Photo / Fred Field
Fred Field, a contributing photographer for Mainebiz, captured the eclipse of April 8, 2024. The photo shows plasma ejecting from the corona, which shows up as a tiny red area near the bottom of the sun.
April 11, 2024
A Maine photographer's account of finding the perfect spot for viewing eclipse
File Photo / Fred Field
Aroostook County was a popular destination for the eclipse earlier this year. Fred Field, a contributing photographer for Mainebiz, found an uncrowded viewing spot.
By Fred Field
Ours was a predawn 444-mile round trip mission from Cumberland to the path of eclipse totality in southern Aroostook County.
Our hope was that Sherman or Patten would be great because they're small, pretty towns with big open fields and gorgeous views of Katahdin. Our logic was that because the area is so rural (versus Jackman, Rangeley, Greenville or Houlton) there probably wouldn't be many people.
Big-time whoops!
We wound up on Route 11 in Patten by a pretty hill with a great view. The problem was twofold. First, there were way too many people and multiple Aroostook County sheriff's deputies were asking countless motorists to move their cars so there wouldn't be parking on both sides of the highway.
Second, the first available spot we could find was next to a large dairy farm manure pile at the base of the hill.
This didn't seem like "Maine, the way (eclipse) life should be."
I called a friend who grew up in neighboring Crystal (population 248) and she suggested Belvedere Road as an excellent spot for us. She was right.
I love the natural world and figured this event would be special. It was, but in its own super special class of special.
The speed with which the near darkness suddenly envelops you is breathtaking.
The temperature drops noticeably, and it gets dark suddenly but not totally dark. For a photographer it's a magical, beautiful "twilight dark."
The subtle yellows, blues and browns in the dim eclipse twilight are so pretty.
Photo / Fred Field
The photos of Katahdin were taken less than three minutes apart as the moon shadow overtook the area at the beginning of totality.
The total eclipse felt cosmic and magical and surreal and 30 other words that also almost accurately describe how uniquely amazing it is. It feels like a connection to the cosmos. It was humbling as the gorgeously striking white of the sun's corona revealed itself for more than three minutes.
It's a privilege to almost gaze into the magical nuclear fusion engine 93-million miles from Earth that literally gives life to us and all we know here. It feels raw and genuine and authentically special. Tears welled up in my eyes. I was speechless, then suddenly softly said, “thank you.”
I didn't mean to say thank you. Those two words were reflexive. After saying them I thought about what I’d just uttered; then I thought, perfect. The sun gives life, the sun is life; in a very real way, the sun is everything.
Photo / Fred Field
The photos of Katahdin were taken less than three minutes apart as the moon shadow overtook the area at the beginning of totality.
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