As you undoubtedly know, today, October 14, 2023, a total annular solar eclipse occurred over North America. Along with an image, I wanted to chronicle my experience.
The Photograph Isn’t The Experience
Because of the simplicity of composing an image for a solar eclipse, especially if you are not located at a position of totality, any photograph is likely to be a little plain. For this image, I had a better solar filter than my previous setup of a bunch of stacked neutral density filters. Other than retaining some color, there isn’t much more to say, and little to differentiate it from the avalanche of images you are going to see the next few days.
It is interesting to note, however, that the true color of Sol isn’t what you see. It is technically bright white – it is only the scattering of our atmosphere or the filtering from a space satellite that yields the yellow and red colors you see in images. So, it is actually a little interesting that the “blown out white” of my previous, less sophisticated, setup is actually truer to life.
This image, with around 70% of the sun’s disc covered, is within 1 minute of the peak point in San Diego this morning (9:26 AM PDT). As you can see, the New Moon swept over the sun from the top to the bottom, just missing parts of the disc on the right-hand side from our point-of-view. So while it is easy for people to discount what we saw, for reasons of it not being a total eclipse, the crescent shape is interesting and satisfying to me. In one sense, it is the opposite of the lunar cycle, which creates a crescent moon due to shadowing away from the point of the sun. Whereas, the moon itself, creates an apparent crescent from our point of view.
Still, this image mostly looks like everybody else’s who had a good camera, long lens, and a solar filter.
Some Quick Field Notes
These can be a little challenging to photograph. Even with an eclipse forming, the sun is far too bright to safely view unaided. This creates conditions that make it a challenge to set up, so I thought I would write here my quick process.
- First, obviously, I set up the tripod.
- Second, I got my Nikon D850 set up, and put my longest lens on it. I didn’t have the tripod collar with me, which I could have used for more stability.
- I then added the solar filter, and in my case, due to filter ring sizes, I also included a step-up ring to fit my large filter over the slightly smaller lens opening.
- It becomes apparent, even with the filter, that ambient light while pointed towards the sun makes for a harsh setup. Even with my sunglasses on, it was a real pain. I know some people advocate using Live View, but I found standing behind my camera looking at the LCD screen just wasn’t working. I ditched that idea.
- It should be obvious, but many people forget, but you should turn your metering mode to Spot Metering. Any matrix or center-weighted mode isn’t going to be helpful when the solar filter renders the rest of the sky black.
- I also found that Autofocus is quite difficult in this condition. Despite the fact that you have the dark filter on, and to you it may seem like a disc with a well-defined region, your camera may have other ideas. I changed over to manual focus, and turned the focus ring myself. I found it so much easier to do this and get sharp focus.
- It is also important to remember what your meter is doing. Measurements from your meter are to compensate perceived light into neutral. The sun is decidedly not neutral. Your images will be blown-out white measuring exposure off the meter, and it is important here to dial down several stops to allow some true color in.
- This is also a scene where landscape photographers need to think differently. Photographing at aperture f/16 makes little sense here, as your focus is at infinity anyway. There is nothing here needing depth of field. So for me, estimating that my lens is sharpest around f/8, I went there instead.
- From here, making the image isn’t difficult. What you see is what you get, and the adjustments in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic (the Desktop version, friends don’t let friends use that cloud product…) are at most, quite minimal. Perhaps cropping a little depending on the length of your lens.
- The last bit, and something that is super important that I sometimes neglect, is to turn around and change all your settings back! This makes your next outdoor experience less aggravating.
I Saw An Eclipse, So Why Do My Eardrums Hurt?
I mention how similar this image is for one important reason – I have come to realize that eclipses are more about the experience than the photograph (as it should be, but photographers get that backward, all the time, including me). So while I knew it was trivial to create the images of this phenomenon, it was the phenomenon I needed to experience and cherish. There is a solar eclipse next year that I will likely miss. It is entirely possible this may be the last true solar eclipse I will see in my lifetime (the 2045 solar eclipse would require me to eat a lot better than I am now).
I had actually planned to simply photograph this at home. But I woke up to heavy fog in Santee, and not being clear when it would burn off, I decided I needed to head for the hills and into clear skies. I had a very clear spot that I had used for other phenomena, including our last annular eclipse in San Diego County. As I approached, I saw a bunch of vehicles parked, with tripods and lenses set up, and so many people standing around talking. I did not want this. I need to experience these things on my own, with time and peace and space to reflect.
There is a backup location in the area that I have often visited for other photo projects and hiking. It was only about 5 minutes distant. So I headed there immediately. When I arrived, I saw 4 vehicles in the parking lot, which is more than I wanted to see. But it turned out these were rock climbers, and they were scaling and rappelling the cliffs North of the area. So this spot was working out perfect.
At first, I thought I was all set and had the area to myself. The eclipse had started, and I went through my setup above without much issue. The sounds of the birds in the area were wonderful: I captured Bushtits, Ruby-Crowned Kinglets, California Thrashers, and California Towhees, in my Merlin Bird ID App. Their quiet and active cacophony was most welcome.
