I drove around 2700 miles round trip to experience this amazing natural wonder. Just about everything that could go wrong did, but I persevered. I could never get my Quark to work. My mount never stayed connected to my computer, so I had to follow the sun manually (by hand). A couple of my widefield cameras burnt through my batteries before the eclipse even started (I was trying to do time lapse). I lost the sun on all three of my long lenses at totality (the filters really work). I ended up grabbing my favorite setup (Nikon D810a with Sigma 150-600 with 1.4 teleconverter) and hand holding totality until I could put the filter back on. The totality image was pretty much straight out of the camera with a yellow filter on (It was supposed to be used with the Quark). The same setup was used for the images in this composite. I must have been a sight running between three cameras on tripods.
That was the most amazing experience that I have had in decades!
Wyoming Totality
-
- The Sun?
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 1:39 am
Wyoming Totality
- Attachments
-
- IMG_0357.JPG (40.32 KiB) Viewed 4925 times
-
- IMG_0368.JPG (56.01 KiB) Viewed 4925 times
-
- Way More Fun to Share It!!
- Posts: 12900
- Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2011 10:02 am
- Been thanked: 171 times
- Carbon60
- Way More Fun to Share It!!
- Posts: 14305
- Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2012 12:33 pm
- Location: Lancashire, UK
- Has thanked: 8544 times
- Been thanked: 8282 times
Re: Wyoming Totality
I feel you pain, Dave. I also experienced technical difficulties with my scope mount suddenly acquiring a mind of its own and going haywire, zipping around to the right several times as totality approached. I had to stop and reset everything from scratch.....talk about stress! My DSLR also kept stopping when running on time lapse, so I was running between it and my scope/laptop trying to keep everything up and running and on track all the time whilst the moon made its relentless approach to occultation.
Despite your challenges, you still managed to get some good images. Nice.
Stu.
Despite your challenges, you still managed to get some good images. Nice.
Stu.
H-alpha, WL and Ca II K imaging kit for various image scales.
Fluxgate Magnetometers (1s and 150s Cadence).
Radio meteor detector.
More images at http://www.flickr.com/photos/solarcarbon60/
Fluxgate Magnetometers (1s and 150s Cadence).
Radio meteor detector.
More images at http://www.flickr.com/photos/solarcarbon60/
- dccole9
- Ohhhhhh My!
- Posts: 53
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2016 12:22 pm
- Location: Raleigh, NC, U.S.
- Has thanked: 42 times
- Been thanked: 34 times
Re: Wyoming Totality
Love the collage.
Chris
Chris
Lunt LS80tHa
Lunt Herschel Wedge
Lunt CaK B1200 module
ZWO ASI174mm, ASI183mm
Flickr site: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dynamic_universe/
Lunt Herschel Wedge
Lunt CaK B1200 module
ZWO ASI174mm, ASI183mm
Flickr site: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dynamic_universe/
-
- Ohhhhhh My!
- Posts: 81
- Joined: Wed Apr 06, 2016 5:33 pm
- Location: El Dorad Hills, CA
- Been thanked: 42 times
- Contact:
Re: Wyoming Totality
I am actually encouraged to hear that others struggled in the tense moments as I did.
Here is what I was endeavoring to do:
Use an Ha telescope to get images of the partial phases
Use a long telephoto lens to get bracketed exposures of totality. I have a special application on a laptop to control the camera programmed to the 1/10 sec for unmanned operation.
Timelapse video of the entire event. One frame every ten seconds until just before second contact. Straight video during totality with a range of exposure values. Then back to the interval shooting until C4
A multiple exposure image with an ambient exposure during totality
Two GoPro cameras; one aimed at the sky, the other aimed at the activity on the ground
One iPhone video capturing activity on the ground
Here is what happened:
The Ha scope worked as planned until totality when my guidance battery died and I had to re-aim the scope manually after that
The program operating my telephoto was set for the wrong GPS coordinates. So the timing was off by almost one minute and I only got three usable frames of totality. And focus was less than perfect.
The timelapse video worked well until the guidance battery died and my image drifted wildly. The straight video of totality was quite rough, and out of focus
The multiple exposure shot was aimed poorly and the ambient exposure during totality was too dark
The GoPro video was not nearly as dramatic as I expected
The iPhone video looked pretty noisy
For the most part, I failed on every front.
I'm looking for redemption in Chile in 2019.
Randall Benton
Here is what I was endeavoring to do:
Use an Ha telescope to get images of the partial phases
Use a long telephoto lens to get bracketed exposures of totality. I have a special application on a laptop to control the camera programmed to the 1/10 sec for unmanned operation.
Timelapse video of the entire event. One frame every ten seconds until just before second contact. Straight video during totality with a range of exposure values. Then back to the interval shooting until C4
A multiple exposure image with an ambient exposure during totality
Two GoPro cameras; one aimed at the sky, the other aimed at the activity on the ground
One iPhone video capturing activity on the ground
Here is what happened:
The Ha scope worked as planned until totality when my guidance battery died and I had to re-aim the scope manually after that
The program operating my telephoto was set for the wrong GPS coordinates. So the timing was off by almost one minute and I only got three usable frames of totality. And focus was less than perfect.
The timelapse video worked well until the guidance battery died and my image drifted wildly. The straight video of totality was quite rough, and out of focus
The multiple exposure shot was aimed poorly and the ambient exposure during totality was too dark
The GoPro video was not nearly as dramatic as I expected
The iPhone video looked pretty noisy
For the most part, I failed on every front.
I'm looking for redemption in Chile in 2019.
Randall Benton
Re: Wyoming Totality
Wow, you certainly had some issues. But the results are great!
Oivind Tangen
60N 10E
Oivind Tangen
60N 10E
-
- The Sun?
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 1:39 am
- Montana
- Librarian
- Posts: 34721
- Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2011 5:25 pm
- Location: Cheshire, UK
- Has thanked: 17974 times
- Been thanked: 8905 times
Re: Wyoming Totality
I hope you saw the eclipse I can just imagine you dashing about and cursing and forgetting to look up. That sounds like a huge task, I don't think I could coordinate all that in normal circumstances. Did you do a full length dress rehearsal beforehand?
That is still an amazing shot and the presentation is just super, at least you managed these treasures and the memory will be with you forever
Alexandra
That is still an amazing shot and the presentation is just super, at least you managed these treasures and the memory will be with you forever
Alexandra
- marktownley
- Librarian
- Posts: 42524
- Joined: Tue Oct 18, 2011 5:27 pm
- Location: Brierley Hills, UK
- Has thanked: 20783 times
- Been thanked: 10469 times
- Contact:
Re: Wyoming Totality
Some nice shots Dave despite the technical headaches.
http://brierleyhillsolar.blogspot.co.uk/
Solar images, a collection of all the most up to date live solar data on the web, imaging & processing tutorials - please take a look!