For shipboard photography, the process is a little trickier. The ship will
be rolling, pitching, and yawing slowly. These motions will tend to keep the
image on the move and allow for less precise centering. When the diamond ring
occurs, there will be little time to do anything else but snap the picture.
Centering of the image will have to occur later at a photo lab when enlargements
are ordered or when the image is copied if slides are the preferred medium.
Exposure Values for Diamond Ring, Chromosphere/Prominences--No Filters
ISO/ASA | Diamond Ring Effect | Chromosphere and Prominences |
f-stop | time (s) | f-stop | time (s) |
50-64 | f/4 | 1/2000 | f/5.6 | 1/2000 |
f/5.6 | 1/1000 | f/8 | 1/1000 |
f/8 | 1/500 | f/11 | 1/500 |
f/11 | 1/250 | f/16 | 1/250 |
f/16 | 1/125 | f/22 | 1/125 |
100-125 | f/5.6 | 1/2000 | f/8 | 1/2000 |
f/8 | 1/1000 | f/11 | 1/1000 |
f/11 | 1/500 | f/16 | 1/500 |
f/16 | 1/250 | f/22 | 1/250 |
f/22 | 1/125 | f/32 | 1/125 |
200-250 | f/8 | 1/2000 | f/11 | 1/2000 |
f/11 | 1/1000 | f/16 | 1/1000 |
f/16 | 1/500 | f/22 | 1/500 |
f/22 | 1/250 | f/32 | 1/250 |
f/32 | 1/125 | . | . |
400-500 | f/11 | 1/2000 | f/16 | 1/2000 |
f/16 | 1/1000 | f/22 | 1/1000 |
f/22 | 1/500 | f/32 | 1/500 |
f/32 | 1/250 | . | . |
On July 11, 1991 Becker photographed the last of the diamond ring and prominences
under hazy-clear sky conditions at 1/500s, F/4.5, using ISO 200 Kodachrome Professional
slide film. He employed a 500mm, F/4.5 lens. These exposures vary greatly (between a
3.5 to 4.5 stops) from those suggested by Allen Seltzer and were probably the result
of the weather conditions, as well as the lower altitude of the sun. Another photo at
1/250s, F/4.5 showed prominences very beautifully
You will next want to turn your attention to the corona. Because of the
great dynamic range of brightness of the corona, several photographs will be
required to record all of its different features. Short exposures will show
the inner most part of the corona, including any prominences which may be
projecting outward from the sun, while longer exposures will reveal the fine
detail of the outer corona. The simplest means of recording the corona is to
go through the entire range of shutter speed selections of your camera beginning
with the recommended setting for the chromosphere and prominences given in the
preceding paragraph. If time permits, several exposures should be made at
each setting to ensure at least one good image. Maximum exposure lengths
should be short, in the one half to one second range; if your objective is
to obtain a crisp images of the eclipse, and you have a long focal length
lens which is not being guided.
Exposure Values for Inner and Outer Corona
No Filters
ISO/ASA | Corona to .5 Solar Radius | Corona to 2 Solar Radii |
f-stop | time (s) | f-stop | time (s) |
50-64 | f/5.6 | 1/30 | f/5.6 | 1 |
f/8 | 1/15 | f/8 | 2 |
f/11 | 1/8 | f/11 | 4 |
f/16 | 1/4 | f/16 | 10 |
f/2 | 1/2 | . | . |
100-125 | f/5.6 | 1/60 | f/5.6 | 1/2 |
f/8 | 1/30 | f/8 | 1 |
f/11 | 1/15 | f/11 | 2 |
f/16 | 1/8 | f/16 | 4 |
f/22 | 1/4 | f/22 | 10 |
200-250 | f/5.6 | 1/125 | f/5.6 | 1/4 |
f/8 | 1/60 | f/8 | 1/2 |
f/11 | 1/30 | f/11 | 1 |
f/16 | 1/15 | f/16 | 2 |
f/22 | 1/8 | f/22 | 4 |
400-500 | f/8 | 1/125 | f/8 | 1/8 |
f/11 | 1/60 | f/11 | 1/4 |
f/16 | 1/30 | f/16 | 1/2 |
f/22 | 1/15 | f/22 | 1 |
f/32 | 1/8 | f/32 | 2 |
Becker's rule here is to start at 1/125s, F/4.5 and increase exposure values
by changing the shutter speed by one stop at a time: 1/60s, 1/30s, 1/15s, 1/8s,
and 1/4s. This was using ISO 200 Kodachrome Professional film. In 1991, using this
technique, coronal detail was captured to about 1.5 solar radii at 1/4s under hazy-clear
sky conditions.
Longer focal length lenses are affected by the Earth's rotation and other
motions of an unstable platform very easily. A good rule of thumb for maximum
exposure duration is to take the focal length of your lens and divide it into
the number 500. It you are using a 135mm lens to capture the eclipse, then
simply divide 135 into 500. You can shoot safely for about 4 seconds before
the Earth's rotation becomes noticeable. However, this is only the case if you
are imaging the eclipse from land. Shipboard photography has less tolerance
with respect to exposure lengths. Under relatively calm sea conditions, about
one second is the limit. This, however, can be compensated for by using
different speed films. Some recommended films for eclipse photography are
listed below.