The rock climbers could be heard above. I’ve encountered this phenomenon before, as their voices bounce off the granite walls they are scaling and can be clearly heard a long ways away. But they were distant enough that it was no trouble at all, and I was glad they could enjoy their Saturday.
The fun ended at this moment.
Within 10 minutes of the deepest eclipse, a vehicle pulled into the area. I must say, there is so much area for parking, that it is pretty easy to find a spot away from others. I was in a particular spot that was far from the rock climber vehicles. Yet this vehicle deemed it necessary to park right up to the bumper of my vehicle. I sighed, but kept my focus on the sun. That was what I was there to see. Within seconds, I heard a voice, “Hi, how are you this morning?” I ignored this, with my attention at the TTL of my camera. But, I was about to enter Introvert Hell. I then heard a, “Hello?” apparently due to me not looking or responding. Then I turned to my surprise, to see that yes, an older couple did in fact intend to Extrovert my personal experience and interrupt what I was doing.
I figured I was giving off massive Leave Me Alone Energy, but the Extroverts were not dissauded. As I tried in vain to go back to my camera, the man then asked, “What are you taking pictures of?” I mentioned, of course, it was the sun. He then asked if those were good pictures. I told him that yes, of course, there is an eclipse going on. Then he wanted to know when the eclipse was, and I told him, right now. He then did the deal where he stared directly at the sun, and then said, it was hard to see (forehead slap).
I then returned to my camera, where I was mere minutes from eclipse peak, only to discover they hadn’t left and in fact were forming a semi-circle around me. I so did not want this. They then noticed when I clicked that an image showed up on the back screen, then requested to see the back screen. After showing them one, I tried to politely let them know I was here by myself by design, and I wasn’t charging audience admission. I figured I had shooed them away and was done.
I was so wrong on this.
Another vehicle pulled up with an old guy (with no shirt on) and a small dog. It seemed that Extrovert Couple knew the Old Guy With No Shirt On and greeted the dog. The dog, of course, was not on a leesh, and Old Guy With No Shirt On started yelling at his dog with a lot of profanity mixed in. He even told Extrovert Couple that his dog was an idiot, and it wasn’t lost on me there was confusion on where the actual idiocy resided.
Old Guy With No Shirt On then went on an extended soliloquy about how his dog eats certain things and then can’t control his bowel movements, and for the sake of this blog, I won’t include the actual profanity he was using. He said several times that his dog was really stupid. He regaled Extrovert Couple about monitoring his PSA score and that he has been eating really well lately. He then told them he was cutting a trail up to the rocks above with a pickaxe as he takes his dog out. He claims this is fine because “nobody goes there but me,” ignoring the fact that a small cadre of rock climbers were there. Old Guy With No Shirt On obviously was ignorant that it was illegal to cut trail in our National Forests, but again, it is the dog that is the idiot.
Extrovert Couple finally end that painful conversation by walking the actual sanctioned trail, but up pulls an 81 year old lady who also has a dog. I know this, because Old Guy With No Shirt On, immediately starts judging her dog, her walking gait, and compares the shape he is in with her. All she was doing was getting her dog a chance to use the outdoors to relieve itself.
As the loud talking continues unabated, Old Guy With No Shirt On then yells over to me, that if I REALLY wanted a good picture, I should get a photo of the rock climbers that he is absolutely certain I missed. I told him, already did that. Then Old Guy With No Shirt On doesn’t stop, telling me he thinks I should be photographing that. I finally tell the guy that I would appreciate it if he would stop talking completely, that I was photographing an eclipse he was clueless to even know was occurring, and that I’ve photographed rock climbers dozens of times. He started into the “Okay buddy…..” stuff, and I interrupted him with, “Seriously, just stop. I wanted peace and quiet here.”
Finally… Old Guy With No Shirt On gathered his poor dog, who I am sure is smarter than his owner thinks, and drove away.
I have to say, while I love the area I live, the biggest issue is that it is just too crowded. This particular spot I was at used to be a well-kept secret. A place where only a few photographers, old road researchers, and some rock climbers knew about. Now, I am there on a Saturday morning and I encounter stuff like this. Finding places of remote renown is becoming more remote and harder to find.
Further Viewing
T.M. Schultze Fine-Art America Print-On-Demand Store
T.M. Schultze is a San Diego-based photographer, traveller, and writer. He writes, photographs, and draws things of the outdoors that have inspired humans for thousands of years. He co-authored the Photographer’s Guide to Joshua Tree Park which can be purchased here.
Well that is all round uncomfortable! At least the eclipse performed as expected. It does sound like perhaps the dog might have been the brains of that particular operation.
Dogs rarely disappoint. People always do.
Ugh. I almost prefer my rained-in, no-eclipse, played video games while it was happening day.
The one next year should be total pretty close to you. You’ll have another good opportunity.
wow, just wow
Yeah, I made note of that during the last one I photographed. I actually had more fun photographing the strange light on the ground than up in the sky back then.