Posted on by Anne Sandler · 56 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #271: Contrasts

Timing is everything. Amy’s challenge this morning is on contrasts: shadows and light, colors, hard and soft, etc. It just happens that this is the morning of the annular (partial) solar eclipse. We didn’t see much of it in California, but NASA put on a good show for us. Amy, I hope you were able to see the totality in Texas.

NASA gives this explanation of a solar eclipse: A solar eclipse happens when, at just the right moment, the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth. Sometimes the Moon only blocks part of the Sun’s light. This is called a partial solar eclipse. Other times, the Moon blocks all of the Sun’s light. This is called a total solar eclipse. As the Moon blocks the Sun’s light, it casts a shadow on part of the Earth.The Moon’s shadow creates a trail as Earth rotates. This trail is called the path of totality. If you want to experience total darkness during an eclipse, you have to be in the path of totality. In that path, the Moon completely blocks the Sun’s light for a few minutes. It gets so dark that it looks like night time during a full Moon!

So why am I mentioning this? Watching the eclipse unfold on my computer screen, I thought there is no better contrast between the sun and moon during this rare occasion. This took me back to the total solar eclipse Richard and I viewed in Idaho in 2017. That was an amazing experience. We were camping in our trailer, but crowds came in that morning. During the eclipse the crowd went quiet until totality. Then the clapping and yelling started. Wow!

I took pictures with my Nikon D3100, armed with a solar filter, handheld. Here are my results of nature’s contrast of the sun and moon from beginning to totality and the end.

I hope you enjoyed my cosmic contrast scenes. Thank you Amy for encouraging me to look back. When you post your contrasts, please remember to link to Amy’s post and use the Lens-Artists tag. I enjoyed seeing all your varied displays last week as encouraged by Ann-Christine. I always enjoy your unique posts and interpretations to our challenges. Next week John is presenting the challenge so be sure to look for his post.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 25 Comments

Lens Artist Challenge #150: Get Wild

Get wild! That’s the challenge given this week by Dianne Milliard of Rambling Ranger. She gave us parameters: no ” groomed gardens or animals in the zoo. No people or signs of people.” So that left out some of the parties we have in our senior community!

I gave it some thought and focused on an event that was a one time opportunity for me. Something I had never done before. But something wild and caused by nature. The total solar eclipse in August 2017. The event was seen in many places, but we chose Weiser Idaho. We got there a couple of days early so we could get a good spot for our RV. Richard checked out his sun scope and I was trying to get my Nikon d3100 ready. I shot with the 3100 just in case something happened. I didn’t want to ruin my d7100.

I was so nervous and truly beyond my photographic level. I read tutorials, etc. I wanted a trial run, but nature doesn’t do that!

The filter Richard (My husband is an astronomer.) made for me wasn’t the best. So I walked around and talked to other photographers (with more knowledge) and one of them gave me one of his filters. I am always amazed at how generous photographers are!

Eclipse day arrived. I perched the 3100 on the tripod while Richard had his sun scope ready to go. The moon was about to cover the sun, but I couldn’t find it while the camera was on the tripod. I wasn’t going to miss this. Off came the camera and I shot the eclipse hand held.

Here are some of the pictures I got that day.

The beginning:

The last crescent, diamond ring and Totality

The reversal begins as the moon moves away from the sun.

So this was my wild adventure of mother nature at it’s wildest.

Another outcome from this was Richard meeting a former science teacher who talked to him about becoming a NASA Ambassador. Now he gives astronomy talks at libraries and via zoom.

Thanks Dianne. This was a fun and wild challenge.

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 11 Comments

On the road again: Total Solar Eclipse

Exhilarated, excited, frustrated, anxious are just some of the feelings I had the morning of August 21, 2017. It’s now August 23, 2017, and I have all my eclipse images edited and blog ready.

