Photographing a total eclipse is, like so many image-making opportunities, not all that hard unless you choose to make it so. You can use a smartphone, DSLR, mirrorless camera, or film camera. But no matter which kind of camera you choose, you have to put a solar filter in front of your lens, wear protection over your eyes, and prepare carefully.
To find out what you need—and need to know—to capture the best eclipse images, we spoke with three professional photographers who have shot eclipses for major publications: Peter DaSilva, Anna Reed, and Nina Riggio. We also spoke to astronomer Douglas Duncan, emeritus faculty member at the University of Colorado and former director of the Fiske Planetarium, who has seen 11 eclipses throughout his career and who created the app that we recommend for photographing eclipses.
In the end, we learned that you really need just a couple of special items and a good plan.
