If you didn't realize there was a massive solar eclipse yesterday across the United States, then you probably didn't spend much time on social media. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and for all I know maybe Snapchat were buzzing about the eclipse. Photos mainly looked like a blurry tipped crescent moon on a black sky, or a photo from the inside of a viewing contraption. Some people were a bit more prepared though. Much more prepared in fact. Check out these top 10 captures from today's solar eclipse.
Besides just nailing the exposure and creating an interesting composition, these photographers really captured some amazing images of a truly historic event. It was surprisingly hard to put this list together without being able to look directly at any of the photos.
#10
Kirsten Jorgensen
via Reddit
#9
Lenon James
#8
Alex Strohl
#7
Karl 'Shakur' N.
#6
Ross Lipson
#5
Richard Sparkman Productions
#4
Dave Krugman
#3
Kelly Brown
#2
Jasman Lion Mander
#1's
These photos are beyond amazing. I would not only call them the best of the 2017 Solar Eclipse photos but some of the best shots I've ever seen. The photographers involved should be beyond proud and deserve all the recognition they are getting as these shots blaze around the internet! Oh, and by the way they are all in camera captures with no Photoshop! See for yourself:
Michael Shainblum
Ted Hesser
Andrew Studer
Well, that wraps up all the shots I've seen and been extremely impressed with. Did you find some deserving to be included? Please feel free to share in the comments.
Lead photo used with permission by Ted Hesser.
I was at Smith Rock yesterday where they shot the climbing photo. Very cool shot. I was on the other side and shot a pano of the river with the phases of the eclipse.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BYEthvgA3Ir/
I couldn't figure out how to embed the Instagram image.
That turned out great! Nice work.
Thanks!
Nicely done!
love it
Terrific image!
I love love love the climbing rock shot but this is a great example of when having a group of photographers shoot something kind of ruins it. I think I like Andrew's the best but with 2 other versions (at least) it doesn't hold the weight I wish it would if it were a one off photo by one photographer. Anyone know the story behind the photo shoot in general?
I agree completely re: Andrew's shot. I'll be publishing the behind the scenes of that shoot today!
Can't wait to see Aneesh.
I agree. If one shot from one photographer existed, it would somehow seem stronger. Basically the coolest shot(s) I've seen in a long time though.
I know, I try to tell this to wedding photographers all the time. Someone hosts a workshop or a meetup and everyone shoots the same two models in the same location and everyone puts those photos on their wedding websites. If you are a bride and see the same couple on multiple sites you immediately question the professionalism of the photographers because something doesn't add up.
In the commercial world there would probably be something in writing about who can release photos on a collaborated project. It's super frustrating but then again when you have a once in a lifetime situation like the eclipse I totally see how it happens. I'd love to hear this side of the story in Aneesh's interview with Andrew but I don't know if they will cover that. Killer production no doubt though
They certainly planned and executed it well!
This was the best Adventure Solar Eclipse photo in my opinion by Nat Geo/RedBull photog Keith Ladzinski: https://www.instagram.com/p/BYEenUlnujB/?taken-by=ladzinski
Love the image by kellybrownphoto
I was so glad I found that one. It is very cool and so simple.
Clearly this site is bought and paid for by the solar eclipse. Oversaturated with adverts thinly veiled as content by our ominous overlords. Thought you guys were better than this!
There is life outside of the USA and basically not many of us here in the UK care wether you had an eclipse or not.
ok
lives in the UK so doesn't have a sun to be eclipsed.. Only clouds and rain.. definitely jealous :p
No, that's Wales and Scotland. OK, the weather is generally pretty crap so don't come here expecting a holiday in the Sun. On the bright side 1) You won't get shot by a Policeman 2) Lot less gun death. 3) You can get anywhere in a day 4) Next total eclipse in 73 years - I just hope the weather is better.
Damn, just discovered you are not american. Please pretend, my comment will make sense. Great photos.
Way to piss on everyone's parade :/
Yeah, I like doing that, keeps you humble. Good portfolio.
