[pixelsaurus]

For those interested, Thurs Jan 12: Fred Espenak's Eclipse-Photography Webinar - Sky & Telescope

[Storm Chaser]

Thanks for the Link, Guide to the total solar eclipse: August 21, 2017-Sky & Telescope. I have been thinking as well for a location and gear I will be using, will be along I-80 in central Nebraska somewhere?

May and try using my 10 stop ND filter, but thinking a true solar filter really is the way to go! Will have my cloud cover radar app going, just in case I need to move locations. As this event gets closer, ideas and thoughts should be good!

Good Luck

Brian

[KrisRae]

For those planning to photograph the elcipse on the Great Plains, you have to take the wind into account when setting up your equipment. It may die down at night, but very rare not to have a windy day and gusts can be down right mean. NW Nebraska is very hilly and if it's not interstate, mostly 2 lane roads. Keep a sharp eye out for farm equipment. Maybe not so much on Eclipse day, but if there is work to be done, the farmers and ranchers won't care if there are lots of tourists in the area. Cell phone service in that region is spotty at best. What ever you do, don't speed from one location to another. Nebraska State Patrol loves nothing better than out of state speeders.

I spoke to Nebraska's state park reservation system. Their reserved spots are full, but they only take reservations for half of the sites in any given locations. Some recreation areas don't do reservations at all. What's not reserved is first come first serve.

[aslyfox]

For those planning to photograph the elcipse on the Great Plains, you have to take the wind into account when setting up your equipment. It may die down at night, but very rare not to have a windy day and gusts can be down right mean. NW Nebraska is very hilly and if it's not interstate, mostly 2 lane roads. Keep a sharp eye out for farm equipment. Maybe not so much on Eclipse day, but if there is work to be done, the farmers and ranchers won't care if there are lots of tourists in the area. Cell phone service in that region is spotty at best. What ever you do, don't speed from one location to another. Nebraska State Patrol loves nothing better than out of state speeders.

I spoke to Nebraska's state park reservation system. Their reserved spots are full, but they only take reservations for half of the sites in any given locations. Some recreation areas don't do reservations at all. What's not reserved is first come first serve.

additional thoughts, if you come across (almost said "run into" but why jinx anyone) farm equipment, it will be big and slow and the operator may be very cautious about pulling over to the side of the road to make room for you to pass. Why ??? Often such equipment is "top heavy" and can topple if off balanced. By pulling to the side it could put the operator and the equipment at risk.

watch your speed, not only because of tickets but you might have vehicles pull unexpectedly out in front of you from an intersection or a field.
The area where I grew up (east Central Illinois) may not exactly be the same but traffic on intersecting roads often could not be seen until you are right at the intersection because of the height of corn in the fields obstructing the views.

plan ahead and figure that going what might be a short distance on an interstate will take a lot longer on the 2 lane roads because of the slow moving traffic and the possible problems with visibility.

one further note, if travelling in the country in the early AM, dawn or shortly before, watch out for deer, the same holds true about travel around dusk.

[KrisRae]

Anyone traveling on I-80 will also have to keep a sharp eye on the semi trucks. It's major travel route for long-haul truckers from east to west coast. Sometimes it's not much better than rush hour traffic, and the trucks travel at 65 miles an hour. (10 miles under speed limit). That doesn't keep them from passing one of their buddies who is doing 63. That gets really annoying once you're halfway between Kearney and Sidney, where the hills start getting pretty big. Also, I can't think of a trip thru NE where some section of an interstate wasn't under construction.

Can confirm you have to watch for the deer. We took Hwy. 2 (need to double check number is correct) from Grand Island thru the Sand Hills. The towns disappear after a bit. You'll see nothing but train tracks and hills until Valentine. No farm or ranch houses close to the highway. 3 deer hopped out in front of us & we were still more than an hour from Valentine. Got lucky and missed them by that much.

Also in small towns a convenience store is not guaranteed. Look for Cenex at the farmers' coop for gas. Ability to find gas easily is another reason not to speed in the midwest. The wind is rarely behind you and those big hills suck it up fast.

For those who need protective eyewear for the eclipse this site has them for the most reasonable price I've seen so far. There is also some photography info and links to other sites.
Total Solar Eclipse 2017 - Path Through the United States

[aslyfox]

Anyone traveling on I-80 will also have to keep a sharp eye on the semi trucks. It's major travel route for long-haul truckers from east to west coast. Sometimes it's not much better than rush hour traffic, and the trucks travel at 65 miles an hour. (10 miles under speed limit). That doesn't keep them from passing one of their buddies who is doing 63. That gets really annoying once you're halfway between Kearney and Sidney, where the hills start getting pretty big. Also, I can't think of a trip thru NE where some section of an interstate wasn't under construction.

