From Daguerreotype to Digital: Eclipse Photography Reaches New Heights

In 1851, Berkowski captured the first successful photo of a total solar eclipse with a daguerreotype, fixing the solar corona for objective study and transforming solar astronomy. The article then previews the Aug. 12, 2026 eclipse, noting that modern digital gear allows better images and offering practical tips—site choice along the totality, solar filters for any partial phases, exposed-bracketed shots, and removing filters only at totality to reveal the corona—highlighting how eclipse photography has evolved from 19th‑century plates to today’s sensors.