21 April 2017.
The first total solar eclipse since 1979 viewable in the states.
We traveled to the path of totality and ended up finding a camping spot off of a small, dirt road. A clearing in the trees revealed a pile of massive trunks and branches gathered in a pyramid. We knew the second we pulled up that the eeriness of the clearing meant that this was our spot. In the back of the truck we set up our sleeping bags and bedded down for the night.
On the morning of the eclipse, Harry agreed to strip down for a photograph while the eclipse was going on, as I had this image in my head I couldn't shake. Awake at seven AM, we excitedly made our coffee and ate breakfast, hardly able to wait for the moment it began.
Once the eclipse technically commenced, we popped on our Bill Nye approved solar viewing glasses (see photos) and witnessed the little bite taken from the upper right corner of the sun. Nervous laughs escaped our bellies as we looked over at one another; this was wilder than we thought.
Running out into a nearby field to try and see the land grow dark, we found birds flying overhead. As they began to calm down and the sky began to darken, the temperature dropped and it was as if a blanket of silence was creeping over the field and surrounding trees. Finally, when it looked as if it were dusk, we ran to the clearing and threw off our clothes (who needs clothes during the eclipse anyway?). In the total darkness, I took off my glasses and looked up and my breath was taken away. Witnessing the complete blackout of something so powerful as our sun was mind boggling, to say the least.
All around the black disc we could see the cornea, ethereal and white as it glowed around the edges. Everything was silent and dark and we laughed together and to ourselves at what we were witnessing. I snapped a photo of the sun in its point of totality, surprised that it turned out because my hands were shaking with awe.
A day to remember.
*All photos in this series were taken DURING the eclipse (from beginning of partial eclipse, to totality, to the end). If you would like to purchase the photos from this series in print, you may contact me directly for pricing. There are also uncensored photos that aren't included here that are an integral part of the series. None of the photos have been edited in any way- the lighting is all as it was in the moment.
Totality.
