HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH THE SOLAR ECLIPSE

Take a picture to make the moment last. It won’t happen for another 375 to 400 years.

The total solar eclipse passing through the Niagara Region and near Toronto on Monday is close to a once-in-five-lifetimes event, and for those hoping to grab a photo to commemorate the moment, the stakes are high.

At the centre of the path of totality, which passes through the outskirts of Buffalo, the total eclipse will last close to four minutes. On the fringes — including Brantford, Oakville and Port Hope — it will last for only seconds. Miss the photo and wait four centuries to get another shot.

Here’s how to prepare to make sure you get the perfect photo.

Can I photograph the eclipse with my phone?

While less powerful than dedicated cameras, phone cameras are still capable of getting photos of the eclipse.

But outside of the path of totality you’ll need a filter to get a good picture.

“It’ll look like a big blob of light and you won’t be able to see the partial solar eclipse (without a filter),” said Daliah Bibas, an astronomy and space sciences researcher and programmer at the Ontario Science Centre.

You can place solar eclipse glasses in front of your phone’s lens to get a clearer photo, or purchase a dedicated solar filter. Still, there’s only so much a phone can capture. The phone’s zoom is limited and the camera is likely of lesser quality than that of a dedicated camera.

Do I need solar eclipse glasses to take photos of the eclipse?

With the exception of totality, you should wear solar eclipse glasses for the entirety of the event if you’re planning to look at the sun. Even within totality, it’s only safe to look directly at the eclipse when you can see the 360degree diamond ring around the sun, Bibas said.

Otherwise, you risk permanently damaging your eyesight.

If you don’t have solar eclipse glasses, you can still take a photo with your phone, provided you don’t look at the eclipse, according to Bibas

But if you’re taking a photo with a dedicated camera, you need eye protection, because the camera won’t block the sun’s light.

“If you’re not going to play it safe, don’t bother going out and looking at it,” said Nick Freeman, an amateur photographer in Oshawa who shot a total solar eclipse in the U.K. in 1999. “You wouldn’t see the photo, cause you’d be blinded.”

Will photographing the eclipse damage my camera?

If you’re using a dedicated camera, you can damage your gear in a matter of seconds if you don’t use a solar filter on the outside of the lens. You can purchase these online or make your own.

With a phone, though, the risk of damaging the camera is far lower. It’s still important to not point the camera at the sun for too long.

“If you leave your camera facing the sun or the solar eclipse for an extended period of time, it can damage the lens, coatings and some of the internal elements,” Bibas said. “Be quick about it. Capture it and put it down.”

What settings should I use to get the best photo?

On a phone, if you’re using a filter or glasses in front of the lens, you’ll be able to get a photo without tweaking your settings or flipping to manual mode, according to Bibas, who used her iPhone to grab pictures of a partial solar eclipse in October.

Without a filter, you can try to balance the photo by adjusting the lighting and exposure settings.

“My best advice is to use the filter,” Bibas said. “That’ll give you the best picture.”

With a camera, since you’ll be shooting with nightlike levels of light, Freeman recommends using a tripod and remotely controlling the shutter so the camera doesn’t move. He also recommends practising shooting the sun ahead of time.

How will I know when the eclipse will happen?

The eclipse will start, end and reach its maximum point at a different time depending where you view it from. In Toronto, the partial eclipse will peak seconds before 3:20 p.m., when the moon will cover 99.93 per cent of the sun.

To ensure you can see the sun to take a picture, Bibas recommends finding an open space — a backyard, park, or top of a building — to view the eclipse from. To see when the eclipse will pass where you live, visit the Star’s interactive map at rb.gy/0xssdq.

Don’t forget to enjoy the moment

A total solar eclipse happens about once every 18 months, but it only occurs in the same spot once every 375 to 400 years.

It’s an experience you won’t soon forget, Freeman said.

“You can be outside, it can be warm, sun is shining … and then suddenly the sun will literally go out and within 10 to 15 seconds the air temperature goes down,” Freeman said.

“The birds will stop singing, some of the animals that come out at night will actually appear, even if it’s not fully dark.”

Eclipses will continue happening for 600 million years, Bibas said. But the opportunity to see one within one lifetime is rare.

“Capturing those special moments via images and with cameras really puts that into perspective,” Bibas said. “It’s a beautiful opportunity and it really makes you think about your place in the cosmos.”