The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I traveled to Meadowlakes/Mable Falls Texas (about an hour’s drive west of Austin) for the solar eclipse. The week leading up to leaving I was constantly checking weather forecasts and trying hard not to be disappointed by the expected cloud cover and possible rain/thunder storms. We stuck with our original plan, and by C1 the cloudy skies were breaking up. Between C1 and about 10 minutes before C2, the partially eclipsed sun showed itself on and off. I periodically took a series of nine bracketed images, just like I had practiced multiple times at home. But then about 10 minutes before C2 the clouds moved back in and completely blanketed the sky. As the minutes passed I began to wonder if totality would not be visible. The ambient light kept getting lower and lower but the sun was no longer to be seen. But then, miraculously, the clouds broke up again, but by now the sun was no longer in my frame as I was not able to manually track it as I had been (with a geared head). I witnessed totality with my own eyes and had a moment of awe and feeling like I was on another planet. Then I panicked while trying to get the eclipsed sun back into frame. I think I lost my mind for those four minutes because I cannot remember removing the filter (although I did) and I stopped bracketing my shots for some reason I cannot explain. The clouds continued to pass in front of the sun but there with gaps here and there. I only managed to get two shots with the sun in frame and not completely occluded by clouds. After C2, I checked the images I managed to capture and felt a sigh of relief I had the two I could work with.
Dean, another amazing look at this event from a different location and different results too. After seeing most of the NPN posts on the eclipse I feel everyone involved should feel very good about all the images collectively. Fine work here again…
Reading your description, I could feel the tension and suspense you must have experienced waiting for this photo to materialize in your camera. Congratulations on this capture. NPN and the photographers here sharing their work have been a great consolation for me that I missed seeing it and photographing totality myself. Thank you for sharing your photo and your experience, it made me feel like I was there, and it definitely reminded me of my 2017 experience, when after totality ended, and I looked at the number of photos I captured of it, I do not recall ever taking them, and it was all manual at the time.
So far, of all the photos posted of totality, your photo has the most ethereal look. Almost other-worldly. Great stuff.
Very nice image. I can absolutely relate, as well as the many other photographers who captured the eclipse, that once it starts I think we lose our minds temporarily. All camera knowledge seems to be erased for a brief moment as we are awestruck at what is happening. I am glad that you were able to capture images even though mother nature and the weather may not have cooperated as planned. Great image and thank you for sharing.
I agree with @Youssef_Ismail – you have a very other-worldly capture! The weather was a great disappointment to a lot of people, not just photographers, but you have the best consolation possible – that you did the best you could and have a very nice and unique image to show for it, along with some well-deserved pride in pulling it off.
Dean, I was also near Marble Falls and had the same experience. I got a series of bracketed shots at totality that look a lot like yours. I thought the stars of the show for me were the beautiful roadside wildflowers. A great visual experience all around.
