Eclipse photography

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Eclipse photography camera gear using ISO 12312-2 solar filter, April 8, 2024 2024-04-08-Eclipse-photography 03.jpg
Eclipse photography camera gear using ISO 12312-2 solar filter, April 8, 2024
Photo of April 8, 2024 solar eclipse taken from Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge, Texas with a Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III, at 400 mm M130754 processed-enhance-2x.jpg
Photo of April 8, 2024 solar eclipse taken from Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge, Texas with a Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III, at 400 mm
Photo being taken through a telescope with filter, April 8, 2024 2024 Total Solar Eclipse (NHQ202404080207).jpg
Photo being taken through a telescope with filter, April 8, 2024

Eclipse photography involves the photographic capturing of solar eclipses and lunar eclipses. This niche field combines elements of astronomy, astrophotography, and sometimes travel photography, as photographers often venture to specific locations to capture these celestial events. Because of the intensity of the sun and the quickly changing conditions, eclipse photography necessitates the use of extremely strong solar filters, usually adhering to the ISO 12312-2 standard.

Contents

History

Eclipse photography has a rich history dating back to the 19th century, with advancements in photographic technology and astronomical knowledge significantly impacting its development. The first known photograph of a solar eclipse was taken on July 28, 1851, by Johann Julius Friedrich Berkowski, using the daguerreotype process. [1] [2]

Techniques

Photographers utilize various techniques to capture the different phases of an eclipse, often employing special equipment such as solar filters to protect the camera sensor and the photographer's eyes from the intense sunlight. Long focal lengths and tripods are also commonly used to stabilize the image and capture detailed shots of the celestial event. [3]

Challenges

Eclipse photography presents unique challenges, including the need for precise timing, specialized equipment, and often travel to remote locations. Weather conditions can also significantly impact the ability to capture these events.

Notable photographers

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Photography</span> Art and practice of creating images by recording light

Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is employed in many fields of science, manufacturing, and business, as well as its more direct uses for art, film and video production, recreational purposes, hobby, and mass communication.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Astrophotography</span> Imaging of astronomical objects

Astrophotography, also known as astronomical imaging, is the photography or imaging of astronomical objects, celestial events, or areas of the night sky. The first photograph of an astronomical object was taken in 1840, but it was not until the late 19th century that advances in technology allowed for detailed stellar photography. Besides being able to record the details of extended objects such as the Moon, Sun, and planets, modern astrophotography has the ability to image objects outside of the visible spectrum of the human eye such as dim stars, nebulae, and galaxies. This is accomplished through long time exposure as both film and digital cameras can accumulate and sum photons over long periods of time or using specialized optical filters which limit the photons to a certain wavelength.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Underwater photography</span> Genre of photography

Underwater photography is the process of taking photographs while under water. It is usually done while scuba diving, but can be done while diving on surface supply, snorkeling, swimming, from a submersible or remotely operated underwater vehicle, or from automated cameras lowered from the surface.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darkroom</span> Room which can be made fully dark to allow for development of photographs and film

A darkroom is used to process photographic film, make prints and carry out other associated tasks. It is a room that can be made completely dark to allow the processing of light-sensitive photographic materials, including film and photographic paper. Various equipment is used in the darkroom, including an enlarger, baths containing chemicals, and running water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Photographic filter</span> Camera accessory consisting of an optical filter

In photography and cinematography, a filter is a camera accessory consisting of an optical filter that can be inserted into the optical path. The filter can be of a square or oblong shape and mounted in a holder accessory, or, more commonly, a glass or plastic disk in a metal or plastic ring frame, which can be screwed into the front of or clipped onto the camera lens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar eclipse of March 29, 2006</span> Total eclipse

A total solar eclipse occurred on March 29, 2006. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide. It was visible from a narrow corridor which traversed half the Earth. The magnitude, that is, the ratio between the apparent sizes of the Moon and that of the Sun, was 1.052, and it was part of Saros 139.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of photography</span>

The history of photography began with the discovery of two critical principles: The first is camera obscura image projection, the second is the discovery that some substances are visibly altered by exposure to light. There are no artifacts or descriptions that indicate any attempt to capture images with light sensitive materials prior to the 18th century.

Photographic magnitude is a measure of the relative brightness of a star or other astronomical object as imaged on a photographic film emulsion with a camera attached to a telescope. An object's apparent photographic magnitude depends on its intrinsic luminosity, its distance and any extinction of light by interstellar matter existing along the line of sight to the observer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wedding photography</span> Photographer aimed at wedding ceremony

Wedding photography is a specialty in photography that is primarily focused on the photography of events and activities relating to weddings. It may include other types of portrait photography of the couple before the official wedding day, such as a pre-wedding engagement session, in which the photographs are later used for the couple's wedding invitations. On the wedding day, the photographer(s) will provide portrait photography as well as documentary photography to document the different wedding events and rituals throughout the day(s).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Digital photography</span> Photography with a digital camera

