(Tammy takes a few minutes to rest - the calm before the storm)
We’d been planning this for a year, and had purchased solar sunglasses and a special solar lens for my camera way in advance. I made reservations back in October for April 7-9, so we would be there before and after the eclipse on the 8th, and avoid the crowded highways. We took back country 2-lane highways and discovered some cute little towns along the way. We even saw what looked like a pyramid off in the distance! Google isn’t telling me what that was…
(Lake Dardanelle at sunrise)
The campground was almost full, but not crowded. Our friend, Robin Lynnwolf joined us with her dog, Ruger. Our pups, Sampson, Candy and Piper, had a chance to explore the area on leash once we settled in. Huge oak and pine trees made for lots of shade - but aren’t great for photographing the sky. We opted to shoot from the parking lot by the lake, a short walk down the hill. As eclipse time approached, there was a spattering of other folks along the shore, in lawn chairs or laying on blankets looking up. People stopped by to chat. A few asked me how to see my finished photos and I shared my gallery link. Be sure to check out the beautiful scenery in my Shoal Bay Scenery Gallery!
The eclipse began at 12:33 p.m. and lasted until 3:10, with totality from 1:49 CDT 1:53.
Photos of the eclipse from beginning to end are here.
We had purchased a tripod and a wireless shutter for my Canon 7D and Canon EF 70-200mm F/2.8L IS II USM. The remote shutter gadget meant that there would be no risk of camera shake on the tripod as I took the photos. The camera body and lens, combined, weigh over 6 lbs. The tripod was rated for that type of weight, but apparently not when pointed straight up at the sky. When I had practiced at home, I had a little trouble keeping the camera focused on the sun with the solar filter - but when pointed straight up the tripod failed and Steve thought it might completely drop the camera! So in desperation I ended up pointing that 6 pound camera straight up at the sun with my bare hands. Every four minutes. For about 2 hours and 37 minutes.
(6 pounds of equipment, hand held. Photo taken at totality had to be lightened, it was so very dark.)
A few shots into the eclipse, I had an idea - Steve would fire the remote with a 5 second delay, while I held the camera, and there would be no camera shake as I didn’t know exactly when it would fire. It was teamwork all the way. I wore a safari style hat with a huge brim to protect my eyes, and used the LCD screen on the camera rather than looking directly through the view finder. I zoomed out to 70mm to find the sun, then zoomed in to 200mm for the shots. Amazingly, my arms seemed to “remember” the approximate location of the sun and it wasn’t as difficult to find it as it was using the tripod at home.
We had 2 other cameras with us, to capture the surrounding lake and mountains during the event. Thankfully the tripod held them just fine.
Steve had seen a neat idea using holes in cardboard to form the words Eclipse 2024 to capture the unique shadows and sunlight. The asphalt wasn’t ideal for it but we still got some nice photos.
Set up by the tailgate, with all the gadgets lined up and ready to go, we counted down the minutes and seconds until the beginning of the eclipse with an app called Eclipse Live, a handy application that gave us the percentage of coverage and a countdown to totality, among other things. My goal had been to take a shot every 5 minutes, but I’m a woman so I changed my mind and opted for every 4 minutes at the last moment. Steve set the timer on my phone for me and took photos of the surroundings in between shots.
A little while into it, we smelled smoke - and spied a fire across the lake by a very nice home. Of course I didn’t want to take the solar filter off or change my camera settings to shoot it, so I waited until totality to capture it. I think the home was OK and it was probably a controlled burn.
Photos of the area during the eclipse are in this gallery.
As the moon took chunks out of the sun, we felt the weather change. The lake went from still to choppy to still again, and a cool breeze came up. As it got darker, birds, including buzzards, all began to fly over, apparently to the their resting spot - they thought it was bedtime! The shadows of tree leaves on the asphalt were really cool!
As totality began, we took off our solar sunglasses and I removed the solar filter from the camera. Someone in the campground had been playing music from the 60s and 70s, but as it got dark, they played Johny Cash’s “Ring of Fire.”, and as the sun came back out, “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beetles. There was loud cheering and applause accompanying the eerie darkness. We talked to the lady who had played the music afterwards - it was a playlist she found for the eclipse, with timing to match.
The party seemed to break up after totality, though we stayed and continued to take photos. We watched lake patrol pull over another boat. When they came to shore, the game warden came over to chat. He asked how much it would it cost to get a shot. I thought he meant the equipment and told him $5000! Steve understood and they had a good laugh - the man wanted a print, not the camera setup. I shared my gallery with him and I’ll let him know that the pictures are ready for purchase.
So now my arms are sore from all the heavy lifting, but it was an experience of a lifetime. A couple of days later, we broke camp and headed back home. The dogs enjoyed getting their freedom to run back, then took a few hours’ nap. It’s good to be home.
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Now that autumn's here, I'm back outside and taking photos. I love camping, the opportunity to get out on the lake in the kayak at dawn's first light, the wandering through the forest with the dogs, the friendly people we meet.
Check out the photos in my gallery, Oklahoma and Arkansas Trails, for more like this one!
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Sometimes you are on the mountain top. Sometimes you are in the valley.
I've been in the valley for past few months.
On January 3, I lost the love of my life, Mike Hoffman.
