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[OM] Re: Solar eclipse photo advice

Subject: [OM] Re: Solar eclipse photo advice
From: "Piers Hemy" <piers@xxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 6 Apr 2006 19:36:48 +0100
When I see the word "awesome" I usually subconsciously substitute "pretty
good", or if in connection with a good deal on a piece of photo equipment,
"fang".

In this case, as I now know, Chuck (and Charlie in his post) really did mean
"such as will engender reverential fear or wonder" for thus it was last
week.  As I mentioned originally, I had in mind the chance of cloud cover -
location was Haçibektaş in central Anatolia, where NASA judged the
probability of clear skies to be only 40% - but as it turned out, we had
clear skies for the full duration of the eclipse.  The advent was pretty
impressive, for sure, to see the moon progressively eating into the solar
disk; to see the character of the light change from midday sun to 6500K
twilight; to see the multiple eclipses in the shade of the trees.  But
nothing, no NOTHING, not even the clear and accurate descriptions here,
could have prepared us for the instant of totality (which extended for the
quickest 3+ minutes I have ever experienced).  I don't propose to even try
to better what has already been said, I will just recommend that you keep 1
Aug 2008 free, because you deserve to be travelling in the run up to that
day.  Whether Arctic Canada, Greenland, Svalbard, Siberia, Mongolia or China
just see it!

Yes, I did manage some photos (but the advice to watch the eclipse not to
bother with a camera was spot-on).  I have adequate reminders of Bailey's
beads courtesy of a tripod mounted 3Ti fitted with Tamron SP 500mm mirror
lens, motor driven and controlled by a M. Quartz remote release. I didn't
need to pay much attention, it did most of the work for me, all I did was to
whip off the solar filter at totality and adjust the shutter speed for each
release of the shutter, to get a range of exposures (all on Fuji Provia).
And to remember to take some images of the scene (4Ti with 18/3.5),
including the 360deg "sunset" using a monopod.

I'll get a few images posted in a day or so - I seemed to be about the only
one not using digital - the results from a handheld 400mm IS lens on a C*non
digital were disappointingly spectacular :-(

--
Piers 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: olympus-owner@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:olympus-owner@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Chuck Norcutt
Sent: 28 February 2006 15:20
To: olympus@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [OM] Re: Solar eclipse photo advice

It was intended that way.  Glad it got a grip on you.  However, nothing I
can write can adequately portray the awe of a total eclipse.  Have you seen
a partial solar eclipse.  Even one approaching totality?  You ain't seen
nothin' yet my friend.  The difference is as between a little firecracker
and a hydrogen bomb.  Truly awesome.

Cold weather and snow might put a damper on some of the emotions but spring
and 70 degree F. in North Carolina added barking dogs, twittering birds and
chattering people by the thousands on the campus of East Carolina
University.  At the moment of totality all went so suddenly quiet you could
have heard a pin drop in the grass.

Chuck Norcutt


Joel Wilcox wrote:
> This is perhaps the most gripping thing I ever read on this list.
> 
> Joel W.
> 
> On 2/27/06, Chuck Norcutt <chucknorcutt@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
>>I have seen one total solar eclipse in my life.  I believe it was 
>>March of 1968 but my memory is frail.  I journeyed about 700 miles 
>>from my then home in Endicott, New York to Greenville, North Carolina.  
>>I remember being amazed by the large numbers of people just outside 
>>the path of totality just going about their everyday business not 
>>realizing that the sight of a lifetime was but a short distance away.
>>
>>I had prepared for the event by taking my Miranda GT with a lens 
>>consisting of a cobbled together off-axis telescope made from a 2-1/2"
>>f/10 mirror.  All was on a mounting made of bolts, 2x4's, plaster lath 
>>and other odds and ends.
>>
>>If you've ever watched a partial solar eclipse the run-up to the main 
>>event is rather pedestrian... that is, until you get close to totality 
>>and the tepmerature starts to drop, birds stop chattering, dogs stop 
>>barking, shadow bands go skittering over the ground and Bailey's beads 
>>appear on the periphery of the moon.
>>
>>Then, BANG!!  Suddenly the lights go out, the stars get switched on, 
>>near the horizon it's sunrise/sunset for 360 degrees around you and 
>>the sun suddenly is a moon sized black hole surrounded by streaming 
>>flares of red and blue several times its diameter.
>>
>>Well, I'll tell you I never got another shot off during all of totality.
>>   You could have knocked me over with a feather.  I stood there with 
>>my mouth hanging open suddenly understanding the awe with which the 
>>ancients must have viewed this apparition.  If I were to do it again I 
>>wouldn't even take a camera except maybe to shoot the crowd.  The view 
>>is overwhelming and too much of a spectacle to bother taking photos.
>>Buy them from someone else afterwards.
>>
>>But don't miss it.  I think it's the most spectacular thing I've ever 
>>seen in my entire life.  Too bad it was only 3-1/2 minutes.
>>
>>Chuck Norcutt
> 
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