Photographing the Lunar Eclipse at Walker Lake, Nevada
Being noted as a photographer who loves chasing full moons, I was excited to try and catch rare triple lunar event of January 31, 2018. Because the eclipse was starting at the early morning hours, around 02:51 PST, I set up for the photos in my backyard with a full view of the western sky.
On the evening prior to the eclipse I had my ski pants, a hoodie and warm jacket ready for when the alarm sounded at 02:30. Earlier that day, I selected my photography gear: camera with charged battery, extra SD card, 80-200m 2.8 lens, remote cable release and flashlight. When the moon first appeared I pre-focused on its bright face and did a camera test to make sure everything was working properly.
On the evening prior to the eclipse I had my ski pants, a hoodie and warm jacket ready for when the alarm sounded at 02:30. Earlier that day, I selected my photography gear: camera with charged battery, extra SD card, 80-200m 2.8 lens, remote cable release and flashlight. When the moon first appeared I pre-focused on its bright face and did a camera test to make sure everything was working properly.
The eclipse officially begins when the moon enters the Earth’s pale outer shadow, the penumbra. During the first 40 minutes any changes are so faint and hard to notice. I waited to begin my photo shoot and took the first exposure at 04:22 PST. My shutter speed was 1/2000; I selected a 200 ISO and f/8 aperture.
The penumbra appeared as a dark smudge on the moon’s upper left surface and this was just before the moon entered the Earth’s dark umbral shadow.
After the penumbra has reached approximately 70% the Earth’s shadow starts to deepen.
The moon crossed into the Earth’s dark central shadow, the umbra. The dark shadow deepened on the moon’s left-hand eastern limb. The partial phases of the eclipse begin.
Less than 5 minutes to totality the contrast between the remaining silvery light of the moon’s surface and the reddish brown color over the disk may produce a beautiful phenomenon—the Japanese Lantern Effect.
The total eclipse began at 06:27 when the last portion of the moon entered the Earth’s umbra. The moon may appear differently with each lunar eclipse and this coincides with the amount of sunlight that is scattered and refracted around the edge of the Earth by the atmosphere.
The moon’s shine was so much dimmer during the eclipse that I slowed my shutter speed down to 10 seconds. The moon was moving to the south of the Earth’s umbra and the upper portion of its disk appeared darkest with hues of dark red. Its lower portion was brighter with more of an orange and soft bluish hue. Unfortunately, I was unable to catch the ending of the eclipse due to the moon setting behind the Wassuk Mountains, around 06:30 PST.
The Walker Lake, Nevada area this late in January was blessed with a pleasant night of mild weather, calm wind and slightly overcast skies. I have attempted to photograph other lunar eclipses where the wind was blowing so hard that I could not prevent the camera from almost shaking off the tripod. For me, the best part of the night was the mild 36°f temperature which normally is much below freezing.
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.
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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