I thought I had already taken photos for the Texture Tuesday LIGHT challenge, but I changed my mind after Sunday evening. Yesterday, May 20th, was the annular solar eclipse. From the S.F. Bay area, it was only a partial eclipse, but still very exciting.
My sister and I went up to Mt. Diablo to view it with the Mt. Diablo Astrological Society, but we were running late, and by the time we got there the campground was packed. The park rangers told us we would have to drive up to the summit to view the eclipse. We only had minutes to spare before the eclipse reached its peak, so we hurried up the mountain.
Well when we got to the summit it too was full, and the park rangers weren't allowing anyone else to park in the parking lot. My hopes of viewing the eclipse were dashed! Fortunately, I remembered a parking lot just a bit down from the summit, so we went there to park. Although it didn't appear to have much of a view, we got out to look around.
My sister is much more outgoing than I am, and she went up to the other photographers and asked them how they were photographing the eclipse. She called me over to let me in on their secret. The photographers didn't have any special solar lenses to photograph the solar eclipse, they were using mylar! Huh? Yes, mylar! One couple was simply using the silver lined wrapper of a breakfast bar. That mylar wrapper gave the sun a very yellow and orange appearance. Here is the wonderful couple that allowed me to use their breakfast bar wrapper to take the following moving picture.
Oh my! They are all SOOO wonderful! But I especially love the last image of the partial solar eclipse. What a capture to be sure! Lovely!
ReplyDeleteGreat photos Cathy! I watched it from the Peninsula but didn't have special items to really see it or photograph it. I"m not quite sure how you used the breakfast bar wrapper but I love the photo!
ReplyDeleteSorry that I didn't explain how we used the wrapper. It was simply opened and flattened, then my sister held it over the lense as I shot the photos. At first I thought there was a pin-hole in the wrapper, but there wasn't. Mylar is a bit opaque and only lets in strong light such as the sun. We could see the sun perfectly thru both types of mylar : )
DeleteAwww, what a fabulous event you captured on camera, lucky you! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
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ReplyDeleteGreat story and photos!
ReplyDeleteLove it when things don't work out - but do!!
Wonderful post and great photos, things often happen for a reason, obviously you were meant to view the eclipse here and meet all these people too who shared with you. Just love the last shot. Great edit and a wonderful Texture Tuesday post.
ReplyDeletereally lovely... i especially love that last one.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful event to have captured! That last shot is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteHow fun!!! LOVE the last one...frame and all.
ReplyDeleteAhh how fun, really great images!!
ReplyDeletewow gorgeous shots Cathy
ReplyDeleteThese are so interesting, I love the moving images, very creative! Life's like that isn't it? It knows what we need even when we don't :)
ReplyDeleteoh, wow! that is so cool, cathy. what an incredible night that sounds like. not just because of what you saw and captured, but because the journey to get there and how you got to meet other photographers in the process. i would have loved to have been there and been one of the photographers you met!... and to see what you saw. i love the moving pictures! did you just zoom in each frame? so fun... like taking a little mini trip to the moon.
ReplyDeleteand that last shot! love the processing. the first shot... WOW. just wow! beautiful.
thanks for linking it up today! =)