Ain’t Nature Grand …

Sometimes nature can make you feel so damn humble …

Such was the case with this weeks total solar eclipse that tens of thousands experienced in Cairns and far north Queensland.

I was assigned to cover the event (unusually) for one of ‘the wires’ AAP. Even before receiving the ‘gig’ from AAP I had scouted out possible sites for the best place to get the best images of the phenomena … and booked a site at Ellis Beach a year ago.

The morning of the event saw high tension as the sun disappeared behind a large cloud bank immediately after sunrise. The assembled throng of scientists, tourists and locals on the beach waited patiently for the next hour or so until – with less than two minutes before totality – the clouds parted and the total eclipse was viewable in all it’s majesty.

Totality lasted just over two minutes – but as I shot away a mental list of all the images  I wanted to make – it seemed more like just a few seconds. I really would have liked a moment to reflect on the wonderful show that nature was displaying but that’s a down side to the job!

For the closeups of the total eclipse I brushed off my many years old squeeze focus 1200mm (600 + 2x) Novoflex lens – originally the first choice of football photographers in the UK many years ago. A 77mm heavy duty neutral density filter screwed handily to the front and it was easy to lock the completely manual lens at ‘infinity’. The first time I’ve used this particular lens in anger in many decades! It performed well …

Gratifyingly my images have appeared around the planet … thanks to AAP syndication … including the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Times of India, the South China Morning Post as well as in more far flung places such as Brazil, Bulgaria and Poland and many more.

Would relish the opportunity to cover another total eclipse … anytime!

Below I’ve posted just two of the many images I made of Wednesday’s spectacular show …

Images © Brian Cassey and AAP (2012)