Eclipseblogging (with a five year delay)

[andrew_jorgensen]

My mother was kind enough to dig out our Black Sea slides and scan in one of the photos I took of the 1999 total solar eclipse. It's a little fuzzy, as it was taken from a (large, albeit) boat and I'm not a very good photographer at the most relaxed of times; but I think it has some charm. It demonstrates the existence of the chromosphere and a few prominences, though it certainly does not demonstrate these with clarity.

I hope I have the opportunity to take a better photograph, but it's hard to practice at these things.

Comments

[timian.livejournal.com]

This reminds me, did you ever receive the alternate eclipse icons? No issue if you have or haven't, but I was never clear if you'd even gotten the comment containing them.

Also, cool photo! The only eclipse I've seen was a partial lunar eclipse, but it was so cool.

[dherblay.livejournal.com]

I did receive them, but was torn over which to choose! So I ended up sitting around paralyzed, not taking any of them.

I'll have to rectify that.

[timian.livejournal.com]

Oops. Sorry, I didn't mean to pull one of those freaky "controlling of icons" stunts, but I was just curious if you'd received the comment at all, as LJ has been so unpredictable lately. Also, they're all yours, so do whatever with them. lol

[dherblay.livejournal.com]

I didn't interpret that as control-freaky or anything! (When it comes to icon-control issues, you ought to see what I put masqthephlsphr through with the Eowyn icon. After I spent umpteen hours putting it together, I made her give me keyword-credit and GIP it and then I selfishly kept a copy to use myself!)

[deevalish.livejournal.com]

Nice photo! I've only seen lunar eclipses. This must have been quite an experience.

[dherblay.livejournal.com]

Oh, it definitely was! I've been lucky enough to experience totality twice, and I have to tell you, it's the most sublime sight I've beheld.

[yhlee.livejournal.com]

Thank you for sharing! I hope to experience a total eclipse someday.

[dherblay.livejournal.com]

Definitely go for it! Or, if going is a problem, wait until 2017, when there'll be one not too far from where you are now.

[lynnmonster.livejournal.com]

That's amazing!

[dherblay.livejournal.com]

Awww! Thank you!

[rebekahroxanna.livejournal.com]

I'm a little disappointed in the scanner. I enlarged the picture before sending it, so it might be the enlargement that is the problem. I'll send the other partial with a huge corolla today (I hope). It was good to remember the experience. You're right, it was a sublime experience. Did we take in pictures in Curacao? I don't remember if we took a camera. As I recall on the Black Sea we didn't have a tripod or remote switch either. Both would help. Have you tried anything in photoshop to sharpen it?

[mamculuna.livejournal.com]

Is the D'H connection parental (on your side, I assume from what he says about his mother scanning the pix)? How nice, if so! My son (similar age or older) reads my LJ but doesn't have one of his own. I think it's really fun to have the two of you, both such interesting thinkers--if I'm not misreading!

[rebekahroxanna.livejournal.com]

Yep, he is my favorite child. He is bright, articulate, funny insightful and a pretty good all round guy.

[dherblay.livejournal.com]

Did we take in pictures in Curacao? I don't remember if we took a camera. As I recall on the Black Sea we didn't have a tripod or remote switch either. Both would help. Have you tried anything in photoshop to sharpen it?

We (actually, you) did take pictures in Curacao, but they didn't come out very well, which is why we did indeed buy the tripod and remote switch for the Black Sea.

I haven't tried anything in Photoshop. It's Photoshop Elements -- not Photoshop Miracles.

I really don't think the scanner's at fault here. The photographer was rushed and I can't remember if I used autofocus or focussed manually -- not that I can figure out which would have been better.

[dherblay.livejournal.com]

I really don't think the scanner's at fault here. The photographer was rushed and I can't remember if I used autofocus or focussed manually -- not that I can figure out which would have been better.

In fact, looking at the other, uncentered, eclipse picture, it only makes sense that I in fact did neither, just setting the lens to infinity and not even looking through the viewfinder between shots. I suspect that's what the book said to do!

[rebekahroxanna.livejournal.com]

I'll have to try the scanner with slides that I know (think) are good and see what happens. I doubt that you actually looked through the lens because to do so would have taken too long and too much away from the actual experience. I did enlarge the other picture I sent you. i tried enlarging it more and then using the unsharp mask but it didn't work.