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We shared last week that the United States Postal Service has released a special edition stamp featuring a solar eclipse. Unique for a USPS stamp is that it is heat sensitive, revealing a full moon when the heat of a finger is applied to the moon's silhouette.
 
While the opportunity for photographing a spectacular solar eclipse is coming very soon (August 21), the details shown in the heated stamp's moon will not be available to photograph at that time – the back-lit moon will be totally black. However, tonight's full moon, the last before the upcoming total solar eclipse, provides a great opportunity (weather permitting of course) to capture the image needed to composite into your later-captured solar eclipse images (including even partial solar eclipse images). Compositing the full moon into your solar eclipse images should be relatively easy in post processing, and this strategy provides a great way to differentiate your work from that of other photographers, especially considering that this will likely be the most photographed total solar eclipse in history.
 
Compositing options include full opacity or at a reduced opacity to mimic the moon's details being very slightly perceptible in the shadowed area within the corona (think of it as a high dynamic range total solar eclipse image). Another option is to create animated GIFs.
 
Photographing the moon is also great for gaining experience with your solar eclipse gear setup (sans solar ND filter). Testing now means that there is still time to order or rent alternative gear for the big show.
 
If you don't have the opportunity to photograph tonight's full moon, don't fret – there will be more opportunities coming. Your next chance to capture a full moon image will be September 6, 2017.
 
Related Articles:
 

• Solar Eclipse Photography Tips
• CDLC Solar Eclipse Photography Tips
• Meade Glass White Light Solar Filter

 
From the B&H YouTube Channel:
 
Great photographs require beautiful light, a compelling composition, and post-processing precision. In this video, David Marx demonstrates valuable tools and techniques that you can use to take your landscape photography to exciting new places.
 
This video focuses on achieving maximum image quality and efficiency without unnecessary complexity using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC.
 
B&H carries Adobe Photography Plan subscriptions.

Through midnight tonight Eastern Time, B&H has the Moza Air 3-Axis Motorized Gimbal Stabilizer available for $429.00 with free shipping. Regularly $599.00.
 
Product Highlights
 

• For Mirrorless and DSLR Cameras
• 5.5 lb Load Capacity
• Full 360° Rotation on All Motors
• Includes Two-Handed Grip
• Works with Wireless Thumb Controller
• Free Control App with Time-Lapse
• Battery Lasts up to 8 Hours
• Includes Hard Carry Case

Through midnight tonight Eastern Time, B&H has the Sony UWP-D11 Integrated Digital Wireless Bodypack Lavalier Microphone System (UHF Channels 14/25: 470 to 542 MHz) available for $399.99 with free shipping. Regularly $599.99.
 
Product Highlights
 

• UTX-B03 Bodypack Transmitter
• URX-P03 Portable True Diversity Receiver
• ECM-V1BMP Electret Condenser Lavalier
• Digital Companding Circuitry
• Selectable Mic/Line Input
• USB Charging and Power
• Tone Squelch Suppression Circuitry
• Automatic Channel Scanning
• Infrared Synchronization
• Simultaneous Multi-Channel Operation

Through midnight tonight Eastern Time, B&H has the Adobe Photoshop Elements 15 and Premiere Elements 15 (DVD or download) available for $69.95 with free expedited shipping. Regularly $149.95.
 
Product Highlights
 

• Photo and Video Editing Software Bundle
• Edit & Organize with Touchscreen Devices
• Frown & Squint Adjustments, Batch Edits
• Camera Shake Reduction, Haze Removal
• Supports Editing and Viewing 4K Movies
• Hollywood Effects and Face Detection
• Enhanced Search and Smart Tags
• Guided Edits for Both Photo and Video
• Built-In Social Media Sharing
• For Mac OS X 10.10-11 & Windows 7, 8, 10

B&H has the Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2 Lens for Nikon in stock with free expedited shipping.

 
B&H has the Platypod Ultra Camera Support in stock with free expedited shipping.
 
Product Highlights
 

• For Mirror-Less and Mid-Sized Cameras
• Compact and Portable Tripod
• Load Capacity: 100 lb
• 3/8"-16 Male Titanium TA-2 Stud
• 6061-T6 Aluminum Camera Base
• Stainless Steel Spiked Feet for Concrete
• Rubber Feet for Smooth Surfaces
• Carabiner or Belt Slots for Transport
• 5 Threaded and 3 Countersunk Holes
• 20" Cinch Strap Secures to Tree or Pole

B&H also carries the Platypod Max (for larger cameras).

Adorama has the Refurbished Nikon D810 DSLR Camera available for $1,996.95 with free expedited shipping. Compare at $2,796.95 new after $200.00 instant savings.
 
Adorama actually has a decent selection of attractively-priced Nikon refurbished cameras and lenses in stock right now. Factory refurbished Nikon products come with a 90-day return-to-manufacturer warranty.

B&H has the Lowepro Slingshot Edge 250 AW (Black) available for $59.95 with free expedited shipping. Regularly $109.95.
 
