8.21.17 Solar Eclipse IMG_7472(Sq)

I just upgraded my desktop PC to a DELL XPS 8920 i7 Machine, Windows 10 Pro, so lots of re-installing software and moving hardware over to it (printers, scanners, etc).  On a related note, I continue to use Zenfolio for my website (obviously) as I have not found a better/easier alternative at this price-point, though the speed of this site and the reliability of it is still questionable (poor compared to others).  I also continue to back up my PC and its data (about 25 terabytes now!) using Backblaze, which I highly recommend (about $90 for 2 years of unlimited storage)

I also just returned from a trip from my home in Wisconsin to Metropolis Illinois, at the southern top of Illinois, on the Ohio River, across from Kentucky. This was to shoot the Total Solar Eclipse, as this town was in the path of "totality" where we had 2 minutes and 30 seconds of total blackout. The blackout (sky darkening) didn't really happen until a few seconds before totality, and as the sky darkened the cicadas (nasty locus like bugs) started to all scream loudly, it was amazing, weird, and so memorable!.  I shot pictures using this set up:

Canon EOS 7D with Canon EF 100-400mm II f/4.5-5.6L IS USM and a Canon EF 1.4X III teleconverter with the 3 filters attached, one for UV, one for darkening, and one for polarizing: B+W 77mm UVA (Ultra Violet) Haze MRC Filter #010, B+W 77mm Neutral Density 3.0-1000X MRC 110M Filter - B&W 66-1066186, Kenko 77mm Circular Polarizer Filter, all mounted on a tri-pod using a gimbal head: Manfrotto 055MF4 Magfiber Legs, Opteka GH1 Pro Heavy Duty Gimbal Head

More photos of the event are HERE!