Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2017/08/23
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Like Howard's earlier email, Peter, you've given us another excellent piece on why everyone should try and see totality at least once. Douglas On 23/08/2017 08:46, Peter Klein wrote: > As I mentioned earlier, I did not attempt to photograph the total > solar eclipse seriously--I was more interested in seeing it than > messing with a camera. But I did devote a few seconds to taking a > quick record shot with a pre-set camera. I used a 28mm-equivalent > lens, which was needed to show both the eclipsed sun and the earth > below. For the best view, set your browser to full screen, then click > on the photo to enlarge. > > <https://www.flickr.com/photos/24844563 at > N04/36750483415/in/dateposted-public/> > > > This picture will give you some idea of the context, how the sky and > surroundings looked relative to each other, as I saw it. As it's a > wide angle shot, the eclipsed sun is much smaller than it appeared to > the naked eye. What you can't see is the incredible, intricate detail > of totality: red solar prominences, the inner corona, the faint, > ghostly outer corona with three brighter lines streaming off into > space for several solar diameters, and the moon faintly illuminated by > earthshine, its features just barely visible. Not to mention the > planet Venus and the brighter stars clearly visible. > > Each of these things would require a separate exposure, as the total > dynamic range of the various features is greater than a camera can > record simultaneously. The typical eclipse photos that show a black > moon with a thin corona are misleading. The only photos that show > anything like what I saw are digital composites of multiple > exposures. And even they often miss one feature or another. Google > "solar eclipse composite" and you'll see what I mean. > > I took this shot shortly after the beginning of totality. Then I did > a quick 360 degree turn to look at sunset-like colors around the > horizon (you can see a little of that in the photo). I glanced > quickly at the stars when my wife exclaimed that she could see them. > Then I watched the eclipsed sun through a pair of 7x35 binoculars. > > None of the above conveys the emotions of what I saw. I've never seen > anything like it before. As to what I felt, it was like the first > time I heard Mahler's Second Symphony. > > --Peter > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information