As I woke up today, I felt the cool embrace of the morning air as I opened my front door. The weather was crisp, in the 60s, and the outside lighting felt different. It was as if I was wearing polarized glasses, the world bathed in a surreal yellowish tone, casting harsh shadows and creating captivating highlights. I couldn’t help but feel like I had stepped into a scene from a movie shot on 35-millimeter film. I knew in that moment that today was going to be different. Today, I was going to capture the magic of a total solar eclipse, and I was determined to share this extraordinary experience with my son.
Rushing out the door with our solar eclipse glasses, my Canon mirrorless R5 camera, a 100mm-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L Image Stabilizer lens, and a trusty variable ND filter with 8 stops, I knew I had the perfect equipment to document this once-in-a-lifetime event. My heart raced with anticipation as I drove to my son Albert’s elementary school, where I had set up two chairs and carefully assembled my camera equipment.
As I looked around, I couldn’t help but notice the excitement in the faces of the people and families who had gathered around me. We were all here for the same reason—to witness the magic of the celestial ballet that was about to unfold above us. The atmosphere was electric with anticipation.
As the moment of the eclipse approached, a hush fell over the crowd. The sun, our life-giving star, began to be slowly and methodically obscured by the moon. The world around us grew dimmer, and a surreal stillness settled over the scene. Then, with a sense of awe and wonder, the moon aligned perfectly with the sun, creating the breathtaking phenomenon we had all been waiting for.
Cheers and shouts of excitement erupted from the crowd, children and adults alike. In that moment, I couldn’t help but think, “Wow! I’m living one of the most amazing and magical events that this world and universe have to offer.” It was as if time had stood still, and we were all connected by the awe-inspiring beauty of the eclipse.
As I snapped away with my camera, I felt an experience that I hadn’t felt in a long time. Through the lens, I witnessed something simultaneously beautiful and extraordinary, and I had the privilege of sharing that excitement with my son, Albert. The best part? It was completely free—a reminder that some of the most profound and enchanting moments in life don’t come with a price tag.
This eclipse was a profound reminder of the incredible wonders that surround us, often hidden in plain sight. It rekindled my appreciation for life and the magical gifts that the universe offers for us to see. In that shared moment, we were all brought together by the awe of the cosmos, reminding us of our place in this vast universe.
I invite you to take a journey through the photographs I captured of this 2023 eclipse transformation. Each image tells a story of wonder and beauty, a testament to the magic that exists in the world around us if we only take the time to look up and appreciate it. This experience was a reminder that, in the midst of our busy lives, there are moments of pure magic waiting to be discovered, right in our own backyard.
The magic of today’s eclipse unfolded in a precise and mesmerizing timeline. The partial eclipse began its dance with the sun at approximately 10:24 a.m., gradually building anticipation. But the true spectacle, the annularity phase, commenced at 11:52 a.m., just as the sun and moon aligned in perfect harmony.
At 11:54 a.m., the moment we had all been waiting for arrived—the peak of the annular eclipse. For two glorious minutes, we were treated to the breathtaking sight of the sun transformed into a fiery ring, a celestial masterpiece.
The entire eclipse event gradually came to an end, concluding its celestial performance at 1:30 p.m., reminding us once again of the grandeur and precision of our universe.
Let’s relive these incredible moments together through the photographs in the blog post. 🌞🌓🌚 #EclipseMemories #SanAntonioEclipse #EclipseTimelapse
