# Eclipse composite draft (plus final version) **URL:** \ **Category:** Image Critiques\ **Tags:** astro\ **Created:** [April 9, 2024, 12:59pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/eclipse-composite-draft-plus-final-version/40732 "2024-04-09T12:59:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dan\_Hicks](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/dan_hicks/32/59507_2.png) [@Dan\_Hicks](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Dan_Hicks)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2024, 12:59pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/eclipse-composite-draft-plus-final-version/40732/1 "2024-04-09T12:59:24Z")
Final version: ![eclipse copy](https://images.naturephotographers.network/original/3X/9/5/95f6be0fbf90bddf463cbf774d50203cc1ed3ca9.jpeg) Draft: ![eclipse_draft copy.jpg](https://images.naturephotographers.network/original/3X/8/d/8dc633718ea5a7aa1883d9c0f5b1e276ff22f2fb.jpeg) > **Critique Style Requested:** _Standard_ > > The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image. ### Description I’m in southern Illinois, visiting some friends. Conditions were just about perfect, with nothing more than a few very thin high-elevation wisps of clouds. This was my first solar eclipse, and I came with some new equipment but no real plan. The biggest challenge was definitely camera vibration on the long lens! I could see sunspots in the live preview, but they were mostly lost in the actual captures. Looking through my shots afterwards, I decided to do the kind of progressive composition I’ve seen elsewhere. But the timing of the shots was completely irregular, so the result feels a little asymmetrical. I also need to refine the position of everything. ### Final version Thanks for your feedback @Dennis_Plank , @Youssef_Ismail , @Diane_Miller , and @Ed_Williams ! I decided I like the color contrast. The orange feels like the sun, and the much cooler color of the corona stresses that the eclipse is special and different. I also kept the linear path, since a curvy bezier thing is just beyond my skills with Gimp. The only real difference in the final version is that I positioned things geometrically instead of by eyeball. ### Technical Details Sony a7 with a Tamon 500mm f/8 reflex lens and a homemade filter using Thousand Oaks Optical material. Filtered images were shot at 1/640, ISO 1600. Totality was shot at 1/400, ISO 2000. Only postprocessing was compositing in Gimp. ---
**Author:** ![Dennis\_Plank](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/dennis_plank/32/27033_2.png) [@Dennis\_Plank](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Dennis_Plank)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2024, 3:42pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/eclipse-composite-draft-plus-final-version/40732/2 "2024-04-09T15:42:03Z")
Nice, Dan. I don’t mind the asymmetry at all. I could see some position changes, but I certainly don’t find the current ones objectionable. I suspect a slight arc whether realistic or not, might me more artistically pleasing. I think you might want to try copying the color of the others into the center corona image, but I could be wrong on that. ---
**Author:** ![Youssef\_Ismail](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/youssef_ismail/32/486_2.png) [@Youssef\_Ismail](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Youssef_Ismail)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2024, 4:47pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/eclipse-composite-draft-plus-final-version/40732/3 "2024-04-09T16:47:06Z")
Dan, Great job! I like the diagonal arrangement and keep it on the straight line as it is as the sun and moon moved along the ecliptic in southern Illinois. I particularly like the toenail slivers just before and after totality. ---
**Author:** ![Diane\_Miller](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/diane_miller/32/27391_2.png) [@Diane\_Miller](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Diane_Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2024, 12:45am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/eclipse-composite-draft-plus-final-version/40732/4 "2024-04-11T00:45:38Z")
Very nice! The asymmetry is because you were well off the center line. The color of the total phase is correct — the corona is basically colorless. The color of the partial phases is due to the solar filter. There is one that gives a neutral cast but most have an orange color. Quite an experience wasn’t it!!! ---
**Author:** ![Ed\_Williams](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/ed_williams/32/65698_2.png) [@Ed\_Williams](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Ed_Williams)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 7:40pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/eclipse-composite-draft-plus-final-version/40732/5 "2024-04-12T19:40:24Z")
This is a wonderful series Dan. The different angles in the series are really interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Diane\_Miller](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/diane_miller/32/27391_2.png) [@Diane\_Miller](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Diane_Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2024, 9:29pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/eclipse-composite-draft-plus-final-version/40732/6 "2024-04-13T21:29:41Z")
Very nice tweak for the final version! The linear path is appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![DeanRoyer](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/deanroyer/32/33767_2.png) [@DeanRoyer](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/DeanRoyer)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2024, 9:26pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/eclipse-composite-draft-plus-final-version/40732/7 "2024-04-14T21:26:12Z")
Nicely done. I like the final version with the refined positioning.