Thought I would get out for another evenings observing. Visibility appeared to be good around 8pm and improved as the evening went on. Still finding it challenging with the very side on nature of Saturns tilt with respect to viewing from Earth.
Still seeing a hint of the Cassini division but also now seeing a slight shadow of the face of the planet caused by the rings.
Woke early again this morning and upon opening the blinds saw sunlight kissing the trees that make up the garden view I have out of the apartment. Dressed quickly and headed to the car park on the north side ofthe resort to see where sun light was kissing the ground. There were a couple of car spots that would be ideal and took a few photos for reference. Then headed over to the southern car park and there were some possibilities there as well. One other option on this side is a grassed area.
I then moved between the two car parks as the time approached when totallity would hit. Definitely have options and will not worry about going to the beach to watch. Now the only thing we need is clear skies.
At this point I jumped in the car and headed downto Port Douglas to grab some breakfast. There were some markets down by the water that were starting up and had a wonder through. Stalls were fairly typical with jewelry, clothing, photos etc. I grabbed a pineapple juice but it as more like pineapple pulp. Sweet and enjoyable.
Headed back to the hotel and grabbed the camera camera before heading south to Cairns. The day was looking so nice that I wanted to make the most of it whilst I could. Took about an hour to get into Cairns and parked the car before walking down and around the marina. Then walked through some of the streets. Being a Sunday the majority of the stores were shut. Restaurants however were open.
Stopped by the Rememberance Day ceremony that was being held along the Esplanade before getting in the car and heading towards the town of Atherton. The drive snaked up the mountain range that is located behind Cairns and was there in around a hour.
Atherton is a small country. Fairly typical really. After getting some cash out I the headed onto the town of Herberton which was a further 20 km on. There is a historical village setup in the old tip mining town. It was well worth the visit as everything had been setup with authentic houses and items from 1850 thru to 1950. Then grabbed some food from the town itself before driving back to Port Douglas.
Settled in for the evening. Thinking about the next couple of days. One more day of sight seeing and then a day specifically for setup and final testing before the big morning on Wednesday.
Had a good nights sleep and was greeted in the morning by some mysterious bird calls. Headed out to the car park at around 6.15am. Cloud was everywhere with no hint as to where the sun would be. It is going to be very difficult to gauge the best spot to setup all the gear. With the eclipse so early in the morning the tree line is going to dictate where I watch it from. I suspect a lot of people would head to the beach but with all the gear I need to be closer to where I can have the gear.
I too a series of photos from various locations in the car park then headed towards the beach access. It was at this stage I glimpsed the first hint of direct sun. The spot which I have noted is a short walk from the hotel so the option is definitely there.
Headed towards the beach which was only about a 5-10 minute walk. The beach is long and flat and there were a few people out walking. I then spotted what looked to a lady paddle boarding with a dog. Walked back to the hotel and got in the car and head down to Port Douglas shops. It is a very nice area with the majority of shops focused on one street. It was quite early still, just after 7am so had to search for a place to ge a coffee. Grabbed a mocha and toasted banana bread. Caught up on some news before walking up and down the main strip.
Did a bit of a drive around trying to to spot places to watch the eclipse from there were a we spots that looked promising but will have to wait for a clear morning to be sure.
Around midday I decided to go for a drive up to Mossman. It is only 20km from Port Douglas and is not a large town. Appears to be famous for its gorge and they have worked hard to come up with a visitor centre and a shuttle bus system to drop people off. This appears to allow more people to visit as the car parking available at the gorge would have been small compared to that of the visitor centre.
Elevated walk ways allow you to move through the rain forest easily and offering spectacular views. The gorge itself was very beautiful with massive boulders with water crashing over them. There were plenty of people swimming but kept on walking around the bush walk loop. Heard lots of exotic birds and saw a black snake on the 45 minute loop before boarding the bus back down to the visitor centre.
Had a nice lunch at the visitor centre before heading out for another drive and then back to Port Douglas to pick up some groceries and then finally back to the hotel. Watched some TV through a haze of static.
Hoping for clearer skies in the morning.
Started packing yesterday evening after returning from a night taking some footage at Parramasala. The evening was full of color and sound and watched Kamahl knock out a rendition of “love is in the air”. Packing is something I love to hate and always leave it to the last minute to complete. But this time there was going to be a bit more than just clothes. I had to pack in tripods, ball heads/ fluid heads, gimbal mounts.
