We may earn a commission from links on this page.
If you want to take pictures of a solar eclipse with your iPhone, your big shot is coming up on April 8. You’ll be able to catch a total eclipse in the eastern part of America, and a partial eclipse over all of the 48 contiguous United States. But keep in mind: An eclipse is among the most challenging things to photograph, you don’t get many chances, and even the best iPhone photo of one is not going to rival a pro photographer’s effort. Still, an amateur with a iPhone can take pretty good snaps of the eclipse with the right preparation.
A solar eclipse will not damage your iPhone (but can damage your eyes)
I’m sure you already know that looking directly at a solar eclipse can damage your eyesight permanently, and maybe you’ve heard that the intense light can damage camera sensors too. That’s true for some cameras, but your iPhone should be fine, or so Apple says.
That said, if you’re trying to take a nice picture of the sun being swallowed by the moon’s shadow, pulling out an iPhone with a naked lens is not your best option. For best results, you have to prepare a bit, and maybe get some gear.
Get a pair of eclipse-viewing glasses for yourself and your iPhone
Not having one won’t damage your phone, but a solar filter will result in better images of an eclipse. You don’t need to buy expensive equipment: Disposable glasses that provide protection for your eyes during a solar eclipse work on your phone’s lens too, and they are inexpensive enough that buying an extra pair (so you can tape the filter to your lens) is a trivial cost. This will eliminate the glare that can ruin any picture of the sun.
If you want to get a little more serious, you can purchase lens filters designed for smartphones, like these Solar Eclipse Imaging Enhancing Lens Filters, just make sure any viewing equipment you use is from a reputable manufacturer approved by the American Astronomical Society.
Get a tripod
Credit: MPIX.TURE/Shutterstock
The steadiness of a tripod is especially important if you are taking video of the celestial event, but even if you’re going for stills, a tripod will help prevent the blurriness of a handheld shot. Eclipses don’t happen every day, so you don’t want to muck it up by going handheld.
To get a perfect shot, plan and practice beforehand
Credit: Nuk2013/Shutterstock
A total solar eclipse is a rare, maybe once-in-a-lifetime event, but that doesn’t mean you can’t plan for it and practice before it happens.
The un-eclipsed sun is the same brightness as the edges of the sun that will appear during an eclipse, so you can use that to play around with your filter and the exposure and focus settings on your phone to your heart’s content. Don’t rely on your iPhone’s automatic settings. You want to go full manual here, and keep in mind that the light will be changing gradually from full sunlight to full dark, so be ready to ride the exposure controls.
You can also figure out exactly where the sun will be in the sky at what time during the eclipse on NASA’s website, so you can plan out composition for your photos.
Snap your eclipse pictures with your Apple Watch
You have your filter on your lens, and your phone on the tripod, and you know exactly when you’re going to take that perfect shot. Put the cherry on top of the experience by using your watch’s camera control to take the picture, or try out your iPhone’s timer setting. That way you can experience the eclipse with your (shielded) eyes, instead of looking at it through your phone—plus, you won’t accidentally shake your iPhone by hitting the on-screen shutter button.
Avoid using counterfeit or damaged solar eclipse glasses
You can’t use regular sunglasses to view an eclipse safely. Eclipse viewing glasses are are thousands of times darker than most shades. You should only use glasses that are specifically designed for solar eclipse viewing.
There are countless solar eclipse viewing glasses for sale on Amazon and elsewhere, but it’s hard to say whether all of them are safe—there is some reason for concern. To be on the safe side, stick with products from manufacturers on the American Astronomical Society’s list of approved Suppliers of Safe Solar Viewers & Filters. Pro-tip: If there’s a Warby Parker store near you, they’ll give you free, astronomer-approved solar eclipse glasses between now and April 8.
If you have an old pair of eclipse viewing glasses sitting around from the last eclipse in 2017, make sure they’re fully intact. If they’re scratched, torn, or damaged in any way, just throw ’em out; don’t take any chances when you’re trying to look at an object so bright it will burn your retinas.
Take pictures of more than just the eclipse
Credit: Meister Photos/Shutterstock
The eclipse is the main event, but photographing everything around the eclipse might result in more interesting shots. Some ideas: Take photos that highlight the changing nature of the light as the big moment approaches. Take pictures of the people you’re watching the eclipse with. Take a selfie with the eclipse in the background. Take some shots of the wonder on your child’s face in the strange twilight as they watch the sun disappear. Pose your pals looking like the cast of Reservoir Dogs with paper eclipse glasses. Get creative with it.
A step-by-step guide to taking pictures of a solar eclipse with your iPhone
To sum up, here’s a step-by-step breakdown for photographing a solar eclipse with an iPhone.
-
Figure out where you’re going to be when the eclipse happens. NASA has a website dedicated to pinpointing exact eclipse locations and times across the country.
-
Purchase or otherwise acquire the gear you need. Viewing glasses are a must, as is some kind of filter for your iPhone. A tripod is highly recommended as is some kind of remote trigger. An Apple Watch is perfect.
-
Make sure that any glasses are damage and scratch free.
-
Figure out beforehand how to use you Apple Watch or other remote trigger to snap iPhone pics.
-
Go to your chosen eclipse viewing spot on a day before the eclipse, with any gear that you’re bringing—tripod, viewing glasses, filters, etc.—and do a “dry run.” You can use NASA’s site to check exactly where the sun will be in the sky at each moment during the eclipse, so you can work out the composition of your shot. Make sure you’re comfortable with your phone’s settings and filters, and that you know how to set up your tripod.
-
Think creatively about the shots you want to get. The actual eclipse may be the “main event,” but photographing everything around the event might result in more compelling images. Don’t miss out on pictures that focus on the light changing during the eclipse—lengthening shadows on nearby trees, etc.—and definitely don’t forget to take pictures of the people watching the eclipse. Photos of people are almost always more interesting than photos of objects and events, even if the event is as immense as an eclipse.