Can confirm you have to watch for the deer. We took Hwy. 2 (need to double check number is correct) from Grand Island thru the Sand Hills. The towns disappear after a bit. You'll see nothing but train tracks and hills until Valentine. No farm or ranch houses close to the highway. 3 deer hopped out in front of us & we were still more than an hour from Valentine. Got lucky and missed them by that much.

Also in small towns a convenience store is not guaranteed. Look for Cenex at the farmers' coop for gas. Ability to find gas easily is another reason not to speed in the midwest. The wind is rarely behind you and those big hills suck it up fast.

For those who need protective eyewear for the eclipse this site has them for the most reasonable price I've seen so far. There is also some photography info and links to other sites.
Total Solar Eclipse 2017 - Path Through the United States

for those not use to dealing with the big trucks - the semi tractor trailer set ups - here are some things to consider:

some might be hauling more than 1 trailer

the semi and trailers can set up quite a wind shield so when passing be ready to react as your vehicle may be affected as you pass or as you are passed as you get in and out of the shielding effect of the semi and trailer.

do not be a rush to move back in front of the semi and trailer. one of the biggest complaints professional drivers have is the passing vehicle cutting back in too quickly and even reducing speed. it takes a lot of room to slow those babies down and gear changes might be needed and a lot of effort to change gears to come back to cruising speed

if a semi and trailer passes you, consider flashing your head lights in a short series once the driver signals that it is coming back into your lane. This tells the driver that you are aware and ready for him/her to do the maneuver and there is room to do so

be aware that they have to slow up due to changes in terrain, much much more than you do in your car or truck likewise they speed up on the down slope

use your signals so the driver knows your intentions and give them time to prepare and shut off your signal when you are done with the maneuver

as always drive defensively

[WPRESTO]

Perhaps we could get p38arover to post an image of an Australian road-train. OR, go to the first page of the "Street photography" thread and pan down to post #8.

[KrisRae]

I think the moral of the story here is to take any info you find on the internet about how long it takes to reach a destination and add at least an hour. It also occured to me that the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally might be close enough to the eclipse that a few bikers might stay in the region to view it. Or see it somewhere on the way home. Couldn't hurt to keep an eye out for them too.

For those who don't make regular use of sunglasses, while they aren't suitable for the eclipse, you will appreciate having them in the midwest for driving and any time you spend outdoors. Wrap around styles will also help protect your eyes from the wind as well.

[gaweidert]

Looking at a totally eclipsed sun without eye protection is not safe. There is enough energy in the visible corona to still damage your eyes.

One other thing I did during an annular eclipse that was visible from my house in the mid 1990's or so was to place a homemade aperture over the front surface of my lens (Sigma 40mm f5.6 APO). The greatly reduced the light entering the lens but did not effect image quality.

[RoxnDox]

Anyone traveling on I-80 will also have to keep a sharp eye on the semi trucks. It's major travel route for long-haul truckers from east to west coast. Sometimes it's not much better than rush hour traffic, and the trucks travel at 65 miles an hour. (10 miles under speed limit). That doesn't keep them from passing one of their buddies who is doing 63. That gets really annoying once you're halfway between Kearney and Sidney, where the hills start getting pretty big. Also, I can't think of a trip thru NE where some section of an interstate wasn't under construction.

Can confirm you have to watch for the deer. We took Hwy. 2 (need to double check number is correct) from Grand Island thru the Sand Hills. The towns disappear after a bit. You'll see nothing but train tracks and hills until Valentine. No farm or ranch houses close to the highway. 3 deer hopped out in front of us & we were still more than an hour from Valentine. Got lucky and missed them by that much.

Also in small towns a convenience store is not guaranteed. Look for Cenex at the farmers' coop for gas. Ability to find gas easily is another reason not to speed in the midwest. The wind is rarely behind you and those big hills suck it up fast.

For those who need protective eyewear for the eclipse this site has them for the most reasonable price I've seen so far. There is also some photography info and links to other sites.
Total Solar Eclipse 2017 - Path Through the United States

I drove a 112 mile roundtrip on I 80 and county blacktop for nearly 15 years between Omaha and Lincoln, and drove out to Denver several times a year. The semis very rarely run 10 below the speed limit unless they've been stuck with governor systems... Best advice is to give them plenty of space before and after, and when you do pass them, *pass them* - don't zoom up, then crawl past and take forever to get out of their blind spots, then zoom away... Drivers hate that (I had a CB and chatted a LOT with the truckers) as much as tailgaters.

And yeah, keep an eye out for deer... Anytime the road crosses a stream or river, that little belt of trees is a high-risk zone. Nebraska river bottoms land has a LOT of deer, and a LOT of Bambi-bumper collisions (and casualties on both sides!)

