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Awestruck By A Total Solar Eclipse

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2017 TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE

The 2017 total solar eclipse was hands down, the most amazing thing I had ever seen. Never in my life have I seen anything so amazing. It was then that I realized that although it may have been my first eclipse, it certainly would not be my last. There are eclipse chasers on this planet, and I had just recently become one of them.

 

Solar Eclipse Totality
Totality was one of the most amazing thing I have ever seen.

ABOUT THE TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE:

The eclipse has come and gone now of course; however, the purpose of this post is to help anyone who is interested in catching the next eclipse and successfully photograph it. I began to prepare for the eclipse roughly about a month and a half before the actual event. I had never photographed an eclipse and I wanted to be sure that I was prepared because things happen fast during the eclipse and you want to be sure that you are ready when it happens. I began my research by watching a lot of YouTube videos about how to shoot the event. A number of people in videos were saying that if it’s your first eclipse, you should not even photograph it, but rather take the time to enjoy it with your own eyes. The reasoning behind this is because potentially while you are fidgeting with your equipment, trying to get it to work, you will miss out on the event all together. I’m not an advocate of this philosophy. I recently had an opportunity to hear Jim Collins speak and he talked about, “The genius of and”. You most certainly can have your cake and eat it too. The key to photographing the eclipse and enjoying  it is preparation. You should know what you are doing by the time the day of eclipse comes around. An example of what I am talking about is being familiar with your filter, knowing what f-stop you are going to use and what shutter speed works best are just a few examples. If you are not familiar with these basic functions on your camera, you better get familiar fast!

DIFFERENT TYPES OF SOLAR ECLIPSES:

Despite popular beliefs, solar eclipses are not that uncommon. Of course there are different variations of eclipses, but there is usually something going on at some point of each year.  Firstly, there are two types of eclipses that occur. There is a “Solar” eclipse (Involving the sun) and a “Lunar” eclipse (Involving the moon).  These occur when the Sun, the moon, and Earth are aligned in a straight configuration. Solar eclipses can only occur during the new moon phase and usually occur between 2 to 5 times a year.

Solar Eclipse
A solar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Moon, and Earth line up with the Moon in the middle.

There are three types of solar eclipses. There is Total, Partial, and Annular. A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon completely blocks out the sun. The area that someone can witness a total solar eclipse is called, “The path of totality”. It is only here you can witness a total solar eclipse. The 2017 total solar eclipse path of totality was only about 60 miles wide. Anywhere outside of that path resulted in a partial eclipse.  A partial solar eclipse is what occurs when you can only see the moon block a portion of the sun. An annular eclipse occurs when moon passes in front of the sun, but doesn’t completely block the sun because the moon appears smaller.

Path Of Totality.
Anyone in the path of totality will witness a total solar eclipse. The closer you are to the center of the path of totality, the longer you will witness a total eclipse.

PLANNING YOUR SOLAR ECLIPSE TRIP:

When planning to photograph a total solar eclipse, choosing the right location is key. You definitely want to plan a head when choosing a location. Are you familiar with the saying, “Go hard or go home!”? I think that saying couldn’t be more appropriate when it comes to selecting a location to view the eclipse. If you are going to view a total solar eclipse, you absolutely have to maximize the experience and make sure that you are in the path of totality. Anywhere else will simply not afford you the same experience. The 2017 total solar eclipse was great because there were so many locations to choose from. That event started on the West and ended on the East coast.  After studying the path of totality, I determined the best place for me to witness the event was somewhere near Salem, Oregon. Once I selected the area I wanted to be in, I began a search of the exact location I wanted to be. I wanted to be someplace interesting, preferably someplace with a river. My first choice was a park, but I quickly discovered that the parks were extremely crowded.  I conducted a search on Google Maps for all the parks in the area.  A day before the eclipse, I drove to the park to see if it would suit my needs. As soon as I put boots on the ground, I learned that that location would not do the job for me. Fortunately, I had several locations in mind. My first choice didn’t quite cut it, but my second choice did.

Total Solar Eclipse Location
The location I chose to experience the total solar eclipse was a cemetery.

