Eclipse Overdose: Why I Will Boycott the Stellar Event

Unless you live on another planet (or in a different country), you probably haven’t missed the announcement of the upcoming solar eclipse that will take place on Monday when the moon passes in front of the sun, casting a shadow on the United States for less than three minutes. While I am confident that the eclipse does not mark the end of the world, I will probably stay in my office catching up with accounting tasks at that time. Here is why I will miss the eclipse party.

Marketing Overdose

The eclipse seems to be a great marketing opportunity. Everywhere we look, we can see special deals to purchase complete futile pieces of hardware that we will never use again after the eclipse such as solar filters, intermediate filters, catadioptric lenses, or special scope adapters.

On the other hand, the eclipse can be a good pretext to relieve your gear acquisition syndrome. Maybe it's time after all to buy this nice Sigma or Tamron 150-600mm lens. Seriously, I’m a landscape photographer but 600mm for less than a $1,000, what a bargain. Thanks to the moon, my wife won’t be able to oppose to this essential purchase. I don’t know how I’ve lived without it until this day.

Still thirsty for more consumerism? No problem. Here is the ultimate photographer extravaganza: an astro-tracking system. From the controller to the motors and frame, you can easily spend a couple of thousand dollars. Be careful though because these things have a steep learning curve at the beginning. Don’t expect to make it work out of the box in five minutes.

With a little bit of bad luck, all these wise investments will go down the toilet if a cloud shows up between you and the moon‘s shadow. Unless you really want to buy this 600mm lens, you may want to take a look at the weather forecast, just in case.

Lack of Originality

According to the Babylonian Talmud (Tractate Sukkah, 29b): “When the sun is eclipsed, it is a bad omen for the entire world.”

I cannot confirm the sage’s words but I’m confident that my social media network feeds will be flooded by dull time-lapses and eclipse pictures starting on Monday morning. While most shots will be insipid, I’m sure that some will look nice if taken with a creative mindset. In this regard, I would encourage anyone who decides to record the event to find an original way to do so. Otherwise your photography will be lost in an ocean of hashtags and cliché posts.

As usual, pay attention to your framing and composition. Try to play with foreground elements (clouds, buildings, trees, mountains, etc.) and make a composite image if necessary. It may be wise to improve your Photoshop skills rather than spend hundreds of dollars in questionable gear.

Stay Safe and Get Protective Glasses

Whatever you decide to do on Monday, if you watch the eclipse make sure to get a cheap pair of protective glasses. That is the only indispensable piece of gear you will need to watch the eclipse. Regular sunglasses will not protect you even with the moon in front of the sun.  For real, do not try to look at the eclipse without those special glasses or you may damage your vision and burn your retina. All this can happen very fast without any burning sensation. As UW Medicine Ophthalmologist Dr. Russell Van Gelder has said: “The retina has no pain fibers. The cornea, in the front of the eye, has more pain receptors per square inch than anywhere else in the body. But those don't provide sensation to the back of the eye.”