Primal Dusk

Complete photographic sequence of the October 2, 2024 annular solar eclipse.

This sequence was shot at the "Cueva de las Manos" archaelogical site, one of the oldest recorded sites in Argentina, with hand paintings going back 9000 years which describe hunting scenes and the everyday lives of the people inhabiting the Rio Pinturas canyon. Eclipses are observable in full from very limited regions, and this one required a 5000 km drive to shoot.

Even though longer focal lenghts which provide more detail an resolution are usually favored in astrophotography, in this case I felt that capturing the entire sequence in it's context in this primitive landscape would provide a more impactful image and better convey the connection and primal feelings elicited during the eclipse. What would have those original inhabitants of this valley felt during an eclipse? Witnessing an extremely unusual event where the sun's light is reduced by over 95% for a few brief moments?

This shot was meticulously planned and simulated in advance of the eclipse. It was composited out of 18 individual images, each shot 10 minutes apart using a solar filter, and an additional shot without the solar filter for the landscape. The framing was carefully set at the start of the eclipse and was not modified throughout the shoot.