Last week we shared the story behind Ted Hesser and Andrew Studer's incredible climber photos captured at Smith Rock in Oregon during the August 21st total solar eclipse. Now, thanks to this behind the scenes video from Columbia Sportswear, we get to actually see how it all came together.
Hesser and Studer's images have gone, to use the technical term, bonkers viral since they were released shortly after the eclipse. Alongside Chris Burkard's slack-lining eclipse photo—which you can also see happening in the video above—it's safe to say Suder and Hesser's once-in-a-lifetime photos of climber Tommy Smith standing in front of totality are some of the most iconic photographs from the epic celestial event.
There's just something about watching these photos happen and seeing the photographers' and crowd's reactions that gives us goosebumps here at DPReview. Check out the video to see if it affects you the same way.
Say what you like, you can not argue its a totally unique and original shot. From someone who travelled thousands of miles from the UK and who has now witnessed and photographed 11 total eclipses, this is certainly one image of an eclipse that will stand out from the crowd. Well done.
What a zoo! So glad I got my shots in the privacy of a guarded lake resort! Everyone was out on their boats while I was on solid ground with a tripod with no one around me except friends and wife to photograph and enjoy!
So many people in owe of the calculations required to compose the shot but all they actually had to do is be there on the day before the eclipse at the exact same time of the day, compose the shot, mark their locations and wait 24 hours. Simple as that but probably not in USa where everything has to be a "project".
I'm as impressed as everyone else at the technical requirements of getting this shot, but it makes me sad that such an amazing astronomical event is so broadly known by a photo that has an individual as the subject.
If a tree falls in an empty forest, does it make a sound?
If a total eclipse occurs in an area where no one witnesses it, is it still a dramatic event?
There were literally millions of photos taken of this eclipse (mine among them). And though I'm extremely happy with my images, the reality is that in a certain way, they're almost indistinguishable from most of the others.
Putting a human in the middle of this image (beyond the extreme technical challenge of doing so), was, to me, absolutely brilliant.
This was not some teenage girl standing in front of Michaelangelo's Pieta taking a "duck-faced selfie."
OK. You can look at the millions of other photos that are indistinguishable from each other. I'll appreciate this beautiful, unique photo that has an added point of interest.
dqnielg, mostly I'll look at the other unique photos of the eclipse that I prefer; it's not a binary choice between this photo and indistinguishable ones...
You go ahead and appreciate this photo. No one asked you not to, dqnielg.
Same sentiment goes for the rest of you.
There's plenty of other ways to get foreground interest than to make the foreground yourself, Neal, and different ways to get a human element than to take a photo of yourself, steve.
A unique pov. Your line of logic leads to "eclipse desecration" as if its a sacred thing. Its the universe doing its thing; It's trigonometry; It's beautiful and awe-inspiring for sure.
Like others said, u will find a million similar images of the sun eclipsed.
Studer used a focal length of 512mm and an exposure time of 1/4000s at Iso 500, but I wonder why he didn't choose 1/1000s or 1/2000s. He used a Canon 1DX II
The sheer complexity of the math to figure out the exact location, angle and exposure is one thing, but not being destracted while it actually happens is another. I'd like to know how many frames they shot to get a few keepers...
Photopills you mean? A a bit of luck you mean? According to the photographers that is. From previous article: "Studer says they used the PhotoPills app to get a rough idea of the sun’s positioning. But Hesser points out that phone apps have limitations. “iPhone apps aren’t accurate enough for these things. I think I got just a little lucky.” The team decided to move off the projected axis of the sun, past a line of trees that was away from the throng of photographers."
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