The transit of Venus

Image Critiques Weekly Challenge
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Critique Style Requested: Standard

The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.

Description

Sometimes it is fun to just try something new, even if failure is likely, but in this case (on 06/05/12) I was fortunate to see the transit of Venus (just a “small” dot at the top) across the Sun! I was careful of eyes and camera and had luck on my side. It is, truly, an amazing world we are in! I probably will not push my luck with the upcoming total eclipse of the sun coming up in a few weeks as I’m sure there will be many great photos of it and I can just take the time to watch it!

Specific Feedback

any and all

Technical Details

Pentax K-7, 1/640, f/14, 300mm, ISO200 with adjustments to tone curves, sharpening and dehaze in LR.

1 Like
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Great capture! You might select the blown white areas on the Sun and burn a bit. It will be just grey, but it might work.

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@Ronald_Murphy , thanks, and, yes, I tried and got a great shade of gray! I’m sure there is a way to simply color that gray to be another color!!

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Very nice! With thick clouds you can get away with shooting the sun. (VERY thick.) Please, do not try shooting the partial eclipse phases without a real solar filter. A 10+ stop ND or welding goggles won’t protect your eyes or your sensor from UV and IR. Lots of info online.

During totality, if you can get in the path, no protection needed! It’s like shooting a full moon. Only WAY better.

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WOW !!! What a beautiful Image in capturing the Sun !!! And to capture Venus is a real treasure.

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Thanks for the important reminder to ALL here. One of my eyes has the cornea of a 43-year old woman, now for 20 years due to an anomaly, to I’m very sensitive—literally and figuratively, to protecting eyes. Central Vermont IS in the path of totality for the upcoming eclipse but, as I said, do not plan on making any photos.

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@Yes, it is one to remember! I had no real idea, until I saw it, how small Venus would appear against the backdrop of the immensity of the sun.

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What a cool image John. Hard to imagine the size of the sun when you see a full planet millions of miles closer to us looking this small in comparison.

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Astonishing, I never expected the largest planet in our solar system to look so tiny against the sun. What advice do you have for shooting the eclipse coming in April?

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I don’t know if it is advice but I can tell you what I’m going to do: I’m leaving my camera on the shelf, putting my solar glasses on and just enjoying SEEING all three minutes of totality (if the clouds allow!) and then going online to see the zillions of fabulous photos others will be making. :grinning. My life it too short to miss actually seeing it just to get a marginal photo. Wherever you are, I hope you enjoy the event!

1 Like
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Sounds like a good idea. I tried to do both, but neither turned out very well. I am amazed at your photo of Venus transiting. It reinforces the vastness of the universe.