CHECK HISTORICAL WEATHER TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE LOCATION:

One of the biggest factors to take into consideration, when choosing a location, is weather. Weather can make a big difference in  your total solar eclipse experience. Start paying attention to weather well in advance of the eclipse. Make sure you select a location that overall has good weather during the time of year the eclipse will happen. I made it a habit to check the weather every other day a month prior to the eclipse. I wanted to know what was happening in the area. If there is a chance that the weather where the eclipse will happen will be dodgy, you should mentally prepare yourself for the fact that you might need a plan B, C, D, and E.  Remember, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail! The area I chose to watch the 2017 total solar eclipse was near Salem, Oregon and generally, they have good weather in the area around that time of the year.

Total Solar Eclipse Weather
Checking the weather history for the area of the Total Solar Eclipse is essential.

WHAT YOU NEED TO PHOTOGRAPH A TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE:

One of the most daunting parts of preparing for the total solar eclipse was determining what I needed for the eclipse. During the early stages of preparing, I found that answers that I got for my questions only led me to more questions. For example, straight away, everyone tells you that you need special glasses for your eyes and of course you need a filter for your camera. Well, I was trying to film the entire total solar eclipse experience so I was bringing multiple cameras. That lead me to the question, “Do I need a filter for my cameras that are not directly pointed at the sun?” The answer is no by the way, but there were a ton of more questions I had like, “If I need to have a filter for my camera, how do I photograph the Diamond Ring or Bailey’s Beads?” I could go on and on. Do yourself a favor and do research well ahead of the day of the event.

Total Solar Eclipse Diamond Ring
Seeing the diamond ring during the Total Solar Eclipse was the highlight of the day for me.

SOLAR GLASSES FOR THE ECLIPSE:

First off, you do need solar glasses if you want to enjoy the eclipse with your eyes. Everyone tell you that. Funny thing is that I originally planned to do the eclipse by myself and only ordered one pair of glasses. Shortly after that, my significant other told me that she wanted to tag along, which then sent me scrambling for additional solar glasses. Just about everyone, including Amazon, was sold out. The bottom line was that I ended up with only one pair of solar glasses. It turned out that was all I needed. I honestly didn’t use the glasses. The reason I didn’t use them was because I was looking through my camera, which had a filter on it. One thing that I did find useful was a ball cap to keep the ambient light out of my eyes. You will find yourself looking up a lot, particularly when trying to align your camera up with the sun. Do all possible not to stare at the sun. I found it difficult, but not impossible.

Total Solar Eclipse Goggles
Here I am sporting my solar eclipse googles. They made me feel like a super hero.

 

CAMERA FILTER FOR THE TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE:

Let me simplify this. If your camera will be looking up at the sun, you will need a filter. If it will not be looking directly at the sun, you will not need a filter.  If you are viewing a total solar eclipse, it’s a good idea to get video or pictures of the area before, during, and after totality. It’s really cool to watch it go from  daytime to nighttime. If you are just shooting a wide angle of the area, you will not need a filter. For the camera that will be shooting the sun directly, you do need a filter. Let’s talk about the filter you need. Basically, there are two types of filters. The filters reduce the sun and moon down to basic 2D like images that aren’t very exciting if you have no clue what you were looking at or what is happening. Having said that, let’s get into the different types of filters.

MYLAR SOLAR FILTERS:

Mylar solar filters are as basic as they come. It’s usually a film that you can buy and place in front of your camera. There are different variations. The version I bought was in a 72mm casing that you simply placed on top of my camera. Often, the images you get from this filter are basic and bland, but this is the most economical option.

Total Solar Eclipse Filter
The images you get from these solar eclipse filters are basic.

HYDRO ALPHA FILTERS:

HA Filters are the more interesting and of course more expensive options when it comes to solar filter. These filter yield images that have more texture. It’s hard for me to accurately convey the differences in writing. It’s something you have to see for yourself. See the image below. These filters are more pricy, but also will give you more interesting images.

Total Solar Eclipse HA Filter
Hydrogen Alpha Filters offer a little more detail in a Total Solar Eclipse

When purchasing filters you need to take into consideration the different options with these filters. You have the option of buying the Mylar film and making your own filter or you can buy filters that are made specifically for cameras. Just make sure you note your camera lens’ diameter before you buy such a filter.

