--- title: How to Photograph the 2017 Solar Eclipse: Tips, What to Buy description: Here's the gear you need to photograph the solar eclipse on August 21, 2017, plus tips for taking the best possible shots. canonical: https://time.com/4887622/how-photograph-2017-solar-eclipse/ author: Joey Lautrup article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-08-08T18:18:05.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-13T05:02:24.000Z article:section: Science og:title: How to Photograph the Solar Eclipse og:description: What you need to know to capture beautiful eclipse images og:url: https://time.com/4887622/how-photograph-2017-solar-eclipse/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt33d9214aaf21fdce/6988d8b0cf40a80112c48dcf/solar-eclipse-photograph.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2712 og:image:height: 1526 og:image:alt: Ring of Fire Eclipse og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: How to Photograph the Solar Eclipse twitter:description: What you need to know to capture beautiful eclipse images twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt33d9214aaf21fdce/6988d8b0cf40a80112c48dcf/solar-eclipse-photograph.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # How to Photograph the 2017 Solar Eclipse > Sponsored content. 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Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-futureproof-2026q3/newsletters?i=4e3cbdc0-dee0-41ae-b917-5df1675b732c&cr=time-nl-futureproof-2026q3-v1) ## Video: How to Photograph the Solar Eclipse [Watch (HLS stream): How to Photograph the Solar Eclipse](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/ZlFRDkVl.m3u8) (3:22)  _Published 2017-08-04. Canon's Ken Sklute offers an overview of the gear you'll need and the steps you'll want to follow in order to take beautiful photos of the upcoming solar eclipse._  by [Joey Lautrup](https://time.com/author/joey-lautrup/)  ## Joey Lautrup Updated: Dec 13, 2023 5:02 AM UTCPublished: Aug 8, 2017 6:18 PM UTC  by [Joey Lautrup](https://time.com/author/joey-lautrup/)  ## Joey Lautrup Updated: Dec 13, 2023 5:02 AM UTCPublished: Aug 8, 2017 6:18 PM UTC Americans will look skyward on Aug. 21 to witness a [total solar eclipse](http://time.com/4750899/total-solar-eclipse/) that will cross the U.S. from coast to coast — and many will aim to photograph the [eclipse](http://time.com/4834676/total-solar-eclipse-2017-rare/) to preserve the rare celestial phenomenon. During the total eclipse, the moon will block out the sun, momentarily engulfing [parts of 14 states ](http://time.com/4884482/total-solar-eclipse-2017-map/)in darkness. Those who do not see a total solar eclipse will still see a partial eclipse, in which the moon blocks some of the sun’s light. Either occurrence presents a dramatic opportunity for sky gazers to capture the eclipse through photography. But photographing the solar eclipse comes with challenges, including potential damage to the eyes and camera equipment from the sun’s rays. It can also be difficult to photograph the eclipse because it doesn’t last very long, the sun appears to be moving constantly and the shot requires specific exposure settings. We spoke with [Ken Sklute](http://serendipityvisuals.com/), a Canon representative with a 43-year photography career, about the gear you need to photograph the solar eclipse and the steps photographers should follow to stay safe: ## What type of camera and lens should you use to photograph the eclipse? Sklute recommends three [Canon models](http://learn.usa.canon.com/resources/articles/2017/solar-eclipse/choosing-camera-for-eclipse-photography.shtml) at different price points and skill levels, as shown in the video above. The [Powershot Sx60](https://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/powershot-sx60-hs-solar-eclipse-kit) is a beginner level point-and-shoot bundled with a solar filter that can be purchased for $499.99\. For the next step up, Sklute suggests the [Rebel T7i ](https://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/eos-rebel-t7i-body-digital-slr) (camera body only) for $749.99\. On the more professional side, you can buy the [5D Mark IV](https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/products/details/cameras/dslr/eos-5d-mark-iv) (camera body only) for $3,299. Once you have your camera, the next step is choosing a lens. You’ll want at least a 300 mm focal length to get a good-sized image of the sun in the frame, Sklute says. Focal length refers to the distance between a camera’s sensor and its lens. The longer the lens’s focal length, the larger the sun will be in the final image. Those who are hesitant about investing in an expensive lens may want to rent one instead. ## How can you protect your camera from the sun? Anyone who is photographing the eclipse — or just looking at it — should wear [protective eclipse glasses](http://time.com/4878020/solar-eclipse-glasses-2017/), which filter out most of the sun’s rays. In addition, photographers should cover any sun-pointed lens with a certified solar filter, which blocks harmful sunlight from damaging your camera or your vision. A filter is certified if it meets protective standards set by the International Organization for Standardization. The American Astronomical Society has provided [a list of reputable manufacturers of solar filters ](https://eclipse.aas.org/resources/solar-filters)that are selling filters online, ranging from $19.95 to more than $200 apiece. The filter should be removed only during the totality phase of the eclipse, in which the moon is directly between the Earth and the