My Corner Online

 

Solar Eclipse 2024

What a great experience viewing the solar eclipse! I pondered forever with so many ideas of where to photograph and film the eclipse. I really did not want to go to the same location as in 2017 which was by the classic bridge shot in Cape Girardeau. You can see that video and my photos on this website page. I rather liked the sunset photo and compilation I did in 2017. At the very last minute I decided to go for it and went right back to almost the same location.
The above compilation image is a bit silly, but I am trying to be unique and be me. I decided to put text on a path on my compilation to reflect my thoughts while I was snapping the photos. I kept saying in the before photos that I was “munching” out the sun and so the opposite of “munching” is “unmunching” and that is what was going through my head as I took the final series of photos. Of course, in the middle it was just “wow!” Then a co-worker told me they were spitting it back out and that made me laugh!
Do you like all my Pacman munching images? I mean, they are just circles with circle parts cut out of them. Really, there are not too exciting, huh? But I tell ya, I really did take all those photos myself!

I had a faux pas! I bought a neutral density filter months in advance. When I played with my camera to learn the Saturday before, I realized that it fit my everyday lens and not my distance lens! I was in a stat of alarm! I ended up buying a camping emergency blanket as there were conflicting reports online as whether or not it was safe to use. I was being very brave when I pointed it at the sun for the first time. Thankfully, today my camera seems to still be working okay. I understand that it could have burned the sensor on my camera, but my lens would have survived, and my lens is the more expensive item, so I took the risk. I never did use the filter I spent good money on!

This is the initial photo of the full sun.

My solar eclipse video above begins with an animation of my photos. I only included a few of the photo on this website page. I made the video focusing on my total experience in that I am preserving my own memories, but I hope others enjoy the format as well. I included the heavy traffic along the highway all attempting to get here where I did not have to go anywhere. I tried to share my thoughts during the eclipse and at one point I could not find my words, so I repeated myself several times (about 4:10 minutes in on the video). I decided to leave that it as it shows how difficult it was to express myself. It is the authentic me!
Everything is time-stamped in the left-hand corner which took me a while to do but I think helps bring it to reality. It took me a long time to time-stamp all of the images! I found that my camera was one minute and 8 seconds off and to calculate the difference was often difficult, especially when going over the top of the hour.
I felt like I was late in sharing and everyone was weary of seeing the same images already. Thanks for watching. It's 11:11 minutes long which isn't too bad.

This photo was taken at 1:13 p.m. as I was playing to see how I might get the bridge during totality.

This is also 1:13 p.m.

This is also 1:13 p.m. as the partial eclipse began to put highlights on the bridge rungs.

This was 1:24 p.m. I realized with my distance lens I could not get the bridge and the eclipse in the photo as I had set myself up to do because I was too close. I was going to have to get the scene where I was sitting with my iPhone.

This is 1:24 p.m. also and you can see how the sun is hitting the bush to my right.

Also 1:24 p.m. and I like that you can see the other folks I was with under the bridge for perspective. To my right are the people on the hill under the River Campus. When totality hit, I enjoyed listening to their cheers. The folks under the bridge were from Colorado and Georgia. The folks parked in the camper next to my truck were from Tennessee, and there was a man I met in his car right under the bridge with a huge camera lens that was from Florida.

This is 1:38 p.m. and you can see how the closing eclipse is creating a long shadow effect in the way it hits the bush to my right.

This is 1:51 p.m. This is when it began to get exciting because the eclipse was imminent.

The timeline of the eclipse began at 12:41 p.m. (noon) with the sun munching beginning. I had taken my first full shot at 12:37 from home and then I headed downtown. I took my first photo from my spot at 1:16 p.m. I would have been in place earlier, but I was chatting with people who liked to chat!

1:58 p.m. was the start of the total eclipse

2:00 p.m. was the maximum eclipse (so after this point the moon began to move away from sun)

2:02 p.m. was the end of the total eclipse

Then the sun began "unmunching" as it filled out and the partial eclipse ended at 3:17 p.m.

The duration of totality for Cape Girardeau was 4 minutes and 6 seconds.

