FOMO: In the dark about the Eclipse
You probably haven’t heard but on Monday, April 8th the city of Fredericton will be in the path of totality of the solar eclipse. Sounds shady if you ask me. Somehow our small moon will block out the very large sun (it’s science). Totality will occur in Fredericton between 3:23 pm and 5:41 pm (with the maximum at 4:34 pm, scheduled to allow government workers to be able to participate.)
The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada New Brunswick Centre site has all the science and warnings you need so your eyes don’t burst into flames.
To celebrate this once-in-a-lifetime local total eclipse several events are going on around Fredericton for all ages. If you time things right you can attend a few of these events on Monday
Steal My Sunshine Events
EclipseFest Fredericton (Downtown, Carleton Street): The official event of the Fredericton Capital Region. Beer garden, food trucks, vendors, music, and displays. This will be the biggest event of the afternoon.
Picamoons (Picaroons Roundhouse) - cold beer, great food and eclipse views from the best patio in town
Eclipse Watch Party at Trailway - Eclipse-themed beer? Why not?
Full Solar Eclipse Part at York County Cider - This is a paid event, $20 tickets get you a pint of cider and viewing glasses
Totality at Sunset Heights - This unique ticketed event may be the best option for mead and or scotch lovers. The viewing event is coupled with the release of some amazing barrel-aged mead finished in various Scotch style barrels (islay, Speyside, Highland and Lowland). The flavours are incredible (I had the fortune to taste test all four and was blown away). Tickets to the event get you samples, the viewing party and various options for some take-home products.
Total Eclipse Happy Hour at STMR36 - a special Eclipse cocktail, viewing glasses, backdrop of the Wolastoq river. Reservations recommended
One Place Two Eclipses at Fredericton Mitsubishi - I would be amiss if I did not list this unique marketing opportunity. Mitsubishi sells the Eclipse model car so kudos to them for taking advantage of the real Eclipse for marketing. Snacks, drinks, viewing glasses and the opportunity to see (and buy) Eclipses at this sales event.
Total Solar Eclipse Viewing Party 2024 at Off Grid Ales - a family event on the hill for some great views. Food vendors. Beer. Viewing glasses.
Solar Eclipse Event at STU - DJ, games, photobooth and other fun on campus
Issue Sponsor:
Thanks to the CRSC for the support!
Cheers!
with Brad Perry,
Fredericton famous photographer
Cheers! is a Q and A with local celebrities (I determine who qualifies as a local celebrity, and bribes are accepted). I ask the questions I would ask if I was having a beverage or 3 with them.
Brad perhaps better known as a member of Fredericton band Grand Theft Bus is now a photography savant when it comes to night sky photos. Brad captures amazing night sky photographs oftentimes with Fredericton landmarks as the backdrop. You can check out and purchase his work here. Brad is also hosting a Sold-out Eclipse Photography Workshop this weekend.
-Steven
As someone whose art and hobby requires either late nights or early mornings to get the best shot of the northern lights or moon rising/setting are you a night owl naturally and you enjoy the nights or is this just an unfortunate requirement for your hobby?
Ironically, I am very much a morning person and not at all a night owl. I do, however, come from a background of doing sound/production work for concerts and events, so I’m very accustomed to working until whatever hour of the night it takes to get the job done. I also do genuinely get excited about the prospect of capturing a lot of these photos, so that is usually enough to give me a jolt of energy and get me out the door.
I am not sure if you are aware but there is a total eclipse happening next week and Fredericton is right in the path., a few questions about capturing eclipse photos:
Full eclipse is about 2 hours, how many hours of study, set up, photographing, take down and celebratory beers will you spend on this event?
I would not be surprised if the amount of hours spent studying and preparing for this eclipse is into the triple digits. I’ve watched countless very detailed presentations on the topic of how it works and how to photograph it. I’ve exhaustively explored every potential photo plan I could think of and scoured the maps and the apps for anyone I might not have thought of. I’ve designed, re-designed, and constructed custom-fit solar filter solutions for my lenses. I’ve practiced photographing the sun on ordinary days with this configuration, ironing out any unforeseen hiccups.
On the day of, I’m planning on running two cameras, so I’m hoping to get to wherever I’ll be at least an hour before the partial eclipse begins to give myself lots of time to get set up. I’ll shoot the entirety of the eclipse and then, depending on how ambitious I’m feeling, I may take it all the way to sunset, but that’s likely wishful thinking, as it works out to about six hours of standing around. This may all seem very complicated for something that is so brief, but for me the knowledge I’ve gained is part of the experience. Plus, the more prepared and comfortable I am with the process, the more time I can spend with my hands off the cameras, simply absorbing the experience. Needless to say, I’m going to have to drink that celebratory beer lying down. Can I get it with a straw?
