How to photograph the May 10th solar eclipse?

I have a nikon d3000 with a 70-300MM lense and tripod. I was wondering how i would take a picture of the eclipse and at what settings. Also do i need a Solar filter, some people say yes and some say no. I won't be looking at the eclipse directly. I will be setting up the camera before hand, put on shades then using a remote to snap a few pictures. Would that be possible, will it damage my camera?
What settings should i use on the nikon. Manual mode, Wiat iso, fstop and shutter speed am i looking around?

Taking pictures of the sun directly won't damage your camera, but you might find it easier to get the exposure right with a dense and filter or solar filter.

However, you might struggle to set up the camera beforehand, because the sun will move. You'll almost certainly need to look in the viewfinder to align the camera and that will involve looking at the eclipse directly. You will need a solar filter - mostly for the protection of your eyes.

Set your ISO to the lowest possible (probably 100), the shutter speed should be fast - 1/1000 or faster, and the aperture we'll leave to you. It's impossible to say without knowing how bright it will actually be, or what filters you are using.

You might find it easier to use the lens in manual focus mode and pre-focus it at infinity. Difficult lighting situations like an eclipse can often confuse the autofocus system and it will spend all of its time "hunting" rather than taking pictures.

When you say you are wearing shades - if you mean sunglasses then these will *not* provide adequate eye protection. You either need solar filters or a welding mask or something like that. Luckily you've got plenty of time and you can get solar viewing glasses very cheaply on the internet, and you can also get a solar filter for your camera.

Be safe, have fun and good luck!