What fundamental aspect makes the Sun a massive challenge for casual photography compared to terrestrial subjects?
Answer
It is the light source itself, orders of magnitude brighter than reflected ambient light.
When photographing typical scenes, the camera measures light reflected off objects. When aimed at the Sun, the camera measures the light source directly, which is overwhelmingly brighter than anything else, overwhelming the sensor’s capacity to handle luminance.
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How to Photograph the Sun Safely - YouTube
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