GuitarWarp

How to Photograph the Total Solar Eclipse The total solar eclipse of April 8, 2024 is now in the books. I hope you got some amazing shots and even more importantly, were able to experience the totality. WEATHER UPDATE: As you probably know weather was a significant issue for most of the US path of the eclipse and even into Canada. Even areas with nearly clear skies had high clouds that prevented the sun's corona being photographed clearly. When you boost the exposure for the much dimmer corona you also get the clouds.  Unlike 2017, I haven't seen any of the massive corona shots where it extends out several diameters of the sun. If you have some, please let me know and post them somewhere. That being said, many photographers got some excellent shots of Bailey's Beads, the Diamond Ring and the sun's much brighter photosphere which is the bright rim closest to where the moon is covering the sun. That's also where there were some very amazing large prominences glowi...

What's the sun's glory or aura and why avoid shooting into it when taking photos of people on a sunny day? If you've ever flown in an airplane and looked down at the plane's shadow on a layer of clouds you've probably seen the bright circular halo reflection the sun makes when it's high overhead. It is sometimes called a "glory" because it looks like a halo.  The Hot Zone.  That "glory" or rainbow like aura is always present even on the ground when you are taking photos on a sunny day and it can ruin your shots.  Let's call it the Hot Zone. When your subject is in the Hot Zone it can make your subject look as if you used an onboard flash, or washing out the contrast and the colors.  Here's an example. The runner looks as if I used a flash. But this is the untouched RAW file shot with the early morning sun around 8:30am directly behind me. It was shot on a Nikon D850 with natural light. Notice how dark the background is because the s...

Aaargh!  Why does it seem that Christmas music is so repetitive? (Updated 2023!) Because it is!  A few Christmas vacations ago this same question hit me. It was probably after hearing the 10th rendition of White Christmas off of Spotify!  Different artists but the same songs.  Why so repetitive? It turns out that there are only about 90 Christmas songs that get any regular air play. And about 30 of those get probably half the air time. I went through the iTunes/Apple Music store and compiled a list of what, by any stretch, were common or highly popular Christmas songs and carols. Nothing that hadn't proven itself for at least two decades was included. Songs had to be widely sung and recorded by a variety of artists and show continuing popularity. So while there are scores of obscure Christmas hymns, carols and songs that are rarely sung or scarcely recorded, they are not included here because odds are you'll go through the entire holiday season and never ...

Stay away from Coronado paint being sold by Benjamin Moore! Here's a cautionary tale that might just make you double-check your next paint purchase at Benjamin Moore. Today, we're diving into the world of the acquired Coronado brand paint and how a seemingly innocent paint choice turned into a DIY disaster. The Quest for Perfect Paint Picture this: you're an experienced painter, having covered everything from walls to banisters with precision. You've relied on trusted brands like Benjamin Moore, known for their top-grade interior paints. So when it came time to tackle your double front doors, Benjamin Moore seemed like the natural choice for a smooth, high-quality exterior semi-gloss finish. With high hopes, you sent someone to fetch "Benjamin Moore's top-grade exterior semi-gloss paint" for your primed metal front doors. But what arrived was not what you expected. Instead of the familiar Benjamin Moore label, you found yourself staring at a quart of Coro...

You hear this phrase repeated often by those who have been taught that there is no rapture of believers or the church in Scripture. However this is a position incorrect in several clear ways: First , nearly all Bible believing, orthodox scholars believe there is a “catching up” or in Latin, rapture , of believers because it is plainly stated in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 by Paul.   " Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord." The Greek word harpadzo is translated "caught up." It is simply a matter of when this catching up of believers happens, or in some cases whether it is the same event as described in Matthew 25:31 (the gathering of the sheep and goats) or not. 
As to when, many believe the 1 Thess. 4:17 “catching up” happens prior to the event of what Jesus calls the Tribulation (Matthew 24:21, 29).   
Others believe this happens at the mid-point of the T...