A solar eclipse is such a rare occurrence so taking a picture of the event is definitely worth it. And to do it like a pro, equip yourself with our five tips to take pictures of the solar eclipse with your phone’s camera

1- Protect yourself …

A rare occurrence is about to happens, and you need to be careful instead of being excited. That doesn’t sound so good right? But this is a serious matter! Even with blocked by the moon, there is still the bright white border which is actually part of the sun. So looking at a total eclipse still going to get plenty of sunlight into your eyes.

Therefore, a solar filter is a must-have for any activity that will have you look at the general direction of the sun not just taking a solar eclipse picture. Not every pair of sunglasses can substitute a solar filter though. If you are still going to use sunglasses for convenience sake, make sure that they comply with the required ISO 12312-2 certification.

2- And your phone’s camera.

Seriously, get a piece of solar filter for your phone as well. Technically, you can always point your phone’s camera at the sun and take a picture. It won’t set your lens on fire and blow up your device. But the result is not going to be to your liking. An intense bright light source like the sun blur out your picture. So use a solar filter to protect the quality of your image.

3- Use a tripod and put your phone on airplane mode.

Once happens, a solar eclipse isn’t going to stay there long enough for you to take your time. You only have two and half a minute to immortalize the moment. So get your tripod prep and angled at the sun before hand. And you don’t want someone to call you right in the middle either. So put it on airplane mode for that two and a half minute.

4- Use a manual camera app.

This one is a must for anyone who’d prefer a professional photo. Surely the built-in camera app can also take a solar eclipse picture. But it comes to things like exposure, particular focus, contrast, etc. most built-in apps aren’t very versatile. So if you want to shoot a professional picture of a solar eclipse, in all its glory, then download a manual camera app and start practicing.

5- Shoot a time-lapse video instead!

So you set out to capture a historic moment only to find that the best way to do it is the video the whole thing. It seems to take the fun out of the experience, but it does not. The sun and the moon are always moving. Try to capture individual photos, and you can potentially end up without a single usable footage! A video can get “totality” moment with ease. And then you can always pick out the right frame out of the video later on even after the eclipse.

Five tips to take solar eclipse pictures

Now you are ready to take on an eclipse with your smartphone. Do share any pic you have a chance to capture and follow us for more smartphone tips and tricks.