Playing Hide and Seek with the Sun
On Sunday, May 20, 2012 around 17:30 or 5:30 PDT the moon was to be passing
between the Earth and the Sun, creating an annular solar eclipse. An annular
solar eclipse occurs when the smaller moon blocks out most of the sun's light,
creating an annulus ring or Ring of Fire.
Not having the proper solar filter did not dissuade me from trying to capture a photo of this rare event. I stacked several filters on my 35-70mm 2.8 Nikon lens including a Tiffen Neutral Density #3, a Nikon Circular Polarizer and a Heliopan Split Neutral Density. With camera on tripod and electronic cable release attached, I ventured out to get the photos without looking at the eclipsing sun. Contrary to some myths, it is not safe to look at the sun even though it is 99 percent covered by the moon. That one percent is still bright enough to cause eye damage.
Not having the proper solar filter did not dissuade me from trying to capture a photo of this rare event. I stacked several filters on my 35-70mm 2.8 Nikon lens including a Tiffen Neutral Density #3, a Nikon Circular Polarizer and a Heliopan Split Neutral Density. With camera on tripod and electronic cable release attached, I ventured out to get the photos without looking at the eclipsing sun. Contrary to some myths, it is not safe to look at the sun even though it is 99 percent covered by the moon. That one percent is still bright enough to cause eye damage.
What I was hoping to get would have been something like this:
However, nature was up to playing hide and seek with the sun as a layer of clouds moved in right over the Wassuk Mountains where the sun would be setting. Since I was set up, I took some exposures of the sun behind the clouds on manual setting at f/22 with the shutter speed at 1/4000 second. Some interesting results were produced from lens flare.
After processing the RAW photos in Lightroom, I noticed the reflection of the eclipsing sun down below.
Around 18:22 or 6:22 PDT the clouds were hanging close, but it was fun to just watch the earth grow dark with a calm stillness everywhere. Even the noisy birds grew quiet.
What
an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been. I love
it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get
treated to new experiences.
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Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.
"Reflecting Nature's Artistry"
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