I was really excited to witness the solar eclipse yesterday! So naturally I wanted to take some photos.
While not in the path of “totality”, we would experience a more than 95% eclipse of the sun here in Northeast Oklahoma. So with my camera and solar glasses ready, I set about documenting this (almost once in a lifetime) astronomical phenomenon.
I had decided ahead of time that I wasn’t going to try to take photos of the sky. Instead of fussing with a tripod and lens filters and camera settings, I chose to photograph how I experienced the eclipse rather than the eclipse itself. This allowed me the freedom to watch with my actual eyes and be present to this magic moment.
We have a good view of the sun from our backyard, so I went outside around 12:30 pm (CDT) to capture some pre-eclipse shots.
Leading up to the eclipse, the forecast was for partly cloudy skies. Thankfully it turned out to be just some high, thin cirrus clouds.
I loved watching along with the news that showed the progression of the eclipse across the country. It was amazing to see the effect of the eclipse along the path of the totality.
Tripp came home from work a little after 1:00 pm to join in the “excitement” here at home. (As always, using that term very loosely. lol By that time, the moon had covered the sun about 30% or so.
The light was changing in the backyard and you could see little crescent shapes in the shadows on the ground.
By 1:30 pm the skies were noticeable darker – kind of like how it looks as a big storm starts to roll in.
And then at 1:48 pm, we arrived at the max eclipse.
As I stood there in the near-twilight, I was filled with a sense of awe and wonder at the workings of our solar system. That here in this microscopic corner of the cosmos, our sun and our moon just so happened to cross paths at such a time and in such a way to make it appear like it was almost night.
It was magic.
The other thing going through my mind were these words of the Psalmist:
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1
Yesterday’s eclipse left me feeling the same way that I do whenever I look out over the ocean or see the mountains in the distance…small. And I mean that in the very best way possible.
Love, Kelly
Leave a Reply