He died from cancer, just over a week after finding out that that was what was causing his weight loss and pain. I had known him only 2 1/2 years, but it's not an exaggeration to say that he was one of the most wonderful people I've ever known, and that he made a larger impact on my life than can be explained. Our time together was extraordinary, hard to describe in just a few paragraphs. He was a person who embodied the meaning of love - he cared about people in a rare and special way. He could make light of life's situations while having an edge to his words that could put you in your place, but always, ALWAYS, being kind and letting you know he loved you.
I know in my heart that God meant us to be together, that this was a part of His plan, that there was a purpose to our relationship. I will love Mike and miss him forever.
Following this sadness, I also lost my father, Johnny Hagen. Unlike Mike, he had lived to an age when you expect these things to happen. His loss is deeply felt by all who loved him.
So today I'm waiting for the next chapter in my life. I can't go on yet - there is much to do with the settling of an estate, the decisions to make, and waiting for spring. It's been a long, hard winter, and it's not over yet. The road ahead is not revealed - I don't know where I'll go or what I'll do when I get there.
I'll continue with my creative pursuits, there's no doubt about that! I just hope for peace and for God's guidance as I continue my journey. I see the mountain top in the distance.
I see changes.
And up ahead, I see spring.
]]>I've spent the last couple of weeks staying inside, organizing my thoughts, my photos, my 'stuff.'
I've shopped and wrapped and sent out cards (which I designed) and spent time with family and friends.
I play with the dog, and if it's nice enough out, take her for a walk.
Once in a while, I go out with the camera (I tend to stay in the truck to get the shot!) and try for a few seasonal pictures.
Come February, I'll spend a week in Tucson, hopefully to bring back some desert landscapes.
In the meantime, have a Very Merry Christmas, and a blessed New Year!
]]>If kids are involved, the gallery is password protected to keep the little ones safe. Friends and family can go online to order more prints, sent directly to their home.
Contact me today at 402-618-2374 or [email protected]
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I visited the annual Alpaca Day Open House at Alpacas of the Heartland near Fort Calhoun, Nebraska on Saturday and Sunday, September 28 & 29, 2013.
Mike and Sheri Jacoby have a beautiful ranch in the hills, and their alpacas are not only cute, but sweet and friendly. Over a thousand visitors enjoyed feeding carrots to these fantastic animals over the weekend.
Pictured is a cria, or baby alpaca, in the middle of the herd.
Contact me today for livestock or pet photography! [email protected]
]]>I asked myself: what do I do best? And what are my interests? I've got the training and experience in graphic design, and I've always had the love of animals and nature. My photography has improved over the last couple of years, and I've really enjoyed shooting everything from dogs and cats to cattle and alpacas.
Zig Ziglar's big advice was to "give people what they want."
So today I'm introducing 4footphoto.com, where I'll advertise and display my animal photography.
And in my graphic design, I'll concentrate on creating commercially usable images for the public.
I'll also learn to take advantage of the many social media options out there for marketing and networking.
This is a great country, where anyone who works hard can achieve success.
I, for one, am willing to try!
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Lost and alone on some forgotten highway, Traveled by many, remembered by few,*
March 15, the Ides of March, the timing was perfect - the Sandhill Cranes were stopping near Grand Island on their trip back north, and I had a friend to visit in Burwell. Half way in between there was a family with beautiful horses that I'd wanted to see for a while.
Looking for something that I can believe in, Looking for something that I'd like to do, With my life.
So I packed up my camera, tripod and some soft drinks, and headed west early in the morning. The day was warm for March, the sky partly cloudy. I love the Sandhills, where I'd lived 20 years ago.
John Denver's song "Sweet Surrender" popped into my head and I smiled as I drove south of Grand Island and saw the first Cranes.
There's, nothing behind me and, nothing that ties me to, something that might have been true yesterday,
Then off to the north on Hwy. 281, the Sandhills coming into view in just a few miles.
Grin! Roller Coaster Road! Narrow highway, no shoulder, shear drop offs, keep your eyes on the road! But I can't! The hills are too beautiful!
There's something peaceful and mysterious and exciting about the Sandhills. Miles and miles of mounds of sand, with dots of brush or trees, a pond here, a highway there, cattle grazing, telephone poles marching off into the distance. The quiet, the aloneness, is satisfying.
The camara helped me grab that scenery so that I could share it with you, but I hope you will make the effort one day to experience it yourself. It's not Disneyland, not the Rockies, not New Orleans or the Grand Canyon. This experience is peace. It just is.
CharEd Appaloosas was kind enough to let me stop at their place with very little notice. Ed was gracious, and his horses, as I knew they would be, were fantastically beautiful. They were playful and friendly, as curious about me as I was about them. The photos turned out great, but they don't do the horses justice - their winter coats will be shedding soon and their sleek summer beauty will shine through. I will be back!
Tomorrow is open and right now it seems to be more than enough to just be here today!
Burwell hadn't changed much, a small town in the middle of the state. Lunch with Kim was awesome, half catch up and half daydream. We're both grandmothers now. We were new mothers back then.
Back home, back on the road. Absorb the spirit of the Sandhills so it lasts a little longer....
I pulled this quote from his story: "Whoever created the world went to a lot of trouble. It would be downright rude not to go out and see as much of it as possible."
While I've not traveled much, I do go out and see as much of my own little corner of it as possible. Part of my joy in life is to show others what I see - thus my photo gallery - I just find the natural world out there so incredibly beautiful that I need to share. It's a passion, if not a living. But what is life without a passion?
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