I Enjoyed Capturing My First Solar Eclipse. Here Are Three Things I Will Change For Next Time

Hands down, the 2024 Great Eclipse was a top-five epic experience. Not only was it my first time witnessing a total eclipse, but I also had a front-row seat in the backyard of the house where I grew up in Meadville, Pennsylvania.

My first eclipse experience was in 2017 while living in Portland, Oregon.  Unfortunately, I was outside the path of totality and only got coverage around 99.5%. It reminded me of an old saying – 99% is an itch, while 100% is a breeze.

Little did I know how right I was. While seeing the sun covered to a sliver and the crescent-shaped shadows it produced was cool, there was something epic about full-on totality. Images of totality on social media in 2017 burned in my mind as an otherworld experience that required my own commitment to seeing it with my own eyes.

As soon as I discovered that the next total eclipse was predicted over my hometown in 2024, I knew I needed to go.  I had no idea where I would be in life after seven years, but that eclipse was always on the horizon in my mind, year after year.

In early April, I traveled back home to beat the rush.  Growing up within the temperate Great Lakes climate, I knew statistically that the odds were not favorable for good weather, but another total eclipse wasn't predicted to occur for two more decades in the United States, let alone another one over my hometown. I bought plane tickets early and figured, at the very least, it would be good to see my parents.  As the day approached, the forecast was looking surprisingly favorable for showtime.

Luckily, my bet paid off despite the odds.

Game day was overcast, and people around town were murmuring about the potential bust. I knew historically that the sun would probably drill the clouds apart throughout the morning as the temperature continued climbing. We had blue skies around two hours before totality, and I was very optimistic.

However, more clouds from the west rolled in during the hour leading into totality, playing on my emotions.

At first, I enjoyed capturing the partials, but clouds suddenly swept in from the west and darkened the view, rendering my solar filter useless. The optimistic side of me was happy with the partials, but the go-getter wanted nothing more than to capture the prize of totality.

Patient yet anxious, time was ticking ever closer to totality.  As it seemed like the sky was about to have its last laugh, the clouds broke apart and became thinner, parting the curtain of clouds for the big act.

Interestingly enough, the thinned clouds provided excellent texture around the merging celestial bodies as the skies suddenly darkened with a cool breeze that rolled in to chill our minds and bodies. The temperature drop was dramatic as we lost light fast.

And just like when your favorite DJ's beat drops hard at the club, the full-on total eclipse did not disappoint.  As I frantically kept capturing stills, I reminded myself that I needed to take it in and be present to enjoy my prize after my 7-year-long wait.

For nearly four minutes, the moon’s aura danced and flared to entertain the town.  The hoots and howls from the college across the street and the nearby park marked an era that Meadville had never seen.  The sky radiated a mystical twilight around it, where the horizon remained lit while darkness ensued above. 

I fully recognize how lucky I was to be in a position to capture an incredible moment. In contrast, my colleagues in Upstate New York were buried under the clouds, preventing them from seeing the celestial entertainment.

Victory! But What Could Be Improved?

As I relished the outcome, I couldn’t help but think about how I could have better prepared for this unforgettable event.

I compared my pictures to others and was pleasantly surprised. Of course, other photographers whose work appeared more profound than what both of my cameras captured. 

If there are three things I’d do differently in 2044/2045 (or sooner in another country) to dial it in more, here they are:

1 - Use A Longer Lens

I captured my eclipse shots on a Sony A7R3 with a Tamron 28-200 mm lens.  Naturally, I maxed out my zoom fully to capture the most detail possible during totality.  Using a full-frame camera also meant that my zoom wouldn’t be as pronounced as an APS-C lens, but the quality was far better.

Earlier this year, I was on the fence about acquiring a 150-500 mm lens for this occasion and future use in wildlife photography. After my experience, I would have acquired the lens without question and shot around 350-400 mm, if not at the maximum length possible.

Luckily, the main camera's massive resolution of 42 Megapixels saved my images. Larger camera sensors ensured that my images could be cropped inward without losing much detail.

2 - Shoot Using Aperture Priority

Normally, I shoot using shutter priority when I do starlight photography.  Controlling the exposure time ensures that the least blur is introduced in my photos and reduces noise.

However, the eclipse's totality provided a twilight instead of a full blackout.  This meant more ambient light was available than expected, and my one-second exposures were compressed using a very deep aperture of F/32.  Luckily, the images did not have photonic distortion as they would during the daytime.

Knowing that ambient light would be available next time, I would have fixed my aperture around F/8 to get sharper photos by reducing my shutter speed significantly.

The next improvement would fall more naturally in line by keeping the settings relatively balanced.

3 - Use Metered Shooting For HDR

Metered shooting would have unlocked many more editing options.  For those not into photography, metered shooting is when you shoot 3 images simultaneously: one underexposed (-1 eV), one normally exposed (0 eV), and the last one overexposed (+1 eV).  These images are merged in post-production using HDR.

I know many people say they want to see raw footage of eclipses, which is admirable. However, our cameras do not capture images in the same way human eyes do, which is why post-production is important. 

Even if the extremes of exposure didn't turn out well, I would have rather known that was the case than have it as a lingering thought. 

Overall, I'm Glad I Captured It

I don't think my pictures turned out badly at all.  The subtle cloud layer over the eclipse added unexpected texture that wasn't captured across the country in the line of totality.  

Additionally, the odds weren't favorable for good weather, considering Meadville's historical snow, rain, and overcast forecasts.  I'm sure there are those out there who believed it would be a washout; I almost did, too! Likewise, other areas where everyone swore would be prime viewing spots ended up being a bust.

Fortunately, we beat the odds and secured some great images to enjoy.  My parents enjoyed it in their backyard, alongside my wife and great friends.

The only thing that will be different next time is that I will have the experience to apply to increase my odds of a better outcome.

While North America is 20 years from the next total eclipse, I think I can travel internationally and continue capturing one of nature’s most entertaining phenomena.