Photographing the eclipse!

Rickysa · 08-15-2017, 10:07 AM

I know there are some photography buffs here, so I'd like to get your opinion(s).

I know the general idea is to shoot manual, setting your ISO (200), and aperture (f/8) and then bracket, bracket, bracket.

I'll be shooting through a telescope, so my apertures is set (f/15)...during the totality, how are you folks going to bracket (HDR settings?)

I'll be using a Nikon D7100.

LEAKYSEALS951 · 01:29 PM

is the Nikon limitted to 3 exposure bracket points?
My canon is, but I swear there was a camera out there that had 5. maybe Im smoking something

I would go at least one stop, perhaps 2 depending on how things look, using the buildup to the eclipse as a trail run for the full blot out. I would be shooting, adjusting, shooting- so when the full eclipse hit, I would be ready. At that point, I would have as little of exposure time as possible to minimize sun/moon movement, so I could get as many pics as possible, AND possibly change exposure bracketting on the spot to get as wide range as possible... ie- 1 stop click click click, then 2 click click click

My canon has an optional HDR feature built into it. I would NOT use that feature during shooting, I would just get as many bracketted exposures as possible. The HDR feature takes time to process the image- that can be done later in PS.

As for HDR, I wouldn't even use HDR in PS, I would layer the different exposures and mask each and manually combine the images into a composite in PS at a later date to avoid all that HDR artifact.

Eric Coffey · 08-15-2017, 11:02 AM

I probably wouldn't bother with in-camera HDR settings/shots. If you are tying to get good "totality" shots, you will have a relatively small window of time. So, I'd set it up to auto bracket at least 2 stops in both directions at 1/2 or 1/4 stop increments. Then change ISO and repeat. I'd also bracket at higher ISOs (800/1600+), as 200 is probably going to be way too low for a clean/crisp shot @ f15. A tiny increase in noise (grain) is better than unintentional blur.
Even if you are using a tripod and remote shutter or timer, you can still get blur from camera shake, wind, etc. and it gets worse as focal length increases. Good luck!

flipper35 · flipper35's Garage

On our Canon we use a delay or remote shutter release and flip the mirror up and use the display screen so it doesn't shake the camera on low light shots.

Rickysa · 08-15-2017, 11:14 AM

That right there is some great info...I was planning on reviewing the HDR set up in the manual when I got home, now...no need.

I seems that I can do a 5ev change per burst. Here is a series of 1/1000 to 1 sec:

How to Photograph a Solar Eclipse

Rickysa · 08-15-2017, 11:17 AM

Quote:

On our Canon we use a delay or remote shutter release and flip the mirror up and use the display screen so it doesn't shake the camera on low light shots.

Same on my Nikon.

Since my aperture is set, I may just fire a burst and then change the shutter speed for the next...maybe check the images as I go along to see if any ISO change is needed.

and to be sure to remember to take time and just watch the event...not through the viewfinder (live view)

Pazuzu · 08-15-2017, 11:39 AM

Your life will be easy!
My last eclipse (20 years ago...) I used a 400mm f/5 telescope with a 2x barlow and a Nikon F (yes, just F...circa 1968 model...). Kodachrome 800 B&W film, had to lift the mirror, manually bang through the exposures and fire the shutter as quick as possible, since I was not tracking the sun.
Did all of my own darkroom work 2 weeks later, found the sun image creeping across the 35mm negatives with each exposure, until the last one if was actually projected partially on the cog holes

I also had to carry everything in a backpack, since we were in Aruba without a car. Took the Caribbean bus (which ran on Caribbean Standard Time...), went through a rain squall that was being pushed ahead of the eclipse front, and ended up walking 4 or 5 blocks through the streets to find a good location.

Still TOTALLY worth it!

I put together 4 exposures on one piece of photo paper, you can see the cropped corner on the last one, there were cog holes there. The stains are from when the box this was in got wet at some point

I have this up in my office.

Rickysa · 08-15-2017, 11:45 AM

Those pics are awesome!!

LEAKYSEALS951 · 01:16 PM

Thanks for the thread, you helped me remember something. I was typing between patients at work and am now at home with my camera. I forgot- but my camera has a 7 point autobracket spread which adjust exposure times. It would be interesting to see if it had an ISO adjustment option instead of the Tv.

***I just toy around with this stuff, so others may have much more experience, but if I was serious about getting a good shot (and I'm not- I'm not going to be under it), I would consider getting out the equipment here in the next couple of days and doing some night moon photography/ sunrise/ sunset. etc just to get used to the settings and how the telescope lense handles/tracking. I was at the beach last week trying to get some night time shots of a distance storm over the ocean, and I noticed I had gotten a little rusty. By the time I had the settings dialed- the best of the distant lightning was gone. FWIW- I'd also probably shoot in RAW, or RAW+JPEG. I usually shoot jpeg because RAW is kind of a PIA, but it does seem to be a little more controllable in post editing in my amateur hands.

***obviously going through these geeky motions would ensure clouds on the day of the eclipse.

Have fun!

Rickysa · 08-15-2017, 01:31 PM

Quote:

***obviously going through these geeky motions would ensure clouds on the day of the eclipse.

BOOOOOOOHISSSSSSSSS! JINX!!

Go kill a chicken and sprinkle its blood around some crystals!

Eric Coffey · 08-15-2017, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rickysa

That right there is some great info...I was planning on reviewing the HDR set up in the manual when I got home, now...no need.

Yep, with several bracketed shots, you can always create HDRs in post (Photoshop) if you wish, and you'll have better control over the final results than the in-camera HDR.

Also, to clarify: The above bracket range was assuming you are going to be shooting in RAW format. If you are shooting jpegs, I'd increase that bracket range to at least +/- 3 stops.
With RAW you can also create "HDR-ish" pics from one single file in post, as they contain much more tonal info than compressed jpegs.
That is good when you have fast-moving subjects, where bracketed shots wouldn't work for an HDR.

LEAKYSEALS951 · 08-15-2017, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rickysa

BOOOOOOOHISSSSSSSSS! JINX!!

Go kill a chicken and sprinkle its blood around some crystals!

While driving home, I pondered which lens would best capture not just the eclipse, but the eclipse in the background of any Wiccan/Pagan temples that happen to be nearby (things look better in context)

Rickysa · 08-15-2017, 02:53 PM

Quote:

The above bracket range was assuming you are going to be shooting in RAW format

Yep, I've taken a number of Nikon courses over the last few years (last man to go digital, kicking and screaming) and RAW (I think JEF is the Nikon proprietary term) is how I'm set up.

In reading through the manual and "nikon for dummies", I've found that I need to use the auto-exposure functions for bracketing. I had hoped I could set it to manual and vary the shutter speeds...don't think that is posssible, but will do more research.

LEAKYSEALS951 · 06:12 AM

Fun with lenses!
In anticipation of the eclipse, I googled about pointing the camera at the sun - could it result in sensor damage?
What I learned is that you need to be careful, and probably not to use the live view while trying to set up tripod shots, as the sensor would be exposed for long periods of time.

As for my purely unscientific video. Enjoy (I havent had this much fun since being a kid in boy scouts).