How to Photograph a Solar or Lunar Eclipse

August 2026 gives UK skywatchers two excellent opportunities to try eclipse photography: a partial solar eclipse on 12 August and a partial lunar eclipse on 28 August.

You do not need professional equipment to record either event. A DSLR or mirrorless camera, a smartphone, or a camera attached to a telescope can all produce rewarding results. The keys are preparation, a stable setup, sensible exposure settings and, for the solar eclipse, the correct safety equipment.

The August 2026 Eclipses

On 12 August 2026, observers across the United Kingdom will see a partial solar eclipse. In England, the partial phase begins shortly after 6 pm BST and ends at around 8:10 pm, although the exact timing varies slightly with location.

The partial lunar eclipse follows on 28 August. The penumbral phase begins at around 2:23 am BST, the partial phase begins at approximately 4:12 am, and maximum eclipse occurs around 5:12 am. The Moon will therefore be low in the western sky during the later stages for many UK observers.

Solar Eclipse Photography: Safety Comes First

A partial solar eclipse is never safe to view directly with the unaided eye. The same applies when using photographic equipment.

Cameras, telescopes and binoculars require a purpose-made solar filter mounted securely over the front aperture of the lens or telescope before the equipment is pointed towards the Sun.

Do not rely on ordinary photographic filters, polarising filters, neutral-density filters or sunglasses. They are not designed to block the full range of harmful solar radiation.

For direct visual viewing, use approved eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewers that meet the appropriate safety standard. If you are using a camera, telescope or binoculars, however, the optical equipment itself still needs its own proper front-mounted solar filter.

Before eclipse day, inspect the filter carefully. Do not use it if it is damaged, scratched, loose or insecure.

Photographing the Solar Eclipse with a Camera

A DSLR or mirrorless camera gives you the greatest control over exposure and image quality. A telephoto lens makes the Sun larger in the frame, while a wider lens can produce dramatic landscape images showing the eclipse together with the surrounding scene.

A lens in the region of 200mm to 500mm can give a useful close-up view, depending on the camera sensor and how large you want the Sun to appear.

Mount the camera on a sturdy tripod, fit the correct solar filter to the front of the lens, and use manual exposure if possible.

Suggested Solar Starting Settings

• ISO: 400
• Aperture: around f/5.6
• Shutter speed: approximately 1/125 to 1/250 second

These figures are only a starting point. The correct exposure depends on the solar filter, brightness of the sky, focal length and camera.

If the sky is exceptionally bright, or if you are photographing the uneclipsed Sun before first contact, a faster shutter speed may be needed.

Bracket your exposures whenever possible. Take several photographs at slightly different shutter speeds and check the results on the camera screen and histogram.

Practice Before First Contact

Do not let eclipse day be the first time you try your equipment.

A few days beforehand, practise photographing the ordinary Sun with exactly the same lens, tripod and solar filter you plan to use during the eclipse.

This lets you check focus, exposure, framing and how quickly the Sun moves across the field of view.

On eclipse day, set up well before first contact. Take a few photographs of the complete solar disc before the Moon begins to cross it. These early images can later become part of a sequence showing the progress of the eclipse.

Use a Remote Release or Interval Timer

Touching the shutter button can introduce camera shake, particularly with a long telephoto lens.

Use a cable release, remote shutter release or the camera’s self-timer whenever possible.

If your camera has an interval timer, you can programme it to take an image every few seconds or minutes. This is an excellent way to create a sequence while still giving yourself time to watch the eclipse safely.

Take plenty of photographs. Memory cards are cheap compared with the opportunity of photographing an eclipse.

Photographing a Solar Eclipse with a Smartphone

Modern smartphones can produce surprisingly good eclipse photographs, particularly when the eclipse is included as part of a wider landscape.

If you intend to photograph the Sun directly, however, the phone camera must also be protected.

Use a purpose-made clip-on solar filter designed for smartphone photography and make sure it fully covers the camera lens being used.

Do not assume that an ordinary dark camera filter is safe simply because it reduces visible brightness.

A small smartphone tripod or clamp will improve sharpness. Use the phone’s timer or remote shutter option to avoid shaking the device when the picture is taken.

Try some wider images as well. Photograph the changing light, people watching the eclipse, or the landscape around you rather than concentrating solely on a close-up of the Sun.

Pinhole Projection: A Simple Way to Watch

If you do not have eclipse glasses or optical equipment, you can still watch the eclipse safely using projection.

