A Photographer Captured A Solar Eclipse And It Was Nothing Like He Imagined

I Photographed A Total Solar Eclipse And It Was Nothing Like I Imagined

The first eclipse I remember was in 1979. I’ve seen a few others, but never a total eclipse. Partials are great, but I was prepared for something amazing today. We gathered up the family, were blessed with a last minute hotel room in SC and found a great watching spot on Monday. The folks at David Hellams Community Center in Greenville, SC were fantastic.

As the moon slowly began covering the sun, the daylight took on a crisp and surreal quality. The temperature dropped and I couldn’t wait for totality.
I had honestly expected it to look nothing like pictures I’ve seen or videos I’ve watched. I was prepared for clouds and a “meh” experience.
This topped it all.

The shots I got of the corona do not begin to compare to what it was like to look upon those photons with my own eyes. I hope you enjoy these pics. It was an amazing day.
Two minutes of totality. Now I’m hooked. I’m already planning for 2024.

For those curious about details, I shot these on a Canon T6i with a 200 mm zoom lens. I rigged up a simple filter using a solar filter and some cardboard. When totality happened, I removed the filter for the corona shots. I kept the ISO around 6400.
My gear setup with DIY filter holder

$10 filter worked great

Tripod and remote shutter control are a must to minimize shake and blur

Me taking a pic of me taking a pic (insert “inception” sound herem)

My fave of the day