sun and blocks its light. ## What exposure settings should you use to shoot the eclipse? Your aperture, ISO and shutter speed will depend upon the capabilities of your camera, lens and filter, and Sklute suggests [testing out different exposure settings](http://learn.usa.canon.com/resources/articles/2017/solar-eclipse/photographic-exposure-solar-eclipse.shtml) — under different cloud cover situations — prior to the big event. “You can photograph the sun today, and it’s gonna be the same sun on August 21\. It’ll be the same exposure.” Sklute plans to bracket his shots throughout the totality phase of the eclipse, meaning that he will use a number of different exposures. Each combination of exposure settings will capture different layers of light from the sun. After shooting the eclipse, he’ll use photo-editing software to stack the various images with their respective exposures on top of one another in order to produce a richer photo of the solar eclipse. ## How much time do you have to photograph a total solar eclipse? The length of totality will vary depending upon your location. At most, it will last for 2 minutes and 40 seconds. With such a short amount of time to photograph totality, preparation is key. In order to prevent gravity from pulling your lens down during the shoot, a common problem known as lens creep, Sklute suggests bringing some tape to secure the extending part of the lens in place. You are most susceptible to lens creep when you are shooting something overhead. He also suggests that photographers make sure their tripods are correctly adjusted and that batteries are swapped out just prior to totality. ## What other special gear will you need to shoot the eclipse? In addition to a certified solar filter and the correct lens, Sklute also recommends bringing extra camera supplies, like memory cards and batteries, as well as items to make sure you’re comfortable while waiting, such as a cooler, chair and tent. ## Can you photograph the eclipse with a smartphone? Sklute says a “real” camera, such as one of the digital models mentioned above, not a smartphone, is the way to go for this type of shoot. “The smartphones have very small lenses,” he says. “There’s no way to put a filter in front of it. This is one of the things that you should be investing in at this point with it being such a unique event.” Watch the video above to learn all of Sklute’s advice for producing the highest quality photos of the total solar eclipse. ## Transcript [ SOUND ] I'm Lisa Eadicicco, a technology correspondent with Time and I'm here with Ken Sklute, a cannon explorer of light, and he's going to share some tips on how to photograph the total solar eclipse that is coming up on August twenty- first. [ MUSIC ] It's the first time in nearly four decades that this is happening in the US, so it's an extremely rare opportunity. First of all, Ken, would you like to kind of walk us through the equipment that you'll need to get started? Gladly. I've brought three different level cameras with me. This is the Powershot XS60 and Canon has bundled this with the solar filter that we We need the one next to it that we brought, is the Rebel t7i. It's a little step up, and on the other side here, we've got kind of the pro side, where we've got a 600 mm lens on our latest, our 5d mark 4. And reaching out with these long lenses, we get a really nice sized sun disk Is there any way to photograph this with a smart phone? I don't see that happening. The smart phones have very small lenses. We're hoping that people move up to kind of a real camera, with it being such a unique event. [ MUSIC ] So you mentioned a solar filter before. Can you talk a little bit more about why it's so important to use one? The solar filter being on the lens protects both the camera and your vision. Now it's really important to keep it on the length of the eclipse, and we'll be taking it off just for totality. The moon at a certain point is gonna step right in front of the sun, and it's gonna produce a diamond ring, just that little glisten in one of the corners. Once that disappears, then that's safe that you can take the solar filter off, because that's Beginning of totality. But totality is gonna last anywhere from 2 minutes to 2 minutes and 42 seconds. Ken would you mind walking us through just how to set up the shot and how to get the right angle and the right exposure? To do that. [ MUSIC ] Mount the camera to the tripod. in this case, turn the camera back up toward the angle of the sun that I'm hoping to photograph in app. Once you put a camera on a tripod, you want to make sure that you turn off the image stabilization So we don't want the camera vibrating on a tripod. I'm also gonna take off autofocus. I'm going to focus at the point I want to but but I don't want it to stay on. The next thing I'd want to want to do is adjust my screen that I don't have to get below the camera now to look up. Next, I want to make sure I'm on the right mode. And that mode is going to be manual. With every lens you're gonna be using, we wanna make sure that that lens is to the fullest extension. I have some tape that I wanna make sure that I put on here as the lens is tilted up and gravity is pulling it back down, we wanna prevent that from happening. I'm gonna place the solar filter Right on the lens, a simple little screw- in. So it sits right there. I would align the sun where it's going to be and make sure I have that right in the center because that's the best part of the optics. And from this point, I'm ready to make some exposures. 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