# Why are people all looking to take the same photo?



## chuasam (Aug 19, 2017)

Along much of the United States, there will be a solar eclipse on the 21st of August.

Everyone seems to be scrambling to get solar filters...or risk their gear and eyesight and attempt to stack ND filters.

Why is everyone trying to get the same boring photo of the eclipse? NASA will get a far better shot. Why not just look at that one and simply enjoy the moment. Take something original about the eclipse.

A photo of the shadows cast by trees. A photo of the crowds.

Why do people feel compelled to take the same photo?


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## dxqcanada (Aug 19, 2017)

For the experience of it.


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## vintagesnaps (Aug 19, 2017)

You got me... 

Doesn't seem worth getting a solar filter that you probably won't ever use again. I just hope next week there aren't reports of people having vision loss from trying to do this. Reports are out there about glasses sold that are knockoffs and won't work, and I hope too that people don't try using those.


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## zombiesniper (Aug 19, 2017)

I'm going to watch it on NASA's live stream.


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## webestang64 (Aug 19, 2017)

Yeah, um, our camera store is full of those people all week with today being a mad house!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## jowensphoto (Aug 19, 2017)

Thank you for this. You're right, 100%.


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## chuasam (Aug 19, 2017)

webestang64 said:


> Yeah, um, our camera store is full of those people all week with today being a mad house!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Same here. And I look forward to selling a whole bunch of new cameras on Tuesday


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## vintagesnaps (Aug 19, 2017)

And used solar filters?? bet those won't be worth much by Tuesday.


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## 480sparky (Aug 19, 2017)

I plan in putting on the lens cap, turning the camera off and putting it in my bag

I would much rather have the joy of experiencing the _entire _event as opposed to catching glimpses of it when screwing around with a camera.

Even those who have produced the most stunning images of an eclipse will say thier renditions simply pale in comparison to the real thing.

The Powers That Be have given us a rare chance to see such a wondrous event. My thinking is..... why screw it up with a stupid camera?


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## snowbear (Aug 19, 2017)

I'll be at work.  We're not in the totality zone so it won't be much more than I've seen before.


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## chuasam (Aug 19, 2017)

coworker who isn't working that day is gonna get an interesting series.
He's planning at pointing the camera at the city and doing a 2 hour time lapse of the sky darkening and brightening.
See! I can get behind that.


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## cherylynne1 (Aug 19, 2017)

Since I have two toddlers, I don't want to risk teaching them "it's okay to look at the sun if you have these special sunglasses on," because I know it'll soon become, "I can look at the sun with regular sunglasses on! Or no sunglasses!" 

Instead, I'm going to try to make one of those pinhole camera-type contraptions, and maybe let the kids play around with the colander, and see how that works. Maybe we can try tracing the shadow of the eclipse as it progresses or something. Not sure yet. 

It is just a partial eclipse here, though. I'd be really into getting "the shot" if it were a full eclipse, I think. Because how many people can say they have a shot like that? I've taken pictures of every lunar eclipse and blood moon since I got into photography, even back when all I had was a nifty fifty. (Spoiler alert: you can't take good photos of the moon with a nifty fifty.  However, it will still look better than your friends' cell phone shots on Facebook, so you've got that going for you.)


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## chuasam (Aug 20, 2017)

cherylynne1 said:


> Since I have two toddlers, I don't want to risk teaching them "it's okay to look at the sun if you have these special sunglasses on," because I know it'll soon become, "I can look at the sun with regular sunglasses on! Or no sunglasses!"
> 
> Instead, I'm going to try to make one of those pinhole camera-type contraptions, and maybe let the kids play around with the colander, and see how that works. Maybe we can try tracing the shadow of the eclipse as it progresses or something. Not sure yet.
> 
> It is just a partial eclipse here, though. I'd be really into getting "the shot" if it were a full eclipse, I think. Because how many people can say they have a shot like that? I've taken pictures of every lunar eclipse and blood moon since I got into photography, even back when all I had was a nifty fifty. (Spoiler alert: you can't take good photos of the moon with a nifty fifty.  However, it will still look better than your friends' cell phone shots on Facebook, so you've got that going for you.)


*LOL* I tried shooting the bloody moon with a 300mm f/2.8 VR II and a D810...and I think the photos still sucked compared to NASA's. 
I decided that if I could not shoot something much better or wildly different, why bother taking the same photo that has already been taken.


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## SquarePeg (Aug 20, 2017)

I'm not planning on shooting it and probably won't watch it either.   I guess I just don't get what all the hype is about.


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## Overread (Aug 20, 2017)

There are many reasons

1) Because it is possible to take a photo of something and to enjoy the moment and event at the same time. You then have experienced something and also gotten a photo of it to remind you in years to come and to show others as a visual reference as you recount the tale.

2) Photos are a memory and for a majority of people they like to document events. Granted in this throw-away age where photos are dirt cheap there's a lot of throwaway memories. But at the same time there's potential for many to be kept and to be fond memories in years to come. 

3) Because monkey see monkey do. If that were not true then there wouldn't be any wildlife photography - heck a vast majority of creativity is repeated - adjusted a little here and a little there. The internet also makes this FAR more apparent. In the past you might not see the thousands of shots; just the few professional ones and a few from friends at the photo club. Today you can see thousands but only if you want. And honestly it doesn't matter if someone else did it - people still want to do it themselves.

4) Because for some the experience is photographing it not the eclipse itself. 

