Eclipse Timelapse- Second Attempt

Heard there was going to be an eclipse, so I broke out the 5D and tried my very best to catch it.

This is one frame every 30 seconds, starting around 2:30am and going for about an hour and a half, using a 105mm lens.

Timelapse is complicated because you really can't recompose in the middle of a shot- you have to plan it out ahead of time, lock off the tripod, and cross your fingers. Or build a motion control rig- maybe next time...

The moon was much smaller at 3:30am than it was earlier in the night, so I zoomed all the way in, and the moon was still tiny. This reduces the frame size which is why it kept falling out of the frame. Luckily I caught it, and for lack of anything better to do, recomposed the shot.

I also made a big no-no by changing the exposure toward the end (when it gets redder), which kind of killed the subtlety of the eclipse... but after seeing this, I have a lot more faith in the low end of the 5D's exposure range.

Next time I think I'll try shooting earlier in the night, when the moon is huge, so I can use a wider lens. It will probably take a few more tests to get a feel for the passage of the moon, so I can frame it better.

I need to make friends with an astronomer, and practice some more before the next eclipse...

Pictures!

Updated the Elevation Profile part of the program... same GPS Log (Catskills Blackhead Range) with new graphics & live animated elevation marker...

Will elaborate later, but here's some pictures for now!