How can I photograph a landscape during a partial solar eclipse when the sun is only part of the scene?
Asked 3/2/2015
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I want to shoot a landscape during a partial solar eclipse, with the eclipse visible in the frame but not as the main subject. What’s the safest and most practical way to do this? Should I use any filters, and are there exposure or shooting techniques that work well for balancing the bright sun with the darker landscape? I’ll be composing with wide to telephoto lenses.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
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I was privelaged enough to be able to take a picture of a solar eclipse. Here's what happened when I took the pictures. Perhaps this will be of use to you.
"Before" the eclipse happened I took some test pictures. To my disappointment the sun ended up setting behind the mountains before the eclipse ever came. Then as I was going back through my pictures I realized that I caught the eclipse in my test pictures without ever realizing it.
You can see the pictures here
My advice would be to take the picture just as you normally would, and then take the picture a little bit darker to bring out the sun. Afterwards you'll be able to choose which picture you like better.
Also keep in mind that a bigger percentage of the sun will be covered if you're closer to the epicenter of the eclipse.
Good luck capturing the solar eclipse.
Originally by user38699. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user38699
11y ago
0
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If the landscape is the main subject and the eclipsed sun is just part of the frame, treat it mostly like a high-contrast landscape with the sun in shot. A good approach is to bracket several exposures (for example 3–5 frames) and blend them later as HDR, or simply choose the version that best balances the landscape and the sun.
For safety, do not look through the optical viewfinder at the sun. Use live view to compose, and cover/block the viewfinder if possible.
Exposure can change quickly if the sun emerges from cloud or the eclipse phase changes, so an automatic exposure mode that can react quickly may help. The key issue is protecting highlights and keeping the sun from blowing out too badly while still exposing the landscape well.
A neutral density filter may or may not help; it is not a guaranteed solution for this kind of shot. If the eclipsed sun is small in a wide landscape, you may find normal shooting techniques plus bracketing are enough.
In short: use live view, avoid the optical finder, bracket exposures, and blend later if needed.
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