How to Photograph the Solar Eclipses

NOTE: As the April 8, 2024 eclipse is now history, much of the content of my ebook is now obsolete. However, the major 80-page Chapter 11 on processing eclipse images remains of value. As such, I have reduced the book's price to $2.99. Otherwise, the book's content remains the same – for example, I have not updated it with images from the 2024 eclipse.



Learn how to photograph the solar eclipses in 2023 and 2024 with a wide range of techniques and camera gear:

• Simple phone cameras
• DSLR and Mirrorless still cameras (for stills and video)
• Wide-angle lenses and telephotos
• Telescopes, both tracking the sky and untracked
• The book covers techniques for the April 8, 2024 total eclipse, and in an October 2023 update, lessons learned at the October 14, 2023 annular eclipse.



In this 380-page ebook, you’ll learn:

• What to expect to see and what to shoot.
• How to shoot simple grab shots and eclipse “selfies.”
• What types of cameras are best.
• What tripod features are best.
• What filters to use and when to remove them.
• How to shoot wide-angle still images.
• How to set up time-lapse sequences.
• How to frame scenes for time-lapses and composites.
• How to plan great shots above scenic landmarks.
• How to shoot close-ups of totality.
• What focal lengths are best for framing the Sun.
• What types of telescopes and mounts are best.
• How to align tracking mounts in the daytime.
• How to focus and avoid image blurring from sky motion.
• What the best exposures will be.
• When to shoot on auto exposure vs. manual.
• How to set video cameras for maximum detail and dynamic range.
• How to plan shoots with single or multiple cameras.
• How to automate a camera.
• Tips on last-minute moves to avoid clouds.
• What can go wrong and how to avoid the common mistakes.
• How to capture the eclipse and still see it!
• And finally … The biggest chapter at 80 pages covers processing eclipse photos, from simple wide-angle scenes to complex multi-exposure stacks and composites.



The book contains:

• Dozens of sky charts made specifically for the 2024 eclipse, for sample locations along the paths, to show how to frame the scene with a range of focal lengths, and for planning your shoot.

• Active links to websites for equipment suppliers and for detailed eclipse maps and times for your site.

• Step-by-step tutorials take you through processing, from basic developing of Raw files, to assembling time-lapse movies, and stacking images for composites, plus blending of multiple exposures with HDR software and luminosity masks.

• The ebook is expanded by 70 pages from the original 2017 edition, with updated content to cover new camera capabilities and the latest software. This latest revision updates the book following the October 14, 2023 annular eclipse, and includes new processing tutorials for annular eclipse images.



What’s in the book:


Chapter 1: Introduction


Chapter 2: The Eclipse Experience


Chapter 3: Where to Go


Chapter 4: 2023: Lessons Learned at the Annular Eclipse


Chapter 5: 2024: Shooting Wide-Angle Stills


Chapter 6: 2024: Shooting Close-Up Stills


Chapter 7: 2024: Shooting Composites


Chapter 8: 2024: Shooting Time-Lapses


Chapter 9: 2024: Shooting Video


Chapter 10: What Can Go Wrong?


Chapter 11: Processing Eclipse Images


Chapter 12: Conclusion