Taking photographs of an eclipse is not as difficult as many believe. There are many ways to document the event, and many of the most interesting photographs are of things other than the sun. But most people want to have photographs of the moon passing into the sun. To photograph the sun itself, you have to use a camera with manual controls and special filters.

     The only time that direct photographs of the sun can be taken without a filter is during totality, which is also the only time it is safe to look at the sun without special protection.

     Totality will NOT take place anywhere in the United States, so filtered photography is the only way to take pictures of the sun. Many commercial filters are available for photographing the sun. Be sure to put the filter in front of the camera lens, never between the lens and the camera or between the camera and your eye.

    What will be most fun for children who only have automatic and "point and shoot" cameras is to look at the way the sun makes patterns on buildings, under trees and from their pinhole projectors. You must turn off the flash on your camera! If you do not, the flash will overpower the patterns created by the sun. If there is a big tree between the sun and your school building, look at the way the sun creates patterns on the building in the shadow of the treešs leaves. Take a photograph of the building and you will have a special picture of your school to remember this event!