photographing the solar eclipse

Introduction

solar eclipses are very popular and uncommon events to photograph but you do need to special gear and techniques

make sure you know where it will be (they have a narrow path of around 100km or so)
check the likely weather forecast for best locations
it is likely that most local accommodation along the path will be booked out a year in advance!
traffic may be jammed - get there a day or two earlier
your “empty car park” may be full of like-minded people on the day
your mobile may not work due to overloading of the mobile towers by the crowds - download GPS maps beforehand in case you need to move locations but still stay in the path

DO NOT look directly at the sun, this will cause permanent blindness
DO NOT just use a ND filter on an eyepiece of a telescope - you need a special solar filter on the FRONT of the telescope
likewise, do NOT use just a normal ND filter (you need a 16 stop one!) on your telephoto lens when pointing it at the sun, it will generate a lot of heat on your sensor or through your optical viewfinder and onto your eyes USE a special solar filter on the front of the lens

solar filter (or #14 Welder’s Glass as a last resort - color corrections and image quality will be issues) on the front of your telescope or lens
if using a mirrorless camera, a 16 stop ND filter may be used instead of a solar filter - do NOT use this with a dSLR as the UV and IR light will destroy your eyes
tripod, or, ideally, when using super-telephoto lenses, the camera should be mounted to an equatorial mount which tracks the sun to make it easier to keep it in the frame rather than need to keep re-composing.