Photographer shares camera settings for Iceland’s total solar eclipse

Photographer Ragnar Th. Sigurðsson has shared advice on photographing Wednesday afternoon’s total solar eclipse, mbl.is reports. He says choosing a location with a clear, direct view of the sun is essential.

Sigurðsson plans to photograph the eclipse from a spot near Perlan in Öskjuhlíð, Reykjavík. He said photographers do not necessarily need to go to a high location, such as a mountain, to capture good images.

During the partial phase, when the sun gradually moves into the moon’s shadow, a solar filter or dark film should be placed in front of the camera or phone lens because of the sun’s powerful rays.

For this phase, he recommends a shutter speed of 1/8000 of a second and an aperture of 5.6, 8 or 11.

Once totality begins, the filter should be removed. Photographers can then take pictures using settings they have tested and adjusted to the conditions. A wide aperture is more important at that point than the shutter speed.

The moon’s full shadow will first cross Iceland at Straumnesviti lighthouse in the Hornstrandir region at 17:43:28. Totality will last 1 minute and 26 seconds there.

At Látrabjarg and Bjargtangar in western Iceland, totality will last the longest in the country, at 2 minutes and 13 seconds.

International media outlets are expected to broadcast live from Iceland during the eclipse. British television channel ITV will broadcast from Perlan, the Good Morning America programme in cooperation with ABC News will broadcast from the Blue Lagoon, and National Geographic crews will operate in the Westfjords.