2017 Solar Eclipse: A Week Before
The path of the 2017 Solar Eclipse is starting in Oregon and making its way across the country. As much as I would love to be in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it is going to be crowded and patience has never been my strong suit. Luckily the eclipse runs right through the middle of South Carolina going over McClellanville.
The first full solar eclipse in years is going to happen on a Monday afternoon so of course I decided to take the day off because I’m not missing this possibly once in a lifetime event especially since I live 30 minutes from where there will be totality of the eclipse (full solar eclipse). I actually put in for the day off in May.
The next important thing is deciding where to take go, I could stay in Myrtle Beach which will have 99.6 percent of the totality. To many people that is enough but it is not for me. I want the full eclipse so that leaves anywhere from Pawley’s Island to Charleston. Charleston is going to be crowded and don’t really feel like dealing with that much traffic. No matter where I go, without doubt I will not be the only person there shooting the eclipse.As much as I would love to go to the point in Pawley’s Island, there isn’t a lot of parking available so I"m going to head to Georgetown where the totality will be the longest and hopefully I can find a place even if it is just a parking lot. Since its a solar eclipse int he middle of the day, the subject will be high in the sky so I don’t have to worry about people in my shots.
Another very important item, a filter for my camera that is strong enough for the camera to be pointed at the sun for a few hours except that short window during the totality. Luckily my wonderful friend Tim is sending me his because I waited to long to order one. I now have to decide if I want to shoot with the Nikon D300s or the Nikon D700. The D700 is the better camera but its a full frame camera so using a 80-400mm the most zoom I will get it 400mm. Because the D300s is a crop sensor, the 400mm lens now becomes 560mm. Ordered my special solar eclipse glasses from Tidelands Health so my eyes are taken care of as well.
This week will be spent watching videos, reading everything I can about settings so on the day of the eclipse I am ready and I don’t miss the photos of a lifetime because I don’t know what I am doing. And I will also be practicing. Hopefully Mother Nature will behave and we will have clear skies.