27 years ago today.

[OzEclipse]

A bit of nostalgia............

November 3, 1994 27 years ago today was my first totality. I joined a crazy Californian named Joel Harris who ran a tour group called Twilight Tours to head to the south end of Lago Poopo, Bolivia.

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I met my late friend Ernie Piini on that trip. On seeing my three camera setup, he advised me to forget the photography and enjoy the view. Despite his experience, I didn't take his advice.

In 1994, it was all film cameras. Only one camera had a motor drive. I had my get set up on the ground around me.

I had rehearsed the procedure so many times in the months leading up to the eclipse such that I could do it by touch and I captured these images while watching the entire eclipse naked eye and with binoculars.

One camera was a 1950's folding 2 1/4 square camera with an 80mm f6.3 in-shutter lens that was separate to the film transport wind on. I took one picture every 5 minutes for most of the eclipse to capture this time lapse

I had two other cameras, one with a 120mm f2.8 and one with a 200mm f4.

I used the 200mmf4 to take this 1 min interval timelapse up to the eclipse and also the mid totality single image.

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This was a longer exposure with the 120mm f2.8 lens attempting to capture the outer corona. However the exposure was too short and did not capture as much extent of the corona as I could see. It was as long and exposure as I could take with a 120mm lens without trailing. I left a UV filter on the lens and got a second ghost image. Oh well it was my first eclipse!

My procedure included a pause mid-eclipse so that I could observe it through small binoculars. But my hands were trembling so much that I went back to naked eye.

This eclipse occurred at solar minimum, characterised by long equatorial coronal streamers. In addition, our altitude was approximately 14500 feet. The naked eye coronal streamers stretched to a greater radial extent than any of the other 13 total eclipses I have observed since. I estimated 6-7 degrees to the naked eye using the lunar diameter and handspan to estimate. The coronal streamers were certainly spilling out of the 7.5 degree field of my 8x24mm wide angle binoculars.

Joe

[Butterfly Maiden]

What a wonderful experience Joe.

Definitely something worth looking back on :smile:

Great images too.

(P.S. I was three months old at that time ) but I am not trying to make you feel old, just not an experience I would have remembered )

[OzEclipse]

What a wonderful experience Joe.

Definitely something worth looking back on :smile:

Great images too.

(P.S. I was three months old at that time ) but I am not trying to make you feel old, just not an experience I would have remembered )

Vanessa,
I'll reply after I get my zimmer frame and struggle to the computer.

You'll like this...

I wanted a simple hair cut and a beard trim before the eclipse. So I asked the hotel concierge where i could get a hair cut. He pointed me across the road. It was a full on salon. head and shoulder massage, shampoo, beard trim, hair cut and style. OMG 3.5 hrs!!!!!!! The beard trim alone took over 1 hr. I was so sick of it and dying to get out at the end. I don't know how women do it and like it. Anyway, this is me after 3.5 hrs of preening. I couldn't see the difference to a straight barber haircut back home but it was quite the experience.

[Juno16]

That is really cool Joe!

Thanks for sharing your wonderful blast from the past with us and your outstanding imagery!

[Butterfly Maiden]

Quite the dapper young man there Joe.

Don't forget to get some stretches in to ease those aching joints, and apply the 'Deep Heat'

I think most women just like the experience of being pampered, plus they get chance for a good chat.

Sophia and I don't need to go to salons as we can do each other's hair and nails.

[messier 111]

thx , love those stories , very nice images , thx .

[AstroBee]

Great story and images Joe. Thanks for sharing.

[John Donne]

Thank you Joe for this great post !

[SkyHiker]

Great story Joe and great images too! Real men don't use digital cameras! And about the haircut, I am so ready to get out if it takes more than a half hour while the barber is talking with others about baseball games, aagh.. I can tell in that picture that your hair would stand straight up if it could.

[Cliff]

Great images and story Joe