The second of totality throughout a photo voltaic eclipse in Glendo, Wyo., on Aug. 21, 2017.

John T. Meader

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John T. Meader

The second of totality throughout a photo voltaic eclipse in Glendo, Wyo., on Aug. 21, 2017.

John T. Meader

If you intend to take a look at Monday’s total solar eclipse and the one digital camera you personal is one which doubles as a telephone, with somewhat preparation (and precaution) you would possibly nonetheless be capable of get some comparatively good pictures.

“It all depends on how much effort one wants to put into it,” says Sean Walker, an affiliate editor with Sky & Telescope journal. For starters, you may must put on eclipse glasses or related protecting eye gear whereas aiming your digital camera and even simply observing the eclipse.

In the U.S., the path of totality for the very best views stretches from southern Texas, crossing by means of the South and Midwest and into the Northeast earlier than hitting Maine. But anybody within the continental U.S. can catch not less than a partial eclipse, climate allowing.

Don’t search for — look down!

It will probably be doable to seize fascinating photos even in the event you do not dwell in, or journey to, that swath the place the moon will seem to just about completely cowl the solar. “If you’re within several hundred miles of the path of totality at maximum eclipse time,” Walker says, “the spaces between leaves on trees and basically anything that makes a pinhole will project an image of the crescent sun on the ground or on a wall … depending on how high the sun is at the time.”

A photograph reveals the eclipse projected by means of the areas between leaves taken on Aug. 21, 2017, in Glendo, Wyo.

John T. Meader

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John T. Meader

A photograph reveals the eclipse projected by means of the areas between leaves taken on Aug. 21, 2017, in Glendo, Wyo.

John T. Meader

That’s a photograph that is “all easy peasy with a cellphone,” says John Meader, director of Northern Stars Planetarium and Educational Services in Fairfield, Maine. Another choice is to shoot the atmosphere round you as it’s darkened because the eclipse reaches totality. “Maybe a before and during shot of the same scene to capture the changing light levels,” he suggests.

Feeling extra bold? A tripod is a should

If you are decided to take a direct picture of the eclipse, you’ll need a bit extra preparation.

The key to getting picture is “a simple tripod that will hold your cellphone stable so you can take pictures and not wiggle around during the totality,” Walker says.

Even so, hitting the shutter button by hand might trigger undesirable jiggle. To keep away from that, think about a Bluetooth trigger. Or set the digital camera to “timer mode,” giving it just a few seconds to settle earlier than it snaps the image.

Randall Benton, a freelance photographer with a ardour for photo voltaic eclipses, says the opposite choice is to shoot video “just as the sun is going dark.” Although the standard of telephone video is not fairly nearly as good as a nonetheless picture, you may at all times extract a nonetheless from the video later, he says.

For greatest outcomes, use your telephone’s guide settings

If you’ve got by no means fiddled along with your digital camera’s settings, now’s time. You’ll wish to cut back the publicity, not less than through the partial eclipse section, and likewise to set focus to “infinity.” (Here’s entry guide controls for an iPhone or Android.) If you may have a second pair of photo voltaic eclipse glasses, you should utilize them as a filter to cowl the digital camera lens in your telephone, Benton says. It will shield your telephone’s digital camera from possible damage from lengthy publicity to direct daylight and offer you a extra dramatic shot.

“You want to keep those solar glasses as close against the lens as possible, because most of [them] have a mirror surface on both sides,” he explains. If any gentle leaks in from the perimeters, “it can reflect off of the back side of the filter and create glare or funny reflections that can spoil the image.”

If you are within the path of totality, do not forget to take away the filter when the magic second arrives. “Try to zoom in, because you’re not going to hurt your eyes looking at totality. It’s only when the disk of the sun is visible that you really shouldn’t be looking at it directly without filtration,” Meader says.

Of course, you possibly can at all times go away the images to the professionals, dwell within the second and take within the celestial present.

“While it’s great to take your own photos, if this is your first eclipse, really enjoy the experience,” Walker says. “When [you] actually experience totality, your mind has a hard time wrapping around that. … It’s just an amazing experience.”