This is 1:54 p.m., just four minutes before total eclipse. If you look closely you can see the light on the bridge rungs.

1:56 p.m. This was the last hurrah of the sun before it was covered.

1:57 p.m. The 'last hurrah' of the sun before it is covered up in the next minute.

Also 1:57 p.m.

This is 1:58 p.m., the beginning of the total eclipse.

This is also 1:58 p.m., the beginning of the total eclipse.

This is also 1:58 p.m., the beginning of the total eclipse.

This is also 1:58 p.m., the beginning of the total eclipse.

This is also 1:58 p.m., the beginning of the total eclipse.

This is also 1:58 p.m., the beginning of the total eclipse.

This is also 1:58 p.m., the beginning of the total eclipse. My iPhone was adjusting to the darkness and making it look brighter than it was actually.

This is also 1:58 p.m., the beginning of the total eclipse. I adjusted my exposure down on my iPhone and this is closer to what it looked like. I loved the sunset and the fact I could capture the eclipse with my phone. Of course, while I am doing my phone, I missed images with my distance lens and camera. Four minutes goes by fast and I juggled the two the best I could and got what I got.

This is 1:59 p.m., moments before totality, with my iPhone of the bridge underneath the eclipse.

This is also 1:59 p.m., now back on my distance lens and camera. I struggled to get it to focus as there was little for it to focus on, even though I had switched to manual focus. I only had seconds to get it right and I did not quite get it right.

This is 2:00 p.m. This is maximum totality. The photo is not in focus, but you can see the red flare that so many others captured so well. Go look for those images to appreciate this moment more. I like that I have my photo of the moment though, whether good or not.

This is also 2:00 p.m., maximum totality. I share them because if you look closely you can see how the multiple red flares show up in different places on each of my photos.

During totality I also switched to video on my distance lens and camera for a short snippet and as soon as I did, the bird right behind me in the bush started chirping! It made me jump! And then I caught it on the camera! You can see and hear that in the above video.

This is also 2:00 p.m., maximum totality. I share them because if you look closely you can see how the multiple red flares show up in different places on each of my photos.

This is also 2:00 p.m., maximum totality. I share them because if you look closely you can see how the multiple red flares show up in different places on each of my photos.

This is also 2:00 p.m. at maximum totality. I did not have time to adjust the exposure down, but I like the people under the bridge to show perspective and the eclipse in the sky all in one photo.

This is 2:01 p.m., just after maximum totality. I must have adjusted my exposure down on my iPhone from the previous photo as it crossed the minute line.

This is 2:02 p.m. as the eclipse is ending.

This is also 2:02 p.m. as the total eclipse is ending and the sun begins to break out from behind the moon.

This is 2:03 p.m. and the total eclipse has ended.

This is also 2:03 p.m. as the sun begins to break out again and I being to experience sunrise in the middle of the day!

This is 2:05 p.m.

This is 2:11 p.m. as I am experience sunrise in the middle of the day! It was an experience. I like noticing the differences in the bush on the left from previous photos. My photos did not do it justice though.

This was 2:32 p.m. as I headed back to my truck to finish taking the "unmunching" photos from the passenger seat of my truck. You can see the hill has cleared out. In the video the couple in the camper van (parked next to me) took, you can see the mass amounts of people on the hill and also hear them cheering. Here you see they are cleared out for the most part. In 2017 there were only me for the longest time and then two other couples finally joined me. It was a totally different experience having a mass of people here with me.

2:47 p.m.

2:47 p.m. as I take pictures of the "unmunching" from my truck. I was at the Missouri Dry Dock location under the bridge near the River Campus. My spot during the eclipse was next to the railroad tracks down to the left of this photo.

I show in the video my set up for my photos.

This is the neutral density filter that I purchased and did not use! I can see the reflection of the sun in it.

This is 3:05 p.m.

This is 3:17 p.m. when the eclipse ended. I chatted a bit with people and then went home. I found myself dehydrated from the sun and needed to rehydrate and relax. I sure wish I had taken water with me, but I did not think I would get dehydrated since I was not being physical as I would on a hike. Getting old stinks! The sun and heat never used to bother me.

---