Is there a preferred location to capture a photo (higher elevation? over water for reflections)? where will you be?
Photography aside, the best place to view a total solar eclipse is in a location where you can see as much of the horizon as possible. The reason for this is that, during the totality phase, there is a lot more to observe than just the moon covering the sun. The brightest stars and planets become visible and the horizon takes on a warm glow in all directions at once like a 360º sunset. Basically, the more of the sky you can see, the more you’ll get out of those few minutes of totality.
Now to answer the actual question…one of the challenges with photographing this particular eclipse is that it takes place when the sun is very high in the sky. This makes for great viewing but tricky photography. It realistically leaves you with two obvious photo options: you can take textbook close up photos without any context using a telephoto lens (which I plan on doing) or you can take very wide angle photos that does include a scene but depicts only a teeny tiny sun way up in the sky (which I also plan on doing). The telephoto close up photos can happen anywhere, really, but the wide angle shot requires a bit more thought. There are two main considerations. The first is that, with such a wide field of view, it calls for a very large environment that is “photographable” and free of distractions/mess. The second is that, ideally an effort should be made to mitigate how small the sun will appear in a wide frame. This entails either keeping other elements in the frame equally distant and small OR finding ways to make the sun occupy a larger amount of space. Looking across any wide open area (field, valley, lake, etc.) is likely a wise option, though a body of water, as you suggested, is a good solution to both problems. The water can act as a clean, uniform ground area, will naturally place any buildings or trees a good distance away from you, and should the wind levels allow for reflections to be captured, this is an easy way to allow the sky to occupy twice the space in the frame.
As for where I’ll be, I’ll be somewhere that meets the above criteria, but I have decided to allow the weather to dictate specifically where that will be.
If it is cloudy what are your plans? Are you prepared to drive to other areas in NB to hope for a clearing?
One thing I do occasionally to remind myself of why I’ve become this invested is to look up videos of people describing past total solar eclipses first hand or, better yet, videos of them witnessing one in real time (such as the 2017 eclipse which was seen across much of the US). The sheer awe and joy that these folks unanimously experience is compelling enough that I am prepared to drive just about anywhere across the path in New Brunswick or Prince Edward Island. This might seem a bit much, but where I’m located pretty central in the province, it really isn’t more than an hour and a half drive to either end of the path within NB. I also happen to have family toward the end of PEI that falls within the path, so I’m keeping that option on the table as well since it’s an area and a drive I’m fairly familiar with.
Lets say you are fortunate to capture some great eclipse photos. What would be next on your bucket list for celestial photographs?
While it won’t even come close to what we’re in for on Monday, there is another 87% partial solar eclipse coming up on March 29th of next year that is arguably more exciting from a photographic standpoint because it takes place right at sunrise. When the sun and moon are very low on the horizon like that, it creates the opportunity to capture a nice large eclipse using a telephoto lens and also include some sort of foreground element like a distant building, tree, or person for context and scale.
For being an award winning photographer this still seems to be a hobby with a recent look into selling some calendars and prints. You are also teaching a class on sky photography. Do you have any plans on turning your hobby into a career?
While it would obviously be nice to see some revenue to re-invest in equipment, I remain very cautious about making a career out of the photography that is currently my hobby. I know many people have heard the expression “do what you love and you’ll never work a day”, but in my experience working in the music industry, it can quickly become more of a “do what you love and you will no longer love what you loved” situation. The point of this hobby is that it is an escape from stress, from work, and from responsibilities. I want to always feel like this is something I get to do, not something I have to do. Recognition for it is wonderful, but obligation would not be.
Finally, I think the sense of place and the backdrop of Fredericton is such a great promotion for this place we call home. I need to know what is your preferred Fredericton landmark to capture in your photos and why?
Both the Legislative Building and City Hall’s towers. To anyone living here, they are so recognizably “Fredericton”, but when you zoom in and depict them without context, their historic architecture kind of makes them look like they could be from a different time and place. They are also both lit with very warm lighting, which compliments things like the blue hour sky or the setting moon very nicely.
Thanks so much for your time Brad I appreciate you!
Brews News
What is happening at the amazing local breweries and distilleries around the area
Note: Always check the brewery/tap room socials for hours and any last-minute changes. This list excludes any Eclipse events already highlighted in this issue
Featured below: First Light Distillery, Grimross Brewing Co, Half Cut Brewery, Maybee Brewing, Picaroons, The Cap, York County Cider
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Sportsball
Our friends Bill and Brad at the Late Scratches Podcast have you covered for ALL your local sports topics and scheduled events.
Check out the Podcast and the local sports schedule here.
Next issue…
We will see you in few weeks as the staff of The Fredericton Word takes a well deserved vacation.