Everybody awaited the Lunar Eclipse patiently be it at home, on holiday or wherever. South Africans were so blessed to spectate this event and all for free in the comfort of your home as we call it on your “stoep” which is patio. You did not have to pay to watch this astronomical event, how awesome is that!
I got all my equipment ready at 4pm CAT and went moon hunting, well you could not miss moonrise (at 5:10pm) as the moon was huge, it seemed big but was an optical illusion. Well I then got my tripod into place, mounted my telescopic lens and camera … there the wonderful show started in my backyard, this event felt like a rock concert, only audience I had around me were hooo hooo who? Owls and black black backed jackals as well as my lovely 6 dogs! I was hoping the Twilight saga would rock up too! The moon was like a spot light, being full moon it lit up the whole valley around me. I could even see the power lines 3km away on the mountain. Breathtaking.
Around the country the coast of Kwa-Zulu Natal had a spectacular event watching all this happen in what appeared like over the ocean, wow must have been some awesome photographing scenery too! The Cape well that’s why it’s called the Cape of storms, they did not get to view the event due to rain. Well guys look at my Gallery for some photos if you missed it because you were too lazy to go look, too cold or had rain.
Photographing with this lens was quiet mmm… tricky and any movement caused me to lose the moon quickly, but luckily I got the hang of it about an hour into moonrise. Advice, practice shooting the moon before such an event. We cannot change the cold weather but I hear 2015 it will be in a warmer season.
Anyway, it was getting cold, super cold. At around 9pm I started noticing that I cannot see the moon let alone feel my fingers with gloves on, hanging like a monkey on my camera as the moon was right above my head. I decided to get it into some light. ha ha my lens froze!! It had a layer of fresh icy frost on the glass… now you must understand, this happened right at the time of the FULL eclipse, I was jumping up and down trying to get the lens a bit warm and get this frost off. Well I was seconds too late, but man what an experience. I spent 9 hours outside and lit a fire for warmth. Ok, ok yes South Africa’s winters are not as cold as the Northern hemisphere’s. I love winter! Next time I will integrate a heater into the lens.
So after cleaning my lens, eventually I found the moon again starting to open the second half of the eclipse and wow I am blown away at the photos I was able to capture on this amazing evening! God really blessed us with a spectacular event of a “sky movie show” and the stars were shining like never before! nothing but nature around me I felt even more blessed and looking at that moon do its full course wow!
Vernelle Imaging 