Suggested Films for Photographing a Total Solar Eclipse
Film Name | Type | ID | ISO | Exposure choices (#) |
Kodachrome 64 Prof. | slide | PKR-36 | 64 | 36 only |
Kodachrome 200 Prof. | slide | PKL-36 | 200 | 36 only |
Kodak Royal Gold | print | RA | 100 | 24 or 36 |
RB | 200 | 24 or 36 |
RC | 400 | 24 or 36 |
Fuji Super G Plus | print | CN | 100 | 12, 24 or 36 |
CA | 200 | 12, 24 or 36 |
CH | 400 | 12, 24 or 36 |
CZ | 800 | 36 only |
Fuji films do not saturate colors as well as Kodak Royal Gold films which
were developed specifically for this trait. This is particularly noticeable
in the reds, which are important in capturing the chromosphere and
prominences. Kodak Royal Gold is also a higher contrast film which may
cause it to lose some detail in the inner corona, but will probably provide
for more vivid outer corona detail. I would personally recommend Kodak
products for photographing this eclipse.
If you are going to photograph from a ship and use a relatively long
focal length lens (above 135mm), it is mandatory that you watch the image
through the viewfinder of your camera at all times. The rocking motions of
even a large stable ship will slowly move your image right-left-up-down,
and during these intervals attempts to photograph the eclipse will result
in disappointment. However, about every five to ten seconds these motions
will cancel each other, and the eclipsed sun will hang motionless for up
to one second. This is when your exposure must be taken. It will certainly
be difficult to remain focused while all of this beauty is happening above
and around you, and hundreds of excited people are cheering, clapping, and
exalting the majesty of the eclipse. However, if you practice your routine
before the eclipse, and keep your project as simple as possible, you will
meet with success.
During the July 11, 1991 total solar eclipse on the Independence, 36 miles
off the coast of Kailua Kona, there were a myriad of problems which had to be
dealt with. Because of its small size and age, the ship was not a very stable
platform, so its yawing, pitching, and rolling were easily witnessed in the
camera viewfinder at 10x. This was coupled with vibrations from the engines
to keep the ship properly oriented, camera shake when the film was advanced,
vibratory motions created by the milling of people on deck, and hazy skies
which increased exposure lengths. Of course, the Earth continued to rotate,
producing yet another motion which had to be compensated for every couple of
minutes. But when totality occurred, it seemed as if time stood still: no
one moved, the ship's engines were cut, and the wind died. For over two minutes
I observed a nearly motionless image, took nearly 20 pictures and got about a
15 second visual peak at the eclipsed sun. During the next minute and a half,
I probably only snapped three or four more images because the exposures were
of a longer duration.
The question may be asked, with all of the additional problems, why observe
from a ship? The answer was obvious to the 35,000 people stranded on the Big
Island of Hawaii under a persistent cloud deck that would not budge. There
has never been an eclipse cruise that has missed seeing totality. And because
of this reason, the problems of shipboard photography become minor against the
backdrop of not witnessing the event at all.
In conjunction with all of the beauty surrounding the eclipsed sun, there
is more that has to be considered. The changing color and brightness of the
sky and landscape can also make for an interesting sequence of photographs.
A normal or wide-angle lens is best for this. Determine the exposure at first
contact and stick to it throughout the eclipse. Take a picture of the landscape
every 10 minutes or so, and you will see the scene darkening as more of the sun
is occulted by the moon. The reddened coloration of objects just before totality
can be very beautiful to capture also. Allow your tripoded camera to meter
normally and follow its suggestions bracketing above and below the suggested
values in whole stop increments. Photography during totality of other people
engaged in viewing the eclipse could prove interesting also. You will certainly
need a tripod, and if you have an automatic camera, you will need some type
of covering for your flash to insure that it does not spontaneously fire and
ruin the serenity of darkness for everyone else. If your camera has a manual
override, use it!
For a successful photographic program, careful planning is essential. Be
sure that you have a full roll of film in your camera or cameras before totality
begins. Make sure you use a 36 exposure roll of film so that running out of
film during totality won't happen It would be an incredible waste of time to
have to reload during totality, and besides, the darkness may pose some
difficulties in seeing what you are doing. If your camera does malfunction
during the eclipse, look up and enjoy. Everyone will be interested in sharing
their photos with you.
Make sure the batteries in your camera are fresh and that you are carrying
spares with you. Know your equipment. If you are using any new or unfamiliar
lenses or cameras, learn how to operate them before the eclipse. It is also a
good idea to test your camera prior to the trip. Rehearse your program. Know
exactly what you are going to do during those precious few minutes of totality.
Practice taking photos on the ship before the eclipse to acclimate yourself to
its motions. In case there is a problem, and you need light, make sure your
flashlight bulb is covered with red cellophane or nail polish or use an LED
lighting device. A cassette tape recorder might be fun to bring along to
chronicle your impressions and those of your friends.
To protect your valuable film against possible X-ray damage from airport
security inspection, use the specially designed lead foil bags available at
most camera shops to store your film, or ask that your film be hand inspected.
I have personally had no problem getting my film hand inspected at Lehigh
Valley International Airport, but in other locations where the compression of
people is greater or security is tighter, I have been refused and made to use
the X-ray machines. The type of film that you will be using probably won't
need any special protection unless its ISO rating is 1000 or greater. However,
every time I see my lead foil bags disappear behind the curtain, I breathe a
small sigh of relief knowing that I have done all that I can to protect the
most personal and valuable souvenirs of my trip.
Finally, if you are planning a photographic project, by all means take some
time to look at the eclipse visually or through binoculars. So much will be
missed if you spend all of your time watching the eclipse through the viewfinder
of your camera. I know; I've made that mistake and many others too!