Let’s deal with the frustrated and anxious feelings of that morning. Initially, I was going to use Richard’s small telescope attached to my D3100. We didn’t really get a chance to practice during our stay at Glacier National Park because of smokey skies. I read tutorials on shooting the eclipse, but none were on using a telescope as a lens. I was anxious about that telescope: how do I change the aperture, and what about the proper exposure?

When we went to visit the NASA folks, I saw a guy using a coffee can on a 70 – 300 mm lens attached to a Nikon D3100. He seemed confident that it would work well. I told Richard about it and he fashioned a filter using material from pair of solar glasses and attaching it to the lens hood. It worked great. Now I could use my D7100.

Back to the tutorials! I did get frustrated because they seemed to contradict each other. The worst of all, I really couldn’t work with the tripod. I couldn’t find the sun in live view, and I couldn’t see the live view screen. I saw my reflection. I tried using a loop, but that made it more difficult.

So, I decided to handhold. I knew the risks, but I wanted to enjoy the eclipse. I decided to use my D3100 to capture the crowd during intervals of shooting the eclipse. Actually, it worked out, except for the totality. I did get one good shot of it though.

Exhilaration and excitement came rapidly when the eclipse began. The crowd roared as the sun began to slip behind the moon. There were shouts of joy during each phase, especially during totality. Here are my images from the eclipse: before totality, environmental shots, totality, and after totality.

The front row of RVs and cars were added the night before.
Everyone was getting ready.
Richard was manning his sun scope.
Here’s a side view.
A former science teacher brought this homemade scope she used in her classroom.
The eclipse begins.
The sun actually moved rapidly.
It carved out slices.
Each slice making the sun less visible.
I would catch the sun by first looking with my eclipse glasses.
Then I would move my protected lens so I couldn’t see the sun any longer.
Then I would move my glasses up out of the way.
I would then be able to shoot the sun as it moved behind the moon.
It became a sliver of it’s former self.
And down to this before totality.
This was the best I could get during totality. I knew it would be difficult without a tripod because of diminished light.
Right after totality, people started leaving.
I couldn’t believe they weren’t waiting for the second half of the show!
Coming out of totality.
Forming a crescent again.
Getting larger.
And larger.
And more large.
Almost a full sun again.

Right now we are two days from home, and I’m ready to get there. We’ve decided not to do anymore road trips. It’s destination trips from now on. I would say this trip was a great one to end on. From beautiful Glacier National Park to the amazing total solar eclipse. And a big thank you to the small town of Weiser, Idaho. They did a great job with the amount of people added to their community. Oh, I have just one more feeling to add: wonderful!

 

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 2 Comments

On the road again: A small town gets ready for a big event, Weiser, Idaho

The sky will turn dark this morning as we experience a total solar eclipse. The timing for our trip to Glacier National Park revolved around our getting to a place for viewing the eclipse–a once in our lifetime event.

So here we are in Weiser, Idaho, a tiny town living in the past as much as it can and enjoying it. When we arrived, a children’s festival was being prepared, an adult festival was already in progress, eclipse shirts and viewing glasses were being sold. Around our campground (which is really the lawn of the National Old Time Fiddlers’ Association), there are food and drink vendors. Two young boys are selling popsicles and ice cream.

The Old Time Fiddlers’ Association building.
Festival in Memorial Park.
Getting ready for a children’s festival.
Food vendor.
Drink vendor.

The field across the street has filled with people, tents and RVs. NASA and MIT have taken spots on the High School’s track.

Tents in the High School Field.
There’s always a solution!
NASA
Following the sun.
MIT

Right now at 8:20 Mountain Time, there are a lot of people setting up. Breakfast is being sold. It’s a bit chilly, so I’m going to get a light jacket and join everyone. I’m still not sure whether I’ll shoot the eclipse. Reason: I really don’t know what I’m doing. Last night, we fashioned a solar filter for my 55 – 300 mm lens, but maybe I’ll be better off taking photos of the eclectic crowd.

I only have a couple of hours to decide before the sky turns dark.