Story of the Photo: Total Solar Eclipse

In August of 2017, the day after my birthday, I traveled to Tennessee with Xavier University’s Physics Department (and my dad) to witness an awe-inspiring total solar eclipse — and did it deliver!

The air got cooler as the sky darkened, the resulting breeze cooled the summer heat to a more tolerable temperature, and the birds stopped chirping. Leaves cast crescent shaped shadows as the moon moved in front of the sun. We all stared up at the sky in silence.

Determined to capture the perfect shot, I practiced taking sun photos for weeks prior, tweaking and testing my fstop, shutter speed, and ISO. I electrical taped a certified solar shield to my camera’s lens hood and tried and tried again until I got the sun looking exactly like I wanted (never look directly at the sun or through your optics without a filter. You’ll burn your eyes and your camera!).

Once we got to a park we reserved in Tennessee, I was confident I was ready. Once the big event happened, I started shooting. A lot. The resulting composite is still one of my favorite pieces. There is even an autographed copy of the print in Xavier University’s library.

Although it didn’t take nearly as much preparation, I also photographed the 2024 eclipse, during which I proposed to my now wife. We’re nothing if not romantic.

Keep looking up, just make sure you use appropriate protection.