2. BEFORE I START…
• The best advice is to not try to take pictures for your 1st eclipse
• It is too easy to miss the entire event
• If you must, fully automate the process
• Eclipse Orchestrator
• Free to control 1 camera
3. WHAT EQUIPMENT DO YOU NEED?
• Mount that can track the sun
• No computer interface
• Just a motor to track in right ascension
• Canon or Nikon DSLR camera
• No fancy Astro imaging camera
• Windows computer
• To run Eclipse Orchestrator
• Optional equipment
• USB GPS receiver
4. WHAT KNOWLEDGE DO YOU NEED?
• Your exact location
• Latitude
• Longitude
• Altitude
• To within 50’
• GPS will provide this
• The correct time
• Accurate to a fraction of a second
• Windows will do this
• Camera details
• Lens focal length
• Lens diameter
• Delay between shots
• SD card save time
5. WHAT CAN IT DO?
• Capture the diamond ring
• At start
• At end
• Capture Baily's beads
• At start
• At end
• Take multiple sets of various exposures during totality
• All fully automated while you enjoy the spectical
6. WHY TAKE DIFFERENT EXPOSURE
LENGTHS?
• High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography
• Take fast shots to capture the bright details
• Take longer shots to capture the faint details
• Last Eclipse I used 0.1 Sec to 8 Sec
• Lots of “regular” photo software will combine them in a HDR manner
• No special Astro imaging software skills required
• Why take multiple sets?
• Stuff happens
• You can stack
7. TAKING PHOTOS BEFORE TOTALITY
• You need a strong neutral density filter
• https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0068V23KA $65.90
• MARUMI ND Filter 58mm DHG ND10000 58mm for Solar Eclipse Photography
• No special software required
• Eclipse Orchestrator is for totality
8. BEFORE/AFTER AND DURING
TOTALITY
• Before/After totality
• Use a zoom lens with the ND filter
• Get “up close”
• Set your focus point ahead of time using the moon and no filter
• During totality
• Use a wider field lens with no filter
• You want to get the chromosphere and solar winds
• Set your focus point ahead of time using the moon
9. SCRIPT!!! DON’T PANIC
• Yes, Eclipse Orchestrator needs a script
• But it is easy
• Uses a CSV so you can edit it is Excel or Open Office or Notepad
• There is a wizard to help!
10. PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE
• EO allows you to simulate the eclipse at any time.
• Test your setup!
• Plan to know how to get your lens(es) focused at infinity
• Use the moon!
