Use a proper solar filter for any direct photography of a partial solar eclipse. Without one, you risk damaging your eyes, camera, or telescope. This is especially important because, during a partial eclipse, the Sun is never fully covered.

If you don’t have a solar filter, a safer alternative is indirect imaging: project the Sun’s image through a lens or a simple pinhole onto a white or matte surface inside a darkened box, then photograph that projected image instead of aiming your camera directly at the Sun.

A telescope can also be used for projection, but the same safety rule applies: never look through it or point a camera through it at the Sun without proper solar filtration.

For a creative option, photograph the shadows under trees or through other small gaps. During a partial eclipse, those tiny openings act like pinholes and cast crescent-shaped images of the Sun instead of round spots.