Month: April 2024

17 Apr 2024 Eclipse/Street Theme: Jerry

Jerry’s plan to travel to Dallas Texas for 100% eclipse totality was cancelled due to the weather forecast. Traveling all that way only to have thundershowers and thick cloud cover spoil your plans is part of the photography experience. Fortunately, reservations can be cancelled and a partial eclipse can be enjoyed locally, under clear sunny skies. Jerry drove up to Mt Palomar to reduce the atmospheric haze. He shot the eclipse using a solar filter on his telephoto lens. His additional images are of a spectacular Vandenburg Starlink rocket launch at dusk.

17 Apr 2024 Eclipse/Street Theme: Cathy

Cathy had the wonderful idea of photographing people gathered and watching the eclipse. The main idea to catch the large group watching the eclipse, wearing their glasses, and looking upward. Turns out this behavior was more isolated and in smaller groups than you’d think. Still, the images are fun and she captured some wonderful moments at the Reuben H Fleet Eclipse Party April 8 2024.

17 Apr 2024 Eclipse/Street Theme: Gary

Gary loves his Nikon 100-400mm zoom lens image quality and each week shares photos displaying tack-sharp images. This week he photographed a nesting Osprey on Shelter Island, San Diego. You’d never suspect they were taken in strong winds; his use of fast shutter speeds and image stabilization generated excellent results. For the street theme, he used his iPhone at the San Diego courthouse. Catching unique reflections of an old San Diego building in a modern glass building facade.

17 Apr 2024 Theme: Solar Eclipse & Street Photography

With the Apr 8th solar eclipse happening between the March & April photography group meetings. It was proposed that Solar Eclipse be a theme. Additionally, since photographing people gathering and watching the eclipse would be interesting. Street photography was added as a second theme. Cathy wanted to photograph the people gathered at Reuben H Fleet for the event. As always, sharing photos regardless of theme is an option. Some of us considered traveling to the area of 100% totality since San Diego would only experience ~55% coverage. But with weather concerns and busy schedules, none of the group managed to make it an area of 100%. Here are this month’s collection of photos:
Click any image for full resolution although photos are downsized to ~4mb for online sharing.

Cathy

Gary

Jerry

Jim

Sharon

17 Apr 2024 Eclipse/Street Theme: Jim

Jim’s travel plans took him to Anza-Borrego for the wildflower bloom. There were remnants and patches of the desert blooms but he was probably two week too late. Fortunately, conditions Monday morning Apr 8th were good for photographing the eclipse. With only ~55% coverage of the sun by the moon, a 20 stop ND filter was used on his 400mm lens (ND1000000). Without totality, the eclipse was fun to see but much less impressive. Fortunately, the Street Photography theme was a good opportunity for him to compile & present some photos from a recent Oceanside Pier walk-about.

There was an interesting discussion on the Pier Fisherman photo he presented – see below. Cathy thought the t-shirt logo was distracting; Sharon thought the PPG logo suggested a working-man persona. Gary thought the fishing cart was a distraction. So below is the original presented (which Jim still prefers), an edited version with the t-shirt logo removed, and another with both the t-shirt logo & cart removed. Getting feedback about the images shared is one of the best parts of our meetings. It give a photographer the opportunity to share their images and get a reaction from other people. It’s always fun to here their comments.