Jim

[KrisRae]

Any comments I've made concerning travel in NE have been based on our personal experiences. We travel from the Houston, TX area to the upper midwest and encounter a lot of semis, especially between Houston - Dallas and I-80. There may be federal regulations concerning the speed of trucks, but truckers who aren't driving 75 miles an hour might be going a bit slower for fuel consumption and tire wear. Just keep a close eye on them and be prepared to slow down if one pulls into the left lane. The August eclipse also occurs at a time of year when lots of people are traveling. Cross winds and gusts are not friendly to anyone driving a high profile vehicle or towing a trailer. That will include motorhomes and travel trailers too. We don't always travel the 75 speed limit when towing our trailer. It depends on conditions. High winds, wet roads and poor visibility definitely slow us down.

If you can be in the location where you want to watch the eclipse a few days ahead of time, you're probably better off. There will also large crowds of people in areas that don't normally have that many. It may not be that simple to relocate to another area if weather doesn't cooperate. So just be prepared to make the best of things, and maybe have an elcipse party where you're at, even it it doesn't work out.

[Storm Chaser]

I think your idea for two bodies is a great one, I will be doing as well. I would go for as much focal length as you have or can afford to rent, but 300mm should be fine. The K3 would be a good choice I think, but many here could break down the bodies better for your needs.

I would say NO, to the ND filters! Getting my gear ready as well, Shooting wide ( K1&15-30) or close both rentals. For solar shots K5IIs, Sigma 150-500 with home made solar filter, Bought two cheap UV filters 92mm and one 86/92 stepup ring and sandwich solar film between the two filters. Bought a sheet of solar film that reduces transmission by 1/1000th of 1% from Thousand Oaks Optical for around twenty dollars.

Good luck on your choice of location, will be in central Nebraska some where, but away from the masses! If you can get an extra 15-30 seconds out of the eclipse is big, cloud cover, haze etc. may be our bigger problem!

No expert just my thoughts, have fun!

Brian

[Imagery By George]

I'm starting to plan for the August solar eclipse that will occur over North America and have some questions I'm hoping will be met with the collective wisdom of this group.

I'm planning on using two bodies, one with a wide (Sigma 10-20) and one with a tele (either the DA 50-200 ED WR or the DA 55-300mm ED). Obviously amateur/enthusiast equipment. Better options? I've also have the faster and sharper 35mm F2.8 Limited and the 50 F1.8 at my disposal.

A couple of equipment questions:

First, about the bodies.

I'm a happy KS-2 user now and can't afford a K3 ii, but I'm thinking of selling it to subsidize a purchase of a new K-70 or used K-3; maybe a used K-50 or K-30 for a second body? Recommendations? I need wi-fi on at least one body for work, so that's a factor.

Second, will stacked ND filters work for this shoot? I've got an ND8. ND4 and ND2 that stacked will give me 14 stops, or should I get a unitasker filter for this eclipse, knowing I will likely never need such a piece of equipment again. But, it is a once-in-a-lifetime event ...

Thanks all.

I too am making plans. I have a K-3ii and K-50, plan to use both. I'm wondering about filters...much varied information is to be found. I'm in Pennsylvania, plan to head SE based on current cloud cover forecasts. Right now my target is SE Tennessee around the Smokies, but that may change. No hotel reservations, either I'll be sleeping in my car or finding a campsite. It should be fun!

[aslyfox]

this site may be of interest

Total Solar Eclipse 2017 - Interactive Google Map

it leads to a google map with details of what will happen at the locale you select

[Imagery By George]

I'm starting to plan for the August solar eclipse that will occur over North America and have some questions I'm hoping will be met with the collective wisdom of this group.

I'm planning on using two bodies, one with a wide (Sigma 10-20) and one with a tele (either the DA 50-200 ED WR or the DA 55-300mm ED). Obviously amateur/enthusiast equipment. Better options? I've also have the faster and sharper 35mm F2.8 Limited and the 50 F1.8 at my disposal.

A couple of equipment questions:

First, about the bodies.

I'm a happy KS-2 user now and can't afford a K3 ii, but I'm thinking of selling it to subsidize a purchase of a new K-70 or used K-3; maybe a used K-50 or K-30 for a second body? Recommendations? I need wi-fi on at least one body for work, so that's a factor.

Second, will stacked ND filters work for this shoot? I've got an ND8. ND4 and ND2 that stacked will give me 14 stops, or should I get a unitasker filter for this eclipse, knowing I will likely never need such a piece of equipment again. But, it is a once-in-a-lifetime event ...

Thanks all.

A quick reply - be wary of the used K-50. It may have exposure problems which they're prone to. I just spent $175 getting mine (hopefully) fixed. I'm planning to use that camera and my K-3ii. I'm curious about which lenses, too.