Monday’s solar eclipse is fast approaching and the millions of people in the path of totality are gearing up to capture it. 

Georgetown area residents Greg Coman and Jody van der Kwaak are among that group, but they have an advantage over most – they are professional photographers. 

The pair plans to make their way to the Hamilton area to capture the event, bringing their decades of photography experience with them. They have many words of advice for local residents who will be doing the same. 

Safety first!

Our parents emphasized the importance of not looking directly at the sun when growing up. The advice may seem obvious, but many still forget it whenever an eclipse is in town. Paradoxically, amateur astronomers are more likely to damage their eyes during an eclipse.

“We tend to look at it for longer periods of time when there is an eclipse,” Coman said. “It’s the same sun we have been looking at all of our lives.”

The Halton Hills Public Library will be handing out solar glasses on Saturday (April 6). Failing that, Amazon and some brick-and-mortar shops have them for purchase also. Canadian Tire Georgetown carries them (call ahead as supplies go fast).  

But bodily safety is not the only thing star-gazers should be aware of. The sun’s intense light can burn out camera sensors, whether in a DSLR or a smartphone. Much like a person’s eyes, they need to be protected.

Coman suggested getting an extra pair of solar glasses and “tape one of the eye lenses in front of your iPhone” or any other smartphone. 

For those with dedicated cameras, van der Kwaak suggested getting relatively cheap filters to mount on the lens.

“They are just cardboard boxes that you can use for the eclipse,” she said. Here is one example. 

Plan, plan, plan! 

One wrong move, and you will have to wait years to see another eclipse. Many websites can prove useful in planning the big day. The US-based National Solar Observatory has an interactive map showing the path of the eclipse. 

It’s expected to begin just after 2 p.m. on April 8. Full totality – where the moon completely covers the sun – will be at 3:20 p.m. Coman and van der Kwaak advise finding a spot to photograph well before the event starts. 

“I would say 1 p.m. would be a good time to be at the location,” Coman said. “Find parking, set up your equipment.”

Both have been practising their equipment set up and camera settings as the big day approaches. As the highly coveted totality lasts only a few minutes, the margin of error is slim.

“Practise beforehand if you really want stunning photos in there that are technically correct,” van der Kwaak said.

One to two hours over the weekend before will be enough. Several YouTube channels offer advice on the perfect settings for photographing the event.

It should be noted that the path of totality will not be over Halton Hills. Hamilton and Burlington are the closest places. But the view will still be stellar in Halton Hills. TimeAndDate.com has a simulation of how it will look in the municipality. 

No need to break the bank with equipment

Amateur photographers may already have all the equipment they need to take photos of the eclipse. At a minimum, find a way to keep the phone or camera stable.

“The key thing is to have a steady camera. Even with an iPhone or a (different) mobile phone, I would suggest using a monopod at least. A tripod is preferable,” Coman said. “You can get a mount for your iPhone to adapt it to your tripod.”

Items like wired or wireless camera triggers, neutral density filters and telephoto lenses are not essential, but they help. Coman says he will be using a telephoto lens, specifically with a zoom range of between 70 and 200 mm. There is no silver bullet solution for capturing the eclipse. Preferences may vary from person to person. 

Enjoy and capture the moment in time, not just the eclipse

The eclipse truly helps human beings realize their place in the universe. It’s meant to be remembered as much as captured. 

Totality is the main event, where true pros try to capture things like Bailey beads and the diamond ring effect. But too many people get fixated on the destination and miss the journey.

van der Kwaak reminds photographers that there are other parts of the eclipse to enjoy.

“Be present in the moment and witness this once-in-a-lifetime event,” she said.

“Enjoy this event with others and witness it with your own eyes and have this imprint as a memory.”

“Make sure to also capture the environment and the people around you,” Coman added. 

“For some people, it’s going to be emotional,” van der Kwaak said. “There’s going to be a certain energy and it’s also great to capture that if you can.”

More of Coman’s and van der Kwaak’s works can be found through their Instagram handles:

@jodyvanderkwaak

@gregcomanphotography

Dell McDermott who lives in the Sadie Villas in the Village of Newell shared this photograph of an alligator at Green Springs Park in Volusia County.

In celebration of courtship and mating season, share your alligator photos at news@villages-news.com

A local photographer has been practicing different methods to capture the eclipse safety with smartphones and believes he’s mastered the new technology.

Mark Madere, owner of SpectraLight Photography, which is located in North Ridgeville, has been a professional photographer since 1980.

Madere said he has been a fan of photography since he was in the 10th grade.

During the last solar eclipse in 2017, Madere said his interest was perked.

“I was fascinated by that,” he said.

Several months ago, Madere began his research on safely photographing, and in the last month, getting serious about his experiments.

Madere said safety first: Never look directly at the sun through your smartphone camera or with your naked eyes during the eclipse as it can cause permanent eye damage.

He uses a solar filter, the same filter found in the safety glasses recommended while viewing the event.

Choosing the correct filter for both eyewear as well as the smartphone, is a necessity, Madere said.

“If you’re planning to get closeup photos of the sun with your smartphone, you must protect your camera’s sensor with a solar filter,” he said. “However, there is some confusion about the type of filter to use with smartphones.

“My research found that you should only use a dedicated solar filter designed for smartphone photography.”

Madere said he researched the International Organization for Standardization, or ISO, ratings for the filters to determine the correct ones to utilize.

He said he found conflicting information while researching the ISO ratings before determining the products he deemed safe.

“If you decide to use your solar eclipse glasses with an ISO rating of 12312-2-2015, be sure the filter covers all the lenses of your smartphone to protect your camera’s sensor,” Madere said. “I did some test photos with my old Galaxy S10 phone with this method and it worked perfectly.

“Although my camera’s sensor was unharmed, I cannot guarantee your sensor won’t be damaged, so use caution.”

Madere recommends a few practice runs before the solar event occurs.

When photographing, Madere said he disabled the flash on his smartphone, locked the focus mode to manual and set the photography option to burst mode.

Madere cautions against using the phone’s optical zoon option, and if the phone has a “Shoot RAW” mode, he recommends using it for better post-processing flexibility.

For stable shots, Madere recommends using a tripod or to rest your phone on a sturdy surface because your exposures will be long as the light fades.

“During a total solar eclipse, you can safely photograph the totality phase, when the sun is completely covered by the moon, without a solar filter,” he said. “However, outside the path of totality, where only partial phases are visible, always have a solar filter over the camera’s lens.”

Madere said he will use two professional-grade cameras to capture the event in photos and video.

“If we’re lucky here in Northeast Ohio, the ‘Star’ of the show will make a cloud-free appearance and we’ll all have amazing photos to remember the day,” he said.

Madere said he will share the day in part with Max Muir, his longtime friend from Nebraska who photographed a full total solar eclipse viewable in 2017.

“It’ll be good having someone with prior experience alongside me as an advisor,” Madere added.

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