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Solar eclipse 2015: Top tips to get the best photo
Capture this special moment in history. Spring is just around the corner and, with it, this year is a rare celestial event - a solar eclipse. 
The total eclipse will only be seen in the Faroe Islands and Svalbard, where people will be plunged into absolute darkness.
But back here in the UK and Merseyside we will be able to see a partial eclipse (providing it doesn’t cloud over!).
“It is a rare sight and people will look to the skies to catch a glimpse,” says ECHO chief photographer Colin Lane.
“I’ve only photographed the occasion once in my lifetime and that was a bright hazy day in 1999 and, sadly, I couldn’t see the eclipse that day! Sadly we suffer from far too many cloudy skies.”
Always take care. The public gathered at Everton Brow, Liverpool, in 1999, to view the solar eclipse (Photo by Colin Lane)
But with the right conditions it is possible to catch this special sight on camera BUT BE WARNED YOU MUST NOT LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN!
* When and where to watch it
If you are in the UK the moon will appear to start obscuring the sun at 8.25am, and is set to cover it between 85-95% by about 9.31am, with ‘normal service’ resumed by about 10.40am.
To view it and if you are considering taking a photograph, you will need to be outdoors and, where possible, get away from tall buildings. Open lands like a beach or a park would be a good idea.
* What camera to use
To get a decent photograph you need to have a DSLR camera and a telephoto lend on a tripod for stability.
Says Colin: “Photographing the eclipse you really need the longest lens possible ie. 300mm/ 600mm with a converter/
“Ideally, use the camera and lens on a tripod and pre-focus your lens to infinity so you don’t view the sun through your viewfinder.
“Stop down your lens aperture and invest in a Neutral Density filter to cut down the intense light and bracket your images (ie. take several images at different exposures to get the shot).
* Be careful and be safe
Never look directly at the sun, through the view finder or via the naked eye. You CAN buy special solar eclipse viewing glasses which are recommended.
In 1999 people gathered in Liverpool to catch a glimpse of the eclipse with their pin hole projections
Although Colin suggests: “The safest way to view the Eclipse and have a bit of fun is the Pin-Hole camera/projection which involves two pieces of card or paper. Make a small hole in one then hold it above the other card and align them so the sun image projects through the hole and view the eclipse that way.”
Or you can use a kitchen colander or slotted spoon to project dozens of tiny crescent suns onto the floor.
* And be wary.
Photographing a partial eclipse is, however, difficult and dangerous - just pointing your camera or smartphone at the sun may damage the sensor - but given the right conditions you may be able to get a souvenir snap.
Disable the flash and keep fingers crossed for light cloud. If you can see the eclipsed sun through thin cloud, then you should be okay.
But better and safer, and more arty, is to take a photo of a reflection of it in water, if there is a puddle nearby or you are standing in a park near a lake.
It is worth the effort to try to capture the moment and remember, smiles Colin: “If it does cloud over, you will only have to wait 11 years to the next one!”
Story and Photo Source: Liverpool Echo
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