How to take pictures of the solar eclipse on April 8

Experts say there are a few things to keep in mind to keep your camera and eyes safe when viewing the rare celestial event on April 8.

According to the Kitchener-Waterloo Chapter of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, the April 8 total solar eclipse will be the first in this area since 1925 – and there won’t be one again until 2144.

It will be a picture-perfect moment – if done correctly.

“If you’re trying to zoom directly into the sun it’s going to be washed out on an iPhone,” said photographer Thom Taylor.

Looking at a digitized view of the eclipse through your smartphone won’t hurt your eyes but it could seriously damage the device, according to Taylor.

“Magnifying the sun through that lens is going to burn a little hole in the sensor and then you’ll have a sun spot that never goes away,” he said.

For those using a digital single-lens camera, Taylor suggests purchasing a neutral density filter to help reduce the amount of light coming through the lens.

“During that total eclipse you can remove the filter. Any camera, any phone would then be able to use and see the eclipse, but only during that like four minutes of totality,” Taylor said.

The gear Taylor will be using to capture the eclipse costs around $700 to buy.

If you’re not looking to break the bank, he suggests ditching your camera all together and wearing the proper eyewear to keep yourself safe.

“Live in the moment. Be with the people that are there, see the eclipse for yourself, get some eclipse glasses so you can actually watch it. You want to have those memories of the eclipse and experiencing it with the people that are around you,” he said.

Another tip: use your protective lenses over your camera.

“You can just take another set of the same lenses that you’re using to look at the sun and just put it in front of your camera lens and that’ll filter it for your camera,” said Bill Archer, from the Canadian Space Agency.