Digital photography uses cameras containing arrays of electronic photodetectors interfaced to an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) to produce images focused by a lens, as opposed to an exposure on photographic film. The digitized image is stored as a computer file ready for further digital processing, viewing, electronic publishing, or digital printing. It is a form of digital imaging based on gathering visible light.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar eclipse of August 11, 1999</span> Total eclipse

A total solar eclipse occurred on 11 August 1999 with an eclipse magnitude of 1.0286. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between earth and the sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the sun for a viewer on earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon's apparent diameter is larger than the sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide. The path of the moon's shadow began in the Atlantic Ocean and, before noon, was traversing the southern United Kingdom, northern France, Belgium, Luxembourg, southern Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, and northern FR Yugoslavia (Vojvodina). The eclipse's maximum was at 11:03 UTC at 45.1°N 24.3°E in Romania ; and it continued across Bulgaria, the Black Sea, Turkey, the northeastern tip of Syria, northern Iraq, Iran, southern Pakistan and Srikakulam in India and ended in the Bay of Bengal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar eclipse</span> Natural phenomenon wherein the Sun is obscured by the Moon

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby obscuring the view of the Sun from a small part of Earth, totally or partially. Such an alignment occurs approximately every six months, during the eclipse season in its new moon phase, when the Moon's orbital plane is closest to the plane of Earth's orbit. In a total eclipse, the disk of the Sun is fully obscured by the Moon. In partial and annular eclipses, only part of the Sun is obscured. Unlike a lunar eclipse, which may be viewed from anywhere on the night side of Earth, a solar eclipse can only be viewed from a relatively small area of the world. As such, although total solar eclipses occur somewhere on Earth every 18 months on average, they recur at any given place only once every 360 to 410 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Night photography</span>

Night photography refers to the activity of capturing images outdoors at night, between dusk and dawn. Night photographers generally have a choice between using artificial lighting and using a long exposure, exposing the shot for seconds, minutes, or even hours in order to give photosensitive film or an image sensor enough time to capture a desirable image. With the progress of high-speed films, higher-sensitivity digital sensors, wide-aperture lenses, and the ever-greater power of urban lights, night photography is increasingly possible using available light.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nature photography</span> Photography genre

Nature photography is a wide range of photography taken outdoors and devoted to displaying natural elements such as landscapes, wildlife, plants, and close-ups of natural scenes and textures. Nature photography tends to put a stronger emphasis on the aesthetic value of the photo than other photography genres, such as photojournalism and documentary photography.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long-exposure photography</span> Photography using a long-duration shutter speed

Long-exposure, time-exposure, or slow-shutter photography involves using a long-duration shutter speed to sharply capture the stationary elements of images while blurring, smearing, or obscuring the moving elements. Long-exposure photography captures one element that conventional photography does not: an extended period of time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monochrome photography</span> Photography in which every point in the image has the same hue but different intensity

Monochrome photography is photography where each position on an image can record and show a different amount of light, but not a different hue. It includes all forms of black-and-white photography, which produce images containing shades of neutral grey ranging from black to white. Other hues besides grey, such as sepia, cyan, blue, or brown can also be used in monochrome photography. In the contemporary world, monochrome photography is mostly used for artistic purposes and certain technical imaging applications, rather than for visually accurate reproduction of scenes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar eclipse of July 28, 1851</span> First solar eclipse to be accurately photographed

The earliest scientifically useful photograph of a total solar eclipse was made by Julius Berkowski at the Royal Observatory in Königsberg, Prussia, on July 28, 1851. This was the first occasion that an accurate photographic image of a solar eclipse was recorded.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eclipse chasing</span> Pursuit of eclipses for study and enjoyment

Eclipse chasing is the pursuit of observing solar eclipses when they occur around the Earth. Solar eclipses must occur at least twice and as often as five times a year across the Earth. Total eclipses may occur multiple times every few years.

The United States Postal Service issued the Total Eclipse of the Sun Forever stamp on June 20, 2017. The stamp includes two superimposed images, one showing a total solar eclipse and the second showing a full moon that is revealed upon heat being applied. This stamp commemorates the solar eclipse of August 21, 2017, which was visible across the continental United States from coast to coast, weather permitting.

Johann Julius Friedrich Berkowski was a Prussian photographer notable for taking the first known photograph of a solar eclipse and the solar corona. The pioneering image was captured during the total solar eclipse on July 28, 1851, at the Royal Observatory in Königsberg, Prussia.

References

  1. Weitering, Hanneke (2017-07-28). "1st Photo of a Total Solar Eclipse Was Taken 166 Years Ago Today". Space.com. Retrieved 2024-04-08.
  2. Farber, Madeline (2017-08-11). "This Is the First-Ever Photo of a Total Solar Eclipse". TIME. Retrieved 2024-04-09.
  3. Browne, Mathew (2022-04-28). "How to photograph the total solar eclipse today, April 8 2024". Space.com. Retrieved 2024-04-08.
  4. Cade, D.L. (October 22, 2013). "Striking 13-Photo Composite Captures Two Galaxies and a Comet in the Same Image".