Product Highlights
 

• Holds Compact DSLR, Two Lenses, & Flash
• Zippered Front Pocket for Mini Tablet
• Interior Pockets & Removable Dividers
• Front & Body-Side Access to Gear
• Exterior Straps for Accessories
• Side Water Bottle Pocket
• Dual-Zipper Opening
• Quick Grab Handle & Sling Strap
• Built-In All Weather AW Cover

For a limited time, B&H is offering a free 1-Year Adobe Photography Plan Membership ($119.88 value) with select Wacom Intuos Pro Tablets.

Through this weekend, B&H has the Vello Light Bouncer Plus with Cinch Strap Kit available for $14.90 with free shipping. Regularly $24.90.

The United States Postal Service has issued a special edition Forever Stamp which features a total solar eclipse which "...transforms the solar eclipse image into the Moon from the heat of a finger."
 
Segments from the USPS Press Release:

Jim Cochrane, Chief Customer and Marketing Officer of the United States Postal Service dedicates the first-of-its-kind Forever stamp which transforms the solar eclipse image into the Moon from the heat of a finger. The Total Eclipse of the Sun Forever stamp commemorates the upcoming Aug. 21 eclipse.
...
 
“With the release of these amazing stamps using thermochromic ink, we’ve provided an opportunity for people to experience their own personal solar eclipse every time they touch the stamps,” says Cochrane. “As evidenced by this stamp and other amazing innovations, the Postal Service is enabling a new generation to bridge the gap and tighten the connection between physical mail and the digital world.”
...
 
This stamp image is a photograph taken by retired NASA astrophysicist Fred Espenak of Portal, AZ, who is considered by many to be the world’s leading authority on total solar eclipses with 27 under his belt. The photograph shows a total solar eclipse seen from Jalu, Libya, on March 29, 2006.
 
“I’m honored to have my images on this unique stamp. But more importantly, the stamp will spread the news about America’s great eclipse to many more people than I could ever reach,” said Espenak, who began collecting eclipse stamps after witnessing his first as a teenager. “A total eclipse of the Sun is simply the most beautiful, stunning and awe-inspiring astronomical event you can see with the naked eye — but you’ve got to be in the 70-mile-wide path of totality that runs across the nation from Oregon to South Carolina. So where will you be on August 21?”
 
“Having witnessed so many total eclipses myself, I know that two minutes inside the moon’s shadow could have a profound impact on the younger generation,” said Guhathakurta. “The Sun can be viewed safely with the unaided eye only during the few brief seconds or minutes of a total solar eclipse. Partial eclipses or partial phases of total solar eclipses are never safe to watch without solar eclipse glasses.”

The pane of 16 Forever stamps are available now at Post Office facilities nationwide and can be ordered via this link.

by Sean Setters
 
I recently shared my experience making a DIY Automotive Photography Boom Rig and I thought I'd share another example image created using the same setup. My goal in creating the image above was to capture a moving vehicle during the daytime without over exposing the sky. The best method I could come up with was to use a location that blocked out most (if not all) of the sky in the frame.
 
The first location that came to my mind was a parking garage. However, parking garages are generally busy during the day, offer little wiggle room for maneuvering in the aisles and require a [minimal] fee to use them. The second location that came to mind was the nearby Wormsloe Historic Site which features a long avenue flanked by live oaks whose branches are filled with Spanish moss. As I already have an annual pass to Georgia's Historic Sites, and the avenue was wide enough to provide plenty of room for boom rig testing, I decided on the latter option.
 
To get an idea of how dense the tree canopy is, here's a shot of the avenue (with early morning fog) that I took in late 2016:
 

After arriving at the location and setting up the boom rig, I set my Canon EOS 7D Mark II (fitted with the EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM + 4-stop ND filter) to interval mode at f/11, 0.8 sec, ISO 125 and drove down the dirt/gravel avenue at 10 mph (16.1 kph) for roughly 3/8 mile (0.6 km) before parking along a small side road. At that point, I removed the camera from the rig and previewed the images.
 
Every single image was blurry. I had underestimated just how bumpy the dirt/gravel road was.
 
Unfortunately, I needed to keep the shutter speed open as long as possible to capture a significantly blurred background at such slow driving speeds. However, driving faster would decrease the interval between bumps in the road. I settled on increasing the shutter speed by 1/3 stop (to 0.6 sec) for my next attempt. I backed out of the side road onto the main avenue, turned my wheels toward the park's entrance and drove back to the parking lot. With the only available spot, I had to swing the wheel pretty hard to park in the open space after passing a sign that marked the beginning of the avenue. It was a shot captured during my turn into the empty parking space that provided the sharpest results while also recording enough movement to significantly blur the background, with every other shot from the second attempt too blurry for practical use.
 
In post processing, I limited the area used by Photoshop when determining how to fill in areas using "Content Aware Fill", and the technique worked very well for removing the boom rig as well as the boom rig's shadow on the ground.

Adorama has the Refurbished Nikon D610 DSLR Camera available for $1,079.95 with free shipping. Compare at $1,496.95 new.

 
In this behind the scenese video, photographer Markus Hofstaetter shows us how he captured a single exposure image of a wedding couple's embrace in front of a wall of fire.
 
I must admit; when I saw this image, my jaw dropped. The concept and execution are, in my opinion, top-notch. [Sean]