#Gates50States

This post is more about my memories, but if it sparks joy and amazement in you, that’ll make me happy, too. And while the 2024 solar eclipse wasn’t uniquely Ohio, a relative small portion of the planet got to experience it like we did in Ohio, and it crossed our own backyard in Ohio, so I’m making this a #gates50states experience, just as I would had we traveled to witness it.

It’s taken a couple of days to really appreciate and process the beauty and uniqueness of the 2024 solar eclipse.

First, it was nothing short of a gift from God that we had a clear day in northeast Ohio to observe it throughout. The days leading up to the event as well as the days after the event have been overcast, rainy, and just kind of gross. But we got a break for a stretch of hours. I’ll forever look back on those hours as a great blessing.

Second, it would have been cool to get more than ~4 minutes of totality. So much of that time was spent scrambling to photograph those moments. Looking back, though, I’m so thankful to have watched it with Lincoln and Henry.

Having them there to take it in without cameras in their hands, and having the opportunity to listen to their observations in real time pushed me to pause in my activity long enough to look around… at the horizon, at Venus, at the birds’ silence, at the coolness of the air, at the more-than-I-expected darkness.

But if totality had lasted longer, would I have appreciated it more? Probably not. And the fact we can’t go back and reproduce the moment makes it all the more amazing.

I’m looking forward to the total eclipse that’s coming 2045, and if I’m fortunate enough to see that, too, I’ll have a better idea of what’s coming. But that one won’t cross my own backyard. Watching this amazing event from the comfort of my own patio was also a gift from the LORD for which I’m so grateful.

It has been interesting to watch the photos pour in on Instagram. The first photos looked just like what I was getting, and I guess this isn’t surprising. The sun is one gigantic ball of chemical fire in the sky, and it won’t look different between Texas, Missouri, or Ohio.

My particular trail photo (above), though, turned out exactly like envisioned it in the days prior. The opportunities I had to prepare for this, from my first night photography training years ago with Seth Hamel of @zionphotographers to my trips out west with my favorite travel buddy, Jenn… all of those are great memories and moments that led to this.

I was also anticipating the photos I knew were coming, the photos from the pros who’d scouted locations, hiked in, and still needed to get back to their home bases and edit their art….

I’ve not been disappointed with some of the neat photographs and stacks that have emerged in the last day or so from those who’d prepared so well. So much creativity from so many good photographers and artists. Another gift from our God.

I’m grateful I got to see it and participate in the event.