Can I take a photo of the eclipse with my phone? Yes, but take these steps so you don't fry it

C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida
Updated ·6 min read

On April 8, millions of people across the country will have a little over four minutes during the solar eclipse as the moon completely blocks the sun (except for the fiery corona around the edge) when they can safely look directly at it and take pictures without frying their eyeballs, cameras or phones.

Here in Florida, we won't have that. There is no spot in the state where we will be in the path of totality for the great American Eclipse and no point during the eclipse for us when it will be safe to look directly at it without protection. That also goes for cameras, phones, telescopes and binoculars.

But that doesn't mean you still can't take amazing pictures. You just need to plan a little.

Note that most guides online such as this one from space.com assume you'll be taking pictures of the totality. Here in the Sunshine State, we'll be taking pictures of a partial eclipse, which is much more dangerous.

Get a solar eclipse filter for your phone, seriously

Andrew Nielsen of Wauwatosa puts his solar eclipse glasses over his phone's camera with mixed results as he tries to photograph the total eclipse on August 21, 2017.
Andrew Nielsen of Wauwatosa puts his solar eclipse glasses over his phone's camera with mixed results as he tries to photograph the total eclipse on August 21, 2017.

Absent a total eclipse (which, again, we will not see here), do not point your phone's unprotected camera directly at the sun. It may damage the sensors in the camera or cause your phone to overheat.

After the 2017 eclipse, lensrentals.com reported a high number of cameras and lenses returned with melted sensors, and phone cameras are getting more sensitive with every upgrade.

Solar camera filters are available for all phone models, either as snap-on attachments or as filters that look like monocles you can hold over your phone's camera lens.

You also can hold your eclipse glasses tightly over your phone's camera but that can be difficult to juggle and still keep yourself and the camera safe. If you have some spare eclipse glasses, cut out the filter to make your own little phone camera filter, just make sure it's big enough to completely cover all of the lenses and the light sensor. Remove your phone's case first to make it easier to hold the filter flat against the lens and tape the filter down to keep it secure.

Do not try to use regular sunglasses to cover your phone, they're not enough by several magnitudes. If you use your eclipse glasses, make sure you don't scratch them on your phone and then try to look through them again. They will no longer be safe.

Be aware that shooting a partial solar eclipse is tricky and potentially dangerous. For the 2017 eclipse, NASA specifically said it made "no recommendations about how to safely photograph the partial eclipse phases because of the huge number of optical filter and camera models that may potentially be used and often with unsafe outcomes."

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Check your phone's settings for better eclipse pictures

Play with your settings before the big day so you'll know what to do when the time comes.

  • Change your default photo settings to RAW mode. This lets you take uncompressed photos which give you more detail and color range when you edit later.

    • iPhone: Go to Settings>Camera and tap on Formats. Turn on Apple ProRAW. You'll see a RAW option in the top right of your camera screen. Tap that on when you want to use it, off when you don't need it.

    • Android: Check your phone model instructions. Samsung owners can use the built-in Expert RAW app.

  • Turn off your iPhone's automatic macro switching so it won't try to focus on the filter.

  • Make sure you know how to use burst mode, which lets you take a lot of photos very quickly and increases your chances of getting a good shot.

    • iPhones: Swipe left on the shutter button in the Camera app. If you use a third-party camera app, check the instructions for burst mode.

    • Android: Swipe down on the shutter button in the Camera app (check the instructions for your particular model).

  • Turn off the flash.

  • Know how to lock your focus so the camera won't try to focus on anything else. On most phones that means tapping on your subject and holding your finger down until you get a padlock icon or an AE/AF lock. Once that happens you can move your finger up and down to adjust the brightness.

The sun won't move much, but you do: Get a tripod for your phone

Get a tripod. This not only keeps you from messing up your shot by fidgeting or coughing, it allows you to focus and frame your shot ahead of time.

Even with the tripod, you should use the timer on your phone to avoid wobbling it when you tap the shutter. Or you can go completely hands-free and use a remote, ask Siri to do it with the "Say Cheese" shortcut (you'll have to activate it ahead of time) or with your Apple watch if you have one.

If a tripod isn't available, lean or prop up your phone against something at the right angle. If you must hold it, brace both your arms against your sides (or, if you're sitting, your elbows on your legs) to turn yourself into a sort-of tripod and use the timer or hands-free methods to take the shot.

Use your zoom lens. Don't pinch to zoom

To get the sharpest image possible, use the zoom lens on your phone if it has one. Avoid using digital zoom or using your fingers on the screen to zoom as that will result in fuzzier pictures.

You might consider picking up an external zoom lens for your phone camera, which can let you get much closer, clearer images.

Shoot something besides the eclipse

If you've ever tried taking pictures of the moon with your phone, you know you won't be able to get a really close pic of the eclipse with your phone without special equipment. Instead, try for more interesting shots by including the eclipse:

  • In wider photos of the landscape or reflected in water

  • Through trees or windows

  • Behind buildings, local landmarks or statuary

  • Behind people, or yourself

Images of people marveling at the eclipse can be more dramatic or fun than just the eclipse by itself. Shoot the eclipse's reflection off someone's glasses or a window. Shoot a lot of pictures at several stages of the eclipse and piece them together later.

Practice ahead of time

Don't assume you'll figure it out on the day. Get everything ready and take some practice shots to work out he bugs and get a better idea what you should be aiming at.

Don't spend the whole eclipse fiddling with your phone

It can be frustrating trying to get the perfect shot of a rare occurrence but don't forget to look up and just enjoy the eclipse.

Besides, we have one coming our way in just 21 years.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Solar eclipse photos with your iPhone or Android? Some helpful tips