TELEPHOTO LENSES:

Generally speaking, you want to have a telephoto lens somewhere along the lines of 400mm or greater. This will get you the nice and close up images you are looking for. Anything else just won’t yield the results you are looking for. Having said that, one of the things I forgot when shooting the eclipse was my adapter for my telephoto lens. I left it at home which essentially meant that I could not use my 500mm lens on my camera. I had no choice but to use my 200mm lens. The results were not disappointing, but my satisfaction would have gone up exponentially had I been able to use the more powerful lens. All the images on this page were taken with my Canon T5i with a Sigma 18-200mm lens. Getting back to the telephoto lens, I cannot stress this enough…. Practice, practice, practice! With such a powerful lens, it can be difficult to find even the brightness thing in the solar system using a high power lens. To make it even more challenging is not looking up at the sun to use as a guide, while trying to align your lens. Everybody stresses how important it is not to look at the sun during an eclipse. I don’t know how dangerous it actually is to look at the sun, but I knew that I didn’t want to gamble with something so valuable as my eye-sight. While aligning your lens with the sun, you must constantly remind yourself not to look it. It will takes some effort, but it is doable. Bottom-line is, practice finding the sun in your telephoto lens beforehand. It will save you a lot of time on eclipse day. Trust me, the last thing you want to be doing during the day of a total solar eclipse is to be fidgeting with your equipment.

Solar Eclipse Setup
Here I’m setting up my equipment to photograph the Solar Eclipse. I had already practiced this several times prior to shooting the actual eclipse. That meant that I knew what to do during the actual day.

MULTIPLE CAMERAS:

Another important thing to remember when shooting the eclipse is to bring multiple cameras. I had a three camera setup up for the day. I had my main camera setup to capture the actual eclipse. That was its sole purpose. That camera I had setup using an intervalometer so it would take photos in increments which essentially meant that I could leave the camera alone to do its thing.

The second camera was setup to take video of the area. I wanted to capture the area as it went from daytime to night and then back to day. I simply set that camera up, pressed record, and left it alone. The third camera I had was setup for me to vlog and talk about the experience. You only need that if you want record yourself. One recommendation for you, if you do plan on vlogging during the event, is to make sure you have a light source. During a total solar eclipse, it does get dark and you want to be sure that you are able to be seen.

CREATE A CHECKLIST:

Now I’ve never been a big fan of checklist; however, all that has recently changed. After forgetting a few key items in the past, I have come around to see the advantages of having one. For example, I was devastated when I learned that I forgot my adapter for my telephoto lens. The sad part was the fact that I had a checklist at the time, but I forgot to list the adapter on the checklist. I hope you learn from my mistakes! A checklist simply makes things easier.

THE NEXT SOLAR ECLIPSE:

If you are planning on catching the next solar eclipse, I recommend you start planning early. A good start to planning early is determining where you plan to watch the eclipse. The next eclipse will be in 2019, down in South America. I already know that I will be in Chile to witness the event. From there I will determine where the path of totality will be and what city I want to witness the event. Planning these details, in advance, will make the experience less taxing and more enjoyable in the future.

If you are unable to travel aboard, there will be another total solar eclipse in the US in 2024. Hopefully the path of totality will be only a few hours drive within your reach. No matter what, I highly recommend you witness this event at least once in your lifetime. It’s one of the most incredible things I have ever witnessed in my life and it makes me excited to know that I will see it at least two more times. Make sure you bring your kids when you do see it. It’s guaranteed not to disappoint. If you have witnessed and photographed a total solar eclipse before, please leave a comment with best practices or recommendations for shooting the event.

LINKS:

TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE DATES:

https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/list-total-solar.html

DIFFERENT FILTERS:

https://starizona.com/acb/basics/equip_filters_solar.aspx

TIPS ON PHOTOGRAPHING A TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0ZofAlT5TU&t=6s

MORE TIPS ON PHOTOGRAPHING A SOLAR ECLIPSE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4udTzWUAtQ

 

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