Eclipse Photos
I wasn’t even going to go. A total solar eclipse wasn’t on my bucket list and got little more than a shrug from me.bBut then a colleague told me I’d regret missing it.
So I rearranged my day, disrupting the schedules of at least three other people and a dog in the process, and hopped in the car and started driving to Cleveland. I tossed in my camera and a few lenses without much thought to how I would use them or whether they were really what I needed. It was a grab-and-go moment.
This all actually occurred on Sunday, so I spent the night at my parents’ house so I could wake up fresh Monday morning, work remotely in the morning and be ready to enjoy the eclipse in the afternoon. A perfect plan.
Except that when I awoke it was raining. 🌧️
But lo and behold, at around 10:00 AM the sky began to clear. By noon it was a beautiful, not-quite-cloudless day. I went for a walk around the neighborhood, celebrating the early end of my workday. The sun shone brightly.
Upon my return, with 5,000 happy steps added to my rings, I finally (for the first time) gave serious thought to my photography “strategy.” I think my exact words were, “how the hell am I gonna do this?”
Luckily, I had brought with me a set of stacking neutral density filters. ND16 + ND1000 for a total filter factor of 64000 (just shy of 16 stops). Unfortunately, the only lens these filters fit is my little Fujinon 27mm f/2.8 prime! So the sun is teeny in the frame.
Individually, the images are not very impressive. So I had the idea to go out and snap a frame every ten minutes or so with an eye toward making a composite. If you look at the image from across the room it looks pretty good!
I also threw together an improvised pinhole setup using my mini tripod and a Pendaflex folder that made the ultimate sacrifice. The imagery there wasn't all that impressive, but you can definitely see the basic cresent-shaped outline of the Big Ball of FusionTM.
Overall, a generally successful trip. The pics may not be the best, but they’re mine.
Cheers!