A simple pinhole projector allows sunlight to pass through a small hole and form an image of the eclipsed Sun on a second surface.

Stand with your back to the Sun and look at the projected image. Never look through the pinhole directly at the Sun.

You may also notice small crescent-shaped images of the Sun projected through gaps between tree leaves or through the holes of a kitchen colander.

Photographing the Solar Eclipse Through a Telescope

A telescope can produce excellent detailed images of a solar eclipse, but the safety requirements become even more important.

The solar filter must cover the front aperture of the telescope. Never rely on a small filter placed at the eyepiece end.

A camera can be connected directly to a suitable telescope using the correct adapter, or a smartphone can be attached securely to an eyepiece.

Use low or moderate magnification initially so that the full solar disc remains comfortably within the frame.

Photographing the Partial Lunar Eclipse

Lunar eclipse photography is much safer and more relaxed because no solar filter or special eye protection is required.

A DSLR or mirrorless camera with a lens between approximately 200mm and 500mm is ideal for producing a useful image scale.

As with solar photography, mount the camera on a sturdy tripod and use a remote release, cable release or self-timer.

Suggested Lunar Starting Settings

• ISO: around 400
• Aperture: around f/5.6
• Shutter speed: approximately 1/200 to 1/400 second

Again, these are only starting points.

As the Earth’s shadow moves across the Moon, the lunar surface becomes progressively darker. You may need to raise the ISO, use a wider aperture or lengthen the exposure as the eclipse develops.

Keep checking the photographs rather than assuming one exposure will work throughout the event.

Be Careful with Long Lunar Exposures

When the Moon becomes darker, it can be tempting to use a very long shutter speed. However, the Moon is moving across the sky.

At longer focal lengths, excessive exposure time can introduce motion blur. Increasing ISO may sometimes produce a sharper result than simply extending the shutter time.

Take several photographs at different settings and compare them later.

Photographing the Lunar Eclipse with a Smartphone

A smartphone is much easier to use during a lunar eclipse because no special solar filter is required.

If your phone has an optical telephoto camera, use it. Avoid excessive digital zoom because it generally reduces image quality.

Mount the phone on a small tripod if possible. Tap the Moon to focus and reduce the exposure until surface detail is visible rather than allowing the Moon to become an overexposed white disc.

You can also photograph the Moon through a telescope eyepiece using a smartphone adapter. This is known as afocal photography and can produce surprisingly good results with modest equipment.

Photographing the Lunar Eclipse Through a Telescope

A telescope can provide excellent lunar eclipse images because the Moon is large, bright and easy to locate.

Use a low-powered eyepiece or prime-focus camera connection to begin with. Make sure the Moon fits comfortably in the frame and focus carefully on the edge of the lunar disc or on a prominent crater.

If your camera provides magnified live view, use it to achieve the sharpest possible focus before the eclipse becomes darker.

Create an Eclipse Sequence

One of the most rewarding eclipse projects is to photograph the event at regular intervals.

Take an image before the eclipse begins and then continue throughout the event. Later, the photographs can be arranged together to show the Moon gradually crossing the Sun or the Earth’s shadow moving across the Moon.

Try to keep the camera orientation and focal length unchanged throughout the sequence.

Eclipse Photography Checklist

• Camera or smartphone
• Suitable lens
• Sturdy tripod
• Cable or remote shutter release
• Spare batteries
• Empty memory card
• Correct front-mounted solar filter for solar photography
• Approved eclipse glasses for visual solar observing
• Smartphone adapter if photographing through a telescope
• Warm clothing for the early-morning lunar eclipse

Take Plenty of Photographs — But Remember to Watch

Digital photography allows you to experiment without worrying about wasting film, so take plenty of images.

Try different exposures. Photograph different stages of the eclipse. Take close-ups and wider views. Capture the landscape and the people around you as well as the astronomical event itself.

Once everything is working, however, allow the camera to do some of the work.

Use your interval timer or remote release and spend some time actually experiencing the eclipse.

A photograph gives you something to keep.

The eclipse itself gives you the memory.

Continue Exploring

• Learn more about solar and lunar eclipses.
• Explore our telescope guides.
• Read our guide to telescope and solar filters.
• Explore astrophotography and night-sky imaging.

In future astrophotography guides, we will look more deeply at polar alignment, tracking, guiding, calibration frames, stacking and image processing.