Typically in order to photograph the entire eclipse, you will need to purchase special camera equipment that will reduce the brightness of the sun, and protect your camera. However, most eclipse viewers will be trying to take pictures of the event on their smartphone devices. While professional photographers will be spending money on filters, lenses, and telescopes to capture the perfect shot – it is possible to take a photograph with your smartphone or tablet device.
Here are some options:
1. Purchase a solar filter – many viewers are planning on using their eclipse glasses as a solar filter for their camera. However, you will find that the sun will be very small in your photographs. Professional solar filters can be found on Amazon, Target, Best Buy, and local camera shops.
2. Use an app! There are several smartphone apps that will allow you to set manual settings to capture a nice picture the eclipse.
In this case, you will be able to utilize an extra pair of solar eclipse glasses to place in front of the lens while manually adjusting the camera to focus on the sun. Your standard camera application will try to automatically adjust exposure and focus making it difficult to get a clear shot of the sun.
Be sure that once the eclipse has reached totality that you remove the eclipse glasses from the camera lens. Try this app: https://www.procamera-app.com/en/
3. A telephoto lens will allow the sun to appear bigger on your smartphone camera. Just like the other options, you will want to ensure that your phone is on airplane mode and set up properly on a tripod to avoid any interruptions.
NO FLASH! This will ruin the experience for other viewers and yourself. While capturing the perfect shot is intriguing, it’s best to set your phone up on a tripod and enjoy the experience without distractions.
