There will be a total solar eclipse on 12 August, passing through Greenland, Iceland, Northern Portugal, through Spain and finally across Majorca.
It will be a partial eclipse elsewhere, for example 90% to 95% across UK, not quite as much as the 1999 eclipse but should still be an unusual sight/experience.
We will be in Majorca. Conditions will be challenging as totality will be just before sunset for us. I have used an app (treseclipses) that predicts the potential landscape and eclipse path from any location, though it doesn’t take into account buildings and vegetation. It means that I have found a few likely locations to try out.
If anyone gets some interesting photos of partial or full eclipse or generally, please post them. I will see what I can do. I know from experience that the 90 seconds of totality is not the time to be faffing around with camera settings, so it can be a bit hit and miss. My main priority will be the overall experience.
It is important to avoid looking directly at the sun, which can be damaging even with near full totality. Hence suitable protection for eyes and cameras is needed. Some indirect viewings of a partial can be interesting. Try holding up a colander or otherwise look at the ground through the dappled shade of trees.
Ideally the longest lens you have, then putting the camera on a tripod and shooting remotely (via camera app, remote button or timer, whichever you have/can use). Use the screen on the camera to view.
On this occasion it’s going to be in the evening and the sun will be relatively low in the sky, so being high up or on open ground will be useful…Being low in the sky, there will likely be a bit more atmospheric and pollution haze too, which won’t help.
Then, I suspect what a lot of people forget is that The Sun and Moon are travelling really quite quickly across the sky! Even though the distances involved suggest otherwise…
Which means a reasonably fast shutter speed at say 1/800 minimum is a good idea, f/8 means that everything will probably be as sharp and in focus as your camera/lens can make it and then whatever ISO is needed, depending on how dark it gets.
Now as it gets darker on what will be a full eclipse for you then you will need to adjust these but as the partial starts, the above should get you going. I have no experience of a full eclipse so can’t help you much as you approach totality. Google may be your friend here.
I have used dark filters before but I have found that with fast shutter speeds and an obvious and reasonable amount of partial, the amount of light hitting the sensor hasn’t damaged anything so I don’t bother. Plus you then need a slower shutter speed, wider aperture or higher ISO, none of which help much in these circumstances. Pointing directly at full sun with no eclipse may be a different experience!
Oh, and then you need to edit the pic to bring some colour back in, because otherwise it will be very white.
Good advice for photographing it, BUT don’t forget to look yourself, not just concentrate on taking pics! I suggest set up, take a couple then stop and watch. You may well never have the chance again. It is a very eerie experience. It is not just the sun disappearing behind the moon, but the world around you changes as well – listen to the insects and the birds. It is something to be experienced more than photographed because the photographs will not capture everything, and you can buy any number of images of eclipses.
We’ll be on a cruise and docked in El Ferrol in northern Spain so in the path of totality which is exciting.
I think we’re going to just enjoy the moment as totality will be quick. I’ve also left it a bit late to get suitable filters for my camera, advice seems conflicting and some sources say ND filters are not sufficient. I understand that for totality you don’t need a filter so may try to grab a quick snap then, although a tripod is recommended but it’s likely going to be difficult to find a spot on the ship that isn’t too busy. I have a reasonably long lens, 300mm which on Micro Four Thirds is a 600mm 35mm equivalent.
ND filters just reduce light levels uniformly to maintain original colour balance. There are different levels of reduction for different purposes. So, having a filter of the right strength is sufficient for solar photography. My filter may actually be too strong for the partial eclipse phase, given it will be almost sunset. Not something that I can test before so it will be pot luck.
I will remove the filter for totality.
I hope that your docked ship will be stable enough. I have done some research into likely exposures for totality. I will definitely use a tripod. Not only does it give stability, it makes life easier during that brief period. I plan to use 300mm on a DSLR, possibly with 1.4x teleconverter.
Unlike my location, you should have a clear line of sight out to sea.
Yep, everything online says use a solar filter and I do indeed have one. However that really slows down the shot which causes it’s own issues. Otoh I’ve taken hundreds of partials with no damage to the camera whatsoever…Perhaps because each shot is so quick at relatively narrow aperture.
What are your thoughts about settings and filter after totality? For me, totality is about 10 minutes before sunset and I hope to have a clear landscape in shot.
Same as before? Same light as pre I guess…Never seen a total eclipse so couldn’t say for sure. The good thing is, it lasts for an hour or so each side, so you have the time to try different things and review on screen.
I was thinking more about whether it would be safe to remove the ND5.0 filter. 99% sun coverage and near sunset conditions would lead to very long exposures otherwise, but I don’t want to risk damage.
The forecast is good with only a gentle breeze. The plan is that we’ll be docked which has the advantage of the ship being stable especially as it’s quite large being a 116,000 tonne vessel.
Being docked has it’s pros and cons. Pros it will be stable and we’ll witness the town coming into darkness, streetlights etc but on the flipside and unrestricted view at sea would have been lovely too.
Well, I guess it’s good to be cautious and maybe I’ve been lucky up to now but I’ve seen no damage to my camera or sensor before now. And have checked it…
But don’t risk it if you feel uncomfortable, better to miss the shot than lose the camera!
The eeriness I described won’t happen at sea in the same way because of course there few birds or insects. And for anyone where it is very close to sunset the twilight would not be such an oddity and might diminish the effect. I just hope those who are in a location where there is totality have a clear sky!
Cheshire Eclipse