photoxels
I never thought of photographing the Sun since we all know the danger of looking directly at the sun may result in blindness (plus, your camera’s sensor will also be fried). The only time when it is safe to look directly at the sun is at sunset and then only when you can look at it without averting your eyes.
Then you see pictures like this and wow, solar photography is a whole new realm to discover! Of course, most of the time you’d need a telescope, but today’s superzoom cameras (or a mirrorless equipped with a telephoto) are more than adequate. The Sun is also a BIG orb hanging up there in the sky and you do not need much telephoto reach to get a good picture.
But what of the warning about not looking directly at the sun? One thing you absolutely need is a special ND filter made specifically for solar photography. You should not be able to see anything through this filter except when you point it toward the sun. It reflects about reflect 99.999% of the light and let 0.001% through.
There will be an annular solar eclipse May 20, 2012 and a total solar eclipse November 13, 2012.
via bobgalbraith
