<\/span>Since we were in the full coverage area, I wanted to take advantage of this once in a lifetime event. I did some research to make sure I wouldn\u2019t fry my camera and lens. Although I did see plenty of photos of burnt equipment.<\/p>\n <\/span>I also checked my gear before leaving the house that morning to ensure everything was in working order. Camera, batteries, 300mm lens with 2x extender, ND filters, tripod, and the \u201cofficial glasses\u201d as provided by my wife.<\/span><\/p>\n Now it\u2019s almost show time and it\u2019s hot. What else do you expect while standing on black asphalt on an August afternoon at 1pm!<\/span><\/p>\n I waited until about 1pm or 20 minutes before totality to head outside. I got set up quickly and I was ready. But, for what! As time drew closer I had trouble seeing my camera and settings with the glasses on, and with them off to check the focus, the best I could do was squint and glance upward. A woman watching me and taking photos of me with her phone was having a hilarious time. Now it\u2019s time! The diamond ring was seconds away. All I could do was snap and pray. It seemed like a blur! We were told we would have about a minute and 40 seconds of totality, but it only lasted about 40 seconds. Snap and adjust. Snap and adjust. I tried a range of settings to capture what I really couldn\u2019t see with my eyes because I had my glasses off. (No, honey, I didn\u2019t look directly at the sun.) The \u201cdiamond ring\u201d effect is fleeting, then comes totality. With glasses off I snapped a few more and looked around. Seeing stars and planets during an eclipse is pretty cool. The sky is just dark enough to see their light. And within moments we\u2019re on the other side of the eclipse and the sky begins to lighten.<\/span>
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\n<\/span>I took a minute to review a few of the images I captured and thought I had a few \u201cdecent\u201d shots but, I\u2019d have to wait until I could load them on my computer. When I got home and saw them on my monitor I was more than pleased – I was blown away! People have asked me two questions: 1 – Is my image fake. There were a lot of fake photos making their way around the internet. Nope! It\u2019s real. I adjusted the contrast slightly to keep the blacks black. 2 – How did you do that? Honestly – luck! Sure I have pretty good knowledge of photography, but this can\u2019t be planned. Or, maybe the better reason is as a friend said, \u201cToday you were given a gift.\u201d I like that answer a lot better. Why was I in the exact right spot, with the exact right equipment, at the exact right nano-second, positioned at the exact right angle to the sun? I don\u2019t know! Sometimes that\u2019s how gifts work. Planning is good. Practicing is good. Showing up is necessary. But, when God gives you a gift – just receive it. <\/span>
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\n<\/span>Note: Not knowing beforehand – had I placed the sun in the center of the viewfinder I would have missed the rainbow of colors that flare out to the edges of the frame. Like the brilliance of a diamond all of the colors are there: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Just as God designed and the same as when you look at His promise in the rainbow.<\/span><\/p>\n
![\"HMoran_5035](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.halmoran.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/HMoran_5035-burning-daylight-1100.jpg?resize=1100%2C786&ssl=1\")
![\"HMoran_5003](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.halmoran.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/HMoran_5003-burning-daylight-ll-1100.jpg?resize=1100%2C786&ssl=1\")
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