5) Because they want to - because others are doing it - because marketing suggests they should - because they want to try it - 


There are so many reasons that people choose to enjoy such an even through the camera just as there are many that choose to enjoy it without.


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## 480sparky (Aug 20, 2017)

I'm camping only 350 feet from where the centerline of the path of totaliy will pass. I plan on parking my carcass at the top of a hill just 30 feet off that line.

No attempt to shoot the eclipse itself but I plan on setting up a video camera and shooting the reactions and comments on myself and fellow campers as we watch from what we endearingly call "Eclipse Hill".

I'll have it all set up and will just hit the record button about 10 minutes prior to C2 and just let 'er go. That's all I have planned to record. I want the event completely recorded in my gray matter hard drive instead of a memory card chock-full of 1s and 0s that represent an average to so-so image.

The 2024 eclipse passes through my brothers yard so I may take a bit of the 4-minutes plus of totality of that one to attempt a shot or two.


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## Gary A. (Aug 20, 2017)

I will be in the penumbra area, but due to heavy overcast (Marine Layer) common to SoCal, I won't be able to see squat. Oh well ... there will be plenty on Tv and the internet.


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## chuasam (Aug 20, 2017)

480sparky said:


> I'm camping only 350 feet from where the centerline of the path of totaliy will pass. I plan on parking my carcass at the top of a hill just 30 feet off that line.
> 
> No attempt to shoot the eclipse itself but I plan on setting up a video camera and shooting the reactions and comments on myself and fellow campers as we watch from what we endearingly call "Eclipse Hill".
> 
> ...



Be sure to set manual exposure so we can see it darken


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## vintagesnaps (Aug 20, 2017)

The last I remember what must have been a partial eclipse was going out on the playground with the kids at school doing the pinhole projector thing... and that was about it. Seems like outside it looked rather filtered or polarized, sort of like how it looks on a sunny day with a camera using a circular polarizer (that's what it reminded me of anyway). 

But now with social media and eclipse glasses and all the hype... One school district that started early announced they'll keep the kids inside for recess. Probably not much choice because there's so much misinformation 'out there', and glasses that were sold that were knockoffs, etc. etc. etc. there's probably a concern about what kids may have seen or heard and might try.

I hope people realize the pinhole thing is a projector not a pinhole camera, that you're projecting the shadow onto a white piece of paper. There's a NASA video on YouTube that shows how to make the same type thing with a cereal box. It's not hard to make one out of something like an index card - you cut a small square, tape a piece of foil over it, poke a hole in the foil with a pin, then LOOK DOWN at the shadow cast onto a white piece of paper or whatever. 

I hadn't heard the colander thing but it's the same - you use it to cast a shadow onto another surface and LOOK DOWN at it. I half expect there to be reports of people doing permanent eye damage trying to look at it, but I hope not.


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## vintagesnaps (Aug 20, 2017)

Watching the NASA feed, that's a thought Sam. 

With rain forecast for Tuesday they're saying a possibility of some cloud cover here now on Monday, it's already today clouding up for a minute or so from time to time.


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## dennybeall (Aug 20, 2017)

Many people do it just because it's an interesting challenge.
Personally, the TV will do a better job.


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## DanOstergren (Aug 20, 2017)

I don't think it's about having an original photo, it's more about the experience and having a tangible memory of it that you personally documented. That said, I don't care about the eclipse and wont be taking any photos of it. I have work to do.


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## Peeb (Aug 21, 2017)

In the words of Sir Edmund Hillary, "Because its there". 

NONE of my nature photos are as good as shots available for viewing on the web already but I still enjoyed shooting them.


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## chuasam (Aug 21, 2017)

Peeb said:


> In the words of Sir Edmund Hillary, "Because its there".
> 
> NONE of my nature photos are as good as shots available for viewing on the web already but I still enjoyed shooting them.


My Nature photos suck because if I'm outdoors longer than 45mins I get grumpy (unless I'm at a Waterpark) and I don't like wandering more than 1km from my car.


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## JPI (Aug 22, 2017)

Whelp I didn't bother, I figured I could log on here and see a s**t load of eclipse photos............lol


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## chuasam (Aug 22, 2017)

JPI said:


> Whelp I didn't bother, I figured I could log on here and see a s**t load of eclipse photos............lol







The shadows looked freaky so I used my iPads camera


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## benhasajeep (Aug 22, 2017)

Well because it's a picture you took!  Total eclipses occur somewhere every 18 months.  In 6 1/2 years it will be almost over my house.  Over the next month I will probably pick up a filter for 1/10th or less of what people paid for them.


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## Derrel (Aug 22, 2017)

I shot videos on my iPhone, and a handful of stills. Ehhhh...I was 40 miles north of the totality we had in a wide band across Oregon. It was still pretty cool though, to experience a major eclipse!


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## Crystal Photographic (Aug 22, 2017)

The eclipse is a very interesting thing...if you happen to be out working or playing and didn't know it was coming. I would much rather be surprised by it than preparing for it though to be honest.
To me it's just another of many cycles that are in constant motion. Not really worth taking pictures unless you are studying the solar prominences and use it as a tool.


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## DriedStrawbery (Aug 25, 2017)

I setup 3 cameras that took video of us experiencing it. That would be something to remember it with.

I dint take a still as i dint have the time or the equipment for it, was just making sure family experiences it safely.

Was  awesome, looking fwd to 2024!


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