wear approved eclipse glasses. (CE and ISO certified) Even if the sun is partially eclipsed, you need protection.
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The only time it’s safe to look without eye protection is the brief period during totality in a Total Solar Eclipse. In the DC area, we won't see ‘totality’ so we must wear eye protection at all times.
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Do NOT point your camera or smartphone at the sun without a proper *SOLAR filter (see below). Use solar filters on your camera and your smartphone.
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Do NOT use your camera's viewfinder, use the LCD screen instead.
SMARTPHONE TIPS
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Turn your flash OFF. It won’t help your photos and it will detract from the experience of people around you.
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Use a solar filter, or use a spare pair of the disposable eclipse glasses and hold them or tape them over your lens.
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Resist pinch-zooming! It will result in grainy and low-quality images. If your phone is equipped with an actual telephoto lens (like the latest pro iPhones) use that or purchase an add-on lens.
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Embrace the wide angle! Phone cameras offer great wide angle views. Take advantage of this and capture your environment and the people around you. Do some storytelling photos!
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Learn how to focus your phone camera. Tapping on the screen focuses for a brief moment but to lock focus, do a long press and you can adjust from there.
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Use Burst Mode on your phone to capture the eclipse as it happens very quickly!!
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Use a tripod and a remote release for the sharpest photos. Any Bluetooth enabled remote trigger will work. If you have an Apple Watch, it can trigger your phone camera!
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Shoot in Raw format. An iPhone 12 Pro and above with iOS 15 gives you the ability to shoot Raw. Androids, check if your phone cameras offer Raw. Turn on pro-raw in your Settings and tap the RAW button on your screen! (RAW files are large! Make sure your phone has enough storage space!).
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Try taking some Video of the eclipse or the people shooting it.
DSLR or MIRRORLESS CAMERA TIPS
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You MUST have a *SOLAR filter (see below).
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If you are going to be in an area that gives the Total Eclipse, during Totality you can remove your filter but you MUST put it back on immediately after totality.
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In DC we will not have totality so we must use the filter (and our glasses) the entire time.
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Try using a telephoto zoom lens 400-800mm for a tight shot of the sun and eclipse. A 200-300, 200-400mm will also work if it's all you have.
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Carry a wider focal length lens, like 24-70mm, for your ‘scene’ and storytelling shots.
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Use a sturdy tripod for tack sharp images. Turn image stabilization/vibration reduction OFF. If you choose to hand hold, you’ll need a high ISO to support a fast shutter speed.
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If handholding, your shutter speed should be no less than the reciprocal of your lens for sharpest images. For example, if you are handholding a 400mm lens, your slowest shutter speed should be 1/400. Turn image stabilization/vibration reduction ON.
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Shoot in Raw format for the largest files with the most data. You should be using Lightroom (or similar program) to process them. If you’re not using LR then shoot JPEGs.
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Focus on the edge of sun (with your filter on). After you have focused, it might be helpful to then turn off Auto Focus.
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For the tighter shots of the eclipse use spot metering and meter off the sun. You must have your Solar filter on for this. Don’t try to meter or focus off the sun without your filter.
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Take several test images to fine tune your exposure. Don’t over expose your images. As the moon covers the sun, you’ll need to increase your exposure (add some light).
Exposure Settings – Test your settings and adjust accordingly.
Everyone’s camera, lens, filter set-up will vary so these are just a suggestion of where to start.
In Manual Mode on a tripod;
ISO 200-400
Use your sharpest aperture on your lens (typically f8) you could try f5.6 as well.
Shutter of about 1/100-1/400
In Aperture Mode on a tripod
ISO 200-400
Use your sharpest aperture on your lens (typically f8) you could try f5.6 as well.
Check your shutter speed and adjust the ISO until you get it in the range of about 1/100-1/400.
Check your exposure, you may need compensation to adjust the final “brightness” of your shot.
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In either mode, you may want to bracket your exposures, you could try a 7 or 9 stop bracket. (See blog article about Bracketing)
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Make sure to practice before the eclipse. Get familiar with the settings and how to change them quickly. Totality lasts only a few minutes! Practice and be ready.
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The MONEY Shots – These can only be captured just before and just after totality, during a total eclipse, not during a partial eclipse (which is what we will have in DC).
- Bailey’s Beads: The sun’s light shines through the Craters on the moon’s surface and you’ll see little spots of sunlight around the moon,
- Diamond Ring: Just before totality, there will be a complete ring around one side, with one bright spot on the other side and it looks like a diamond ring.
EXPERIENCE THE SPECTACLE
While Totality is the big event, don’t forget to capture some of the scenes around you including the people!
Also, capture the light and shadows from the eclipse. Look for shadows on the ground created by tree branches/leaves. Look for little ‘mini eclipse’ light patterns on the walkways.
Lastly, don’t forget to step away from your camera and look up at the sun during totality! Seeing the fully eclipsed sun is an AMAZING sight! States Claire, “I can honestly say, viewing the 2017 SOLAR eclipse was the single most impactful experience of my life. I got emotional telling people about it…it was just so surreal! I’m praying for clear skies for us all on Monday afternoon.”
** SOLAR Filters: They block nearly all sunlight so you can safely observe solar phenomena such as sunspots, solar eclipses, and planetary transits. They are made from specialized materials that effectively block harmful ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) radiation while allowing a tiny amount (0.00001%) of visible light to pass through.
- Try to find a SOLAR filter, ND100000. At the very least a SOLAR filter with at least 16 stops or more.
- Solar filters are not the same as Neutral Density filters as NDs don’t block enough light for solar viewing.
Future Total Eclipses:
August 12 2026: Greenland, Iceland, Spain
August 2, 2027: North Africa and the Middle East
July 22, 2028: Australia and New Zealand
All Eclipse Photos: © Claire Gardiner
Special thanks to Claire for all her tips and wisdom about shooting eclipses!
See CPC Founder Marie Joabar and Instructor Claire Gardener as they were interviewed about the Eclipse live on Fox News 4/3/24. (Wait for the ads to pass.)
WE'LL BE DOING AN INFORMAL CPC MEETUP ON THE NATIONAL MALL TO HANG OUT AND PHOTOGRAPH THE ECLIPSE ON MONDAY AT 12:30-4:30PM. Hope you'll join us!
- Meet at this GPS, the base of the Washington Monument (the side closest to 15th street and slightly toward Constitution Ave.) https://maps.app.goo.gl/RuUEehWnbVEhbocp8?g_st=ic
- It might be helpful to read this article and any other tips you find about shooting the eclipse before you head out.
- The Smithsonian stop will be the closest Metro stop serving Blue, Orange and Silver. It will be about a 10 min walk to where we will set up. I’ll try to get there around 12:30 to save a spot. Please consider getting there around that time too.
- Pack snacks and water and pray the restrooms are open or there are port-pots nearby.
- This is an informal meeteup it is not a class. Although we are happy to give tips and such, we will be shooting too.