Looking directly at the sun for even just a minute can cause permanent eye damage. That damage is even possible when the sun seems darker during a solar eclipse. If you intend to look directly at the eclipse, be sure to keep your eyes safe by picking up a pair of solar glasses. These come in cheap paper varieties (much like the 3D glasses you’d get at a movie theater) that are meant to be used once and tossed. Or you can spend a bit more on ones that are essentially heavily tinted sunglasses.

Be sure to keep the solar glasses on for the entirety of the eclipse. The one exception is during totality if you happen to be in the path of totality. It’s safe to remove the glasses for that brief moment. Otherwise, the sun is bright enough that it can still cause damage when it’s near totality, so keep those glasses on. Also, it’s important to note that looking through binoculars, telescopes, or cameras does not provide any protection unless those devices are fitted with a solar filter.

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Just like your eyes, your camera sensor can take damage from the sun, specifically when the sun is at its brightest during the middle of the day. While it’s generally safe to point your camera in the general direction of the sun (you can keep photographing your sunrises and sunsets, don’t worry), solar-specific photos can put your sensor at risk. That’s because the front element of your lens essentially acts as a magnifying glass, intensifying the energy from the sun onto your sensor, potentially causing permanent damage and sensor overload.

To keep your camera safe, use a solar filter when photographing the solar eclipse or for solar photography in general. As with glasses, keep that solar filter on your lens until the eclipse is at totality. During that brief moment, it is safe to remove the filter, but be ready to pop it back on once the eclipse passes onto the next phase. If you’re interested in solar photography outside of eclipse time, a solar filter is a must at all times.