I really like the photos of the US total eclipse and I live in the UK :D.....my favourite is Michael Shainblum's simply because I could see pretty much the whole of the eclipse rather that the mountain eclipsing the eclipse...but all the photogs need a round of applause for a great effort. Last eclipse I saw was a partial one in 2003 shot from the beach at Scarborough just after sunrise through the mist. (Attached)
Some of these are incredible! #8 seems fake... I'm still processing mine. Had a nice spot exactly at centerline at a Church in St. Clair MO. Took 10 hours to get back home (Chicago area). $20 8x8 Solar Filter attached to my lens hood with a rubber band actually worked out really well (these 2 shots are with the filter off though).
I also just used a rubber band to apply the solar sheets! haha, it worked perfectly for me as well!
Here's my shot of the partial eclipse with a plane passing through!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BYEz8JFDnkn/
Has this been heavily changed in post? Something looks off with the sun being so bright but clear and then plane being lower but covered by a cloud.
no, I tool the plane shot at 25600 ISO, and then took the eclipse at 800 ISO a couple seconds later without moving the camera and merged to preserve the clouds texture in the sun. The clouds provided the glow to capture the plane, without it there was no way to get anything other than the sun with my ND 5 filter. The original capture is not really far from this one, with the overall same brightness and sharpness of the sun contour but without as much clouds details in the sun.
I was in Excelsior Springs Missouri. I also shot a multicam timelapse. https://vimeo.com/230530636
beautiful
Thank you Lee! here is a bts shot. c300MKII shooting 1 sec intervals, Shogun Inferno recording Pro res in realtime with 70-200 lens. 5DMKIV with 70-300 , f/13, iso 100, shutter 1/6.
An amazing friend caught this one. https://www.facebook.com/ValerieAndCoPhoto/photos/a.264125766956083.5726...
This is a killer shot but was the sun has been enlarged right?
Not sure but we know Valerie, she's from Charleston
From Nebraska
Ok I'll be "that guy" and share my own, because I am confident about it and I accomplished what I set out to do and envisioned. I'm small time, so my reach is low, hence why I'll link my photo here.
I'm so happy you have Jasman's at #2. Dude is special, and he's a local guy!!!!
Southern Oregon represent :-)
https://www.smi77y.com/recent-work/v97y7dk0sv9aapjjqs5mkfonbryyzo
Very nice!
Appreciate it. And I like your taste in the articles choices :-)
Awesome! I wanted to check out Crater Lake but decided against going so far south for fear of the traffic. That composition with the island acting as an actual arrow toward the sun is killer.
This was one of the shots we got during the eclipse. It's not the total eclipse but I love the way the sun looks. We were not in the path of totality. We only got 93% coverage. We had to use a scissor crane to boost the bride and groom closer to the sun. This was shot with a 200mm. No cropping. The sun was insanely bright and the lights were barely powerful enough to illuminate their faces. Starting to plan for 2024!
Here is another more moody shot from the facebook account. https://www.facebook.com/CassNovakPhoto/photos/a.1667555533481084.107374...
I am really questioning two of the photos in this list as being composites - getting a shot of the sun the in frame along with a subject using a long lens (which is the only way the sun would look large compared to the subject) is nearly impossible as the sun was nearly overhead for pretty much the whole US, much less the places mention in some of the photos. The rock climbing one definitely seems to be real, but the ones with the cars in the planes really look like composites to me... especially the one where you can make out the moon features.
May be biased, but I like mine. Old country church in MO. Found it on Google Earth with in a mile of the center line, contacted them to get permission and was only 1 of 3 photographers there. I was the only one that planned ahead and get filters to shot during non-totality, and was the only one to get a shot like this.
https://flic.kr/p/WL7nzt
https://www.flickr.com/photos/136509157@N04/35942434553/in/dateposted-public/
=)
Also shot from Smith Rock, but in a completely different area of the park. Those shots of the ranger and slack liner are just killer.
Totality from Greenback, Tennessee!
"We stood between two horizons. A lake behind us, and across a field of headstones, a stretch of trees. The sunlight was divided across the cemetery, shadowing pieces of the scenery at a time. Cicadas, birds and crickets chirped louder and louder, as the darkness crept to totality. For 2 minutes and 20 seconds it was dark. The people around us cheered, I looked behind myself to see a swirl of colors over the lake, sunset at 2pm. I looked into my camera for what I thought was several seconds, then it was gone. A beam of sunlight broke through and briefly blinded me. The shadows began to lighten, returning to the sky the opposite direction. To say it was a humbling experinece is an understatement. It could not have been more perfect."
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/greenback-eclipse-eve-zausner.html