Fortunately when I resumed packing this morning that everything fit, albeit a little tight and a wee heavy. A quick weighty check showed me around the 24-25 kilos. Qantas sets a limit of around 23 kg but the option to leave items behind was not a option.
Finalised packing mid morning and then persuaded myself to catch a cab rather than bus, train & train. Cab arrived at 11.15am and headed off towards the airport. Traffic was heavy but not a problem. My only concern was the cab driver.
There were a number of times where we had stopped at intersections and then the green light went and he just sat there. We were only a short distance from the airport when I actually saw him having a nap. I kept it cool but a few blasphemous words were spoken.
Arrived at the airport in around one hour. I warned the guy that “my life is in his hands” and was receptive to my statement. Qantas domestic was quiet and had no issues checking in via a kiosk and then putting the checked bag in. They were going to make me pay $20 extra but the guy at the sales desk told me to put my money in my wallet which was quite nice.
Security checks were quick considering the amount of tech that I am carrying. Chilling out prior to the flight at gate 1. Looks like the plane is named “Newcastle”, a Boeing 737-800. It was only last night that I had watched Air Crash Investigations on the same model.
Boarded the flight bang on 1.25pm. Everyone was on time which was great. The thing about flying Qantas is that the clientele would not be described as the “all stations to Penrith” but instead this train was on it’s way to “Woolstonecraft”. Flight was delayed for around 30 mins whilst heavy rain hit the airport. Once that had passed we joined the queue for departure.
After takeoff we headed north west over the burbs and then a direct line towards Cairns. The flight was a little bumpy as we dealt with more storms but once we hit cruising altitude I sat back and watched a couple of films. A light meal was served and overall it was an enjoyable flight.
On landing at Cairns I made my way through to the baggage claim area. No bags we out yet at this stage so went straight over to the car hire desk and sorted out the car hire. No huge dramas there and had the keys on hand in about 10 minutes. Headed back over to the baggage claim area and waited for my bag to arrive. I was glad I opted to sort out the car hire first.
Picked up the bag the headed out to the car. Before leaving I whipped out the parents satnav and took a few photos of the car for proverbial covering. Then was on my way towards Port Douglas. Traffic was light and the journey enjoyable. The road hugged the coast with some nice vistas along the way. I suspect that the road will be very busy come eclipse time.
Arrived at the QT Resort just after 6pm and checked in with no dramas. The hotel is very nice indeed with a open plan reception, bar and restaurant. The pool is next with villas all around. I have a garden view room at the rear of the complex but still a very short distance from where it is all happening.
After settling in and freshening up I headed down to the restaurant to check out what was on offer. For $65 you get a new age buffet style gorge fest. Essentially “Sizzler” style eating where you can speak with the chefs. Plus I don’t believe Sizzler ever offer cous cous.I opted for a light meal at the bar. I had a nice piece of barramundi, fries and salad. Don’t want to pig out this trip so ideal. Followed this up with a couple of vodkas and by this time it was time to go to bed. Set the alarm early to do some reconnaissance for places to setup for the eclipse.
This week a number of packages have arrived that I’ve been eagerly awaiting. This includes 2 sets of Giottos MTL8360B carbon fibre tripods along with a Giottos 1311-656 ball head. Added to this I also opted to get a Giottos tripod bag, the AA1253. Unfortunately was only able to get one and the back order was 6 weeks. Looking into some options there but the bag itself is very nice.
Then last Friday I picked up the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6. So Friday night I had a lot of fun opening up boxes and packages and putting it all together. Here is a picture of the lens mounted on my EOS 7D and then attached to the Manfrotto 393 gimbal mount. It really is a beautiful sight.
Given the amount of research that I’ve performed, YouTube videos that I’ve watched I was very familiar with how it was going to behave and I think it is going to work perfectly for me.Tightening the tension knobs allowed me to find the sweet spot to be able to move the camera to different angles and it just stayed there. I still need to get it outside and test it properly.
So since my last post about a week ago there has been a few other purchases. This includes some more Giottos tripod bags, a bag for the Manfrotto 393 and also a Manfrotto fluid head video tripod head. I’ve sourced these again from B&H Photo and Video so that should arrive in the next week or so. Everything appears to be in stock so shouldn’t be any suprises for delivery.
