The first eclipse I remember was in 1979. I’ve seen a few others, but never a total eclipse. Partials are great, but I was prepared for something amazing today. We gathered up the family, were blessed with a last minute hotel room in SC and found a great watching spot on Monday. The folks at David Hellams Community Center in Greenville, SC were fantastic.

As the moon slowly began covering the sun, the daylight took on a crisp and surreal quality. The temperature dropped and I couldn’t wait for totality.

I had honestly expected it to look nothing like pictures I’ve seen or videos I’ve watched. I was prepared for clouds and a “meh” experience.

This topped it all.

The shots I got of the corona do not begin to compare to what it was like to look upon those photons with my own eyes. I hope you enjoy these pics. It was an amazing day.

Two minutes of totality. Now I’m hooked. I’m already planning for 2024.

For those curious about details, I shot these on a Canon T6i with a 200 mm zoom lens. I rigged up a simple filter using a solar filter and some cardboard. When totality happened, I removed the filter for the corona shots. I kept the ISO around 6400.

My gear setup with DIY filter holder

$10 filter worked great

Tripod and remote shutter control are a must to minimize shake and blur

Me taking a pic of me taking a pic (insert “inception” sound herem)

My fave of the day

Almost covered

Even with this tiny amount of sun peeking out, the area went from blackest night to the beginnings of daylight

Pinhole heart

It was cool seeing sun spots

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