Solar eclipse Sunday May 20 photography

[bananas]

In case anyone wants to try photographing it,
be careful not to damage your camera or your eyes.
You can also use it for unusual lighting effects.
The National Parks are going to have an event for this,
probably local parks and astronomy clubs too.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/12286509
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEhelp/eclipsePhoto.html

[DisgustipatedinCA]

1. I'm looking forward to it

In Northern CA, the fullest point of the annular eclipse will occur when the sun is just 20 degrees above the horizon, just north of due west. Please, no one risk your camera sensor on my account, but I'm going to use a really dark neutral density filter and I think this will be ok at partial and full (annular) eclipse conditions, since the sun will be so low in the sky. By the time the sun and moon separate again, the sun will be only 7 degrees above the horizon. I think shooting this scene, especially if you're shooting wide, probably won't hurt cameras, so long as you're putting the cap back on the lens after each shot or otherwise giving your sensor a break now and then.

Here are the shots I'm hoping to get:

-eclipsed sun/moon silhouette at full zoom, no background, just black space. This is a pretty dull shot, but I think you have to take it if you have the reach...it may be the best "documentary" shot of the actual eclipse.

-Eclipse reflection on the water. I don't have the exact shooting location nailed yet, so I might not even be near water, but I would think this could offer some interesting landscape photography.

-Tonemapped (HDR) wide angle landscapes incorporating the eclipsed sun.

-Big zoom (400mm or more) that somehow incorporates ground elements with a zoomed sun/moon. This may not work out. It will take the right combination of looking uphill at the setting sun, with interesting foreground elements, but not too far uphill--can't have the sun hidden behind a mountain.

If you manage to find a spot with long, long views to the west, looking down a little, I've been looking at photos of eclipse cone shadows that would be really nice to shoot, if the opportunity presents itself.

[ManiacJoe]

2. A "really dark ND filter" is probably not going to get the job done.

You really need one of those solar filters.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

3. We'll see. I'll post shots here and let you know how the ND400 does

I think the angle of the sun will be low enough that I'll be ok, but since I've never shot an eclipse, I don't want to make big claims.

[ManiacJoe]

4. A quick search says the ND400 is a 9 stop filter.

Be really careful with your eyes. 9 stops is probably not enough when pointed at the sun since focus and viewing are done with the lens wide open.