I’ve also purchased the filters for both the DSLR and video camera. They are in route and hope to have them available soon.
Whilst I’ve been waiting for kit to arrive I’ve been trying to do as much reading about eclipse photography. I’ve since found a good a good presentation by Steve Russell and can be found here (http://www.asnsw.com/node/854). Titled “Astroimaging – Total Solar Eclipse Workshop” he covers off how to shoot, what to shoot, lessons learnt etc.
This week I also tested the free version of Eclipse Orchestrator successfully with my Asus Eee PC. This small laptop is light, has good battery life and will be joining me on the trip north. Will look to buy the Pro version of Eclipse Orchestrator soon.
Amazing to believe it’s only one month to go!
I thought last week was busy for items arriving but this week was on par if not greater. A number of the items that I’ve decided to purchase do not necessarily fit in the “must have” category. But somehow I seem to have convinced myself that I need them. Either for this total eclipse or for other projects that I’m looking to undertake in film and photography. The damage is done now, the credit card is still smoking, so let me take you through the latest.
For locaton and timing accuracy I’ve decided to go with a Bluetooth USB GPS dongle. Whilst there were same bare bones versions, I opted for one that can do data logging which is great for trips and geotagging photos. The make and model is the Qstarz BT-Q1000XT-F. I’ve included a picture of the device next to a standard mouse for reference. I’ll post a video eventually of the unboxing that I did, but first impressions? It does what it says.
I was able to get it working relatively easily with both my main computer via USB and a Asus Eee PC via BlueTooth. The main application that I wanted to verify was Eclipse Orchestrator and that worked perfectly. The suggested clock error being detected was well within the suggested range by the creators of the application. One downside I found is that only one application at a time can access the information. This could be down to the use of the serial comm port interface. To be honest that is not an issue for what I want to use it for.
In addition to the GPS dongle, a package from Rainbow Symphony arrived. The package took only four days to arrive in Sydney from California. I had purchased a variety of solar filters for the video and DSLR cameras and for good measure, 25 solar filter glasses. These might be handy to have for people who are not prepared and leave it to the last minute to secure. Added to a number of eclipse glasses I have left over from the 2004 Venus Transit I should be able to make some people happy. Here is a shot of the video and DSLR cameras all setup.
One additional purchased that I hadn’t necessarily counted on but thought it would be a great idea to have one lying around, was a video fluid head. Manfrotto have a few that I liked and this one was reasonably priced when sourced from somewhere like B&H Photo and Video. The model # is MH055M8-Q5 Photo-Movie Tripod Head. Very nice design though a touch heavy being made out of magnesium. Added to the tripod head I bought some bags for my Giottos MTL-8360B’s, a padded bag for the Manfrotto 393 and a Think Tank Pixel Sunscreen.
So all of the large purchases are now done and have been delivered. I am glad that I didn’t leave it too late and be disappointed in the final weeks.Next weekend will be big as we start to approach the last full moon at which point I’ll take the opporunity to check sample exposures. Theoretically speaking the DSLR should be OK but I want to make sure that I know the correct setting for the video camera (Sony CX700) for ideal exposure. On auto exposure the gain is too great and I won’t get to film any subtle detail.
In the next three and a bit weeks to go I’ll be practising setup and configuration followed by a number of trial runs. Will keep you informed of my progress.
n my last post I talked about the the type of kit I was looking at so that I can shoot the upcoming eclipse in Far North Queensland. Since then I’ve made some decisions and placed some orders. Now it is just the waiting game for everything to arrive.
For the lense I opted for the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM. This will get me close to the action whilst providing me with some other options later on for the use of telephoto. There is an Avalon Air Show in Melbourne that I intend to get to next year and have heard this is a great lense for capturing it. The lens is being sourced locally in Australia and spoke with the retailer last week. Should arrive in the next week or so.
To support and mount the lens on the Canon 7D I went with the Manfrotto 939 Gimbal mount. This was sourced from B&H Photo and Video in New York.
