Here's what it was like spending a whole day photographing the solar eclipse

While not in the path of totality, I found myself during eclipse weekend on a homestead in the heart of central Pennsylvania.

Here, all food comes from the garden. To my amazement, I gazed upon a row of melons seeming right at home above the Mason-Dixon.

Sunday was a chance to walk the property and enjoy the company of our host and their animals. My girlfriend Rika and I had come here initially to stay for a night, after visiting a friend playing a gypsy jazz gig nearby. With the eclipse around the corner, we decided to stay, and thankfully our hosts were able to accommodate the extension with an unused camper. What started as a relaxing weekend became an opportunity to see the solar eclipse in a more rural setting, away from the light pollution and atmospheric haze of the city.

Afterwards, I thought it may be useful to share the experience and challenges of what at first seemed like a simple task: shooting the sun.