Over 200 million Americans watched the total solar eclipse in August 2017, but no one had a better view than photographer Jon Carmichael. He spent years plotting how he could capture the total eclipse in a unique way, eventually combining his passions for photography, astronomy, and flight.
“I wondered, if I got up high enough, could I actually see
the moon's shadow move across the Earth's surface at 2,000 mph? That's what I
really wanted to see,” Carmichael tells My Modern Met. “And as a photographer,
I wondered, can I actually capture this beautiful fleeting moment in our
country from a unique perspective? This was the most photographed moment in
history, so as a professional photographer that's a lot of pressure.”
By studying the eclipse path carefully, the photographer
realized that Southwest Airlines runs a flight from Portland to St. Louis that
would put him in the perfect position to view the event.
Taking a once in a lifetime chance, Carmichael purchased a
ticket and hoped that he'd get a window seat. Since Southwest doesn't have
pre-assigned seats, he'd even prepared himself to bribe someone to give up
their window position if necessary. Luckily, it didn't come to that. When he
explained his mission to the Southwest flight crew, not only did they ensure
he'd get a great seat, but the captain actually went outside the plane to clean
the window for a crystal clear shot. During the flight itself, the pilots
circled a few times to provide all passengers with a spectacular view.
When it came time for the moment of totality, Carmichael was
ready. He shot over 1,200 photos in two minutes and managed to perfectly
capture the total eclipse over Snake River. It's an image that Inc. calls
“history's most amazing photo.” A 10-foot laser-crystal c-print of 108 now
hangs in Twitter's New York offices.
So how did it feel to take the photo of his dreams? “In
photography, it's very rare for something you envision to manifest itself, let
alone to turn out even better than you had hoped. I had visualized this moment
for years, risked a lot flying across the country on the off-chance this could
work out, and hadn't slept in days leading up to this moment. So after I looked
through all the photographs, I put my camera away, took a deep breath, and
celebrated by ordering a drink and had a giant smile for the rest of the
flight. I had never felt more relieved, grateful, and excited in my life.
Against all odds, it came together. It felt meant to be—and literally changed
my life.”
Carmichael spent one year processing the images into a giant
photographic-mosaic titled 108. Limited edition prints are now available for
purchase via the photographer's website.