On this expedition I not only want to shoot stills I also want to capture video. I believe video offers me the opportunity to capture not only the event itself but the reactions of people in and around. I am hoping to capture screams, cheers and high fives. To do this I am going to use my Sony CX700 Full HD HandyCam video camera. This is such a great little unit and the quality of images is superb. Like the telephoto lens my plan is to get as close to the action as possible. In this case I’ve opted for a Sony VCL-HG1737C 37mm 1.7x High Grade Telephoto Converter Lens. This was also sourced from B&H Photo and Video.
As I mentioned before the Canon lens will arrive shortly. The gimbal mount and teleconverter took about one week to arrive from the US via UPS. Not bad really.
So what else do I need to get? One thing that I’ve been lacking over the years is a decent tripod. I have a Manfrotto 190XPROB and thought I’ve seen some posts around taking the head off it seems a touch painful. Instead I want something that is light and allows attachment of a ball head or the gimbal mount in this case. There have been a couple of sales on lately for Giottos so have placed an order for two sets of tripod legs and another ball head to match the Giottos 1311-656 that I already have.
One final purchase will be filters for the lens. I’m looking at a couple of options there but that will do it from a hardware perpective. Once I’ve got everything I’ll post some pictures and maybe a video or two.
I previously mentioned that I had booked my holiday to Port Douglas to watch the total solar eclipse in November. One of the last things that I had to organised for up there was the car hire. That too has been completed. I pick the car up from the airport and have wheels for all the time that I am up there.
Being mobile is going to be key. I want to travel around and understand all the options that I have on the morning. But I suspect in reality I can dream all I want, the day of the eclipse will be chaotic. For some reason they have organised a marathon the same day to coincide. Crazy!
I am still undecided on my final setup for cameras and video. I joined a Yahoo group (http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/SEML) called SEML (Solar Eclipse Mailing List) to seek advice from experts. A number of people replied which was great. All of the feedback was very practical from trying to reduce the complexity of what I was trying to achieve. Rather than going with one tripod I will probably opt for at least two. That way I can split the risk if I bump one versus the other.
Mounting the and pointing a video camera should be easy due to the size and weight. But with the DSLR and a decent size lens I am looking for a gimbal type mount. Manfrotto has one that seems to be reasonably priced. I’ve included a video that I found on YouTube.
Not entirely sold on using a Manfrotto just yet. Will continue my investigations on that front.
Now to the size of the telephoto lens. There is one site dedicated to eclipse photography that gives a real good indication on the size of the moon/sun (click here). I don’t want to be too far away and nor would I look to be too close as the $ of the lens would be too high. So for the moment I’ve got my eye on the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM.
This year on the 14th November 2012, a total solar eclipse will be visible in parts of Australia and the Pacific. Being located on 3 hours flying time away this is a perfect opportunity to see my first total solar eclipse. It will certainly be a thrilling experience.
Back in August 1999 I was living in the United Kingdom which experienced a total solar eclipse through parts of Devon and Cornwall. I was located just outside of London at the time which was just north of the path of totality. We only experienced 96% coverage of the sun but it gave me a fair idea as to what a total solar eclipse would be like.
My memories of the day are quite clear. The day was clear and someone in the office had welding glass. When the moon started to cover the sun I rushed home and grabbed my video camera. I still have the video on Mini-DV somewhere and will look to put it on YouTube at some point. I can also remember the temperature becoming noticeably cooler at the maximum point of coverage.
When I learnt of the 2012 eclipse in Far North Queensland I booked my leave over a year in advance. This is rare feat for me but such an event is so rare I may as well make the effort to experience one in person. The flights are booked and so is the accommodation.
Next steps are to prepare to photograph and video the event itself. I’ve located a nice application called Eclipse Orchestrator which can control when photographs are taken when an eclipse is under way. My intent at this stage is to have 2 Canon EOS DSLRs (7D, 350D) and also a high definition video camera recording. Mounting the three cameras may be a touch difficult but I’ve spotted a rail system from Giottos that looks very promising. Check it out here (http://www.photogear.co.nz/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=785). Added to the mounting rail I probably need a new tripod and a couple of ball heads so will start shopping around.
That’s it in terms of an update for now but stay tuned for more as the big day draws closer.
We’ve been blessed with good weather over the past couple of days and this has allow some great viewing of Comet McNaught. I travelled up to Buckleys Road in Winston Hills to take photos in the early evening. This is the view towards the south west in the direction of the Prospect Reservoir.
