{"id":598599,"date":"2026-08-20T00:02:20","date_gmt":"2026-08-20T00:02:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/598599\/"},"modified":"2026-08-20T00:02:20","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T00:02:20","slug":"two-photographers-spent-a-year-planning-the-perfect-eclipse-photo-and-success-came-down-to-30-seconds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/598599\/","title":{"rendered":"Two Photographers Spent a Year Planning the Perfect Eclipse Photo and Success Came Down to 30 Seconds"},"content":{"rendered":"

Canadian photographer Liron Gertsman<\/a> and Texas-based bird photographer Tobias Yoder<\/a> traveled together to Spain to try and pull off a total solar eclipse photo years in the making. Their success came down to the wire.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t Gertsman\u2019s or Yoder\u2019s first foray combining their love of bird photography with a total solar eclipse, either. In 2024, Gertsman delivered the award-winning photo<\/a>, The Frigatebird and the Diamond Ring, which he discussed with PetaPixel<\/a> following the eclipse. During that same total solar eclipse, thousands of miles away, Yoder coincidentally captured a similar shot<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Eclipse Buds Become Photography Friends <\/p>\n

\u2028While the two photographers had exchanged a few messages on social media before the 2024 total solar eclipse, they didn\u2019t know each other well. After seeing each other\u2019s eclipse photos, though, they knew they should team up for the next big one in Spain. <\/p>\n

\u201cMe and Liron, we both shot birds with eclipses in 2024, and it was the next day that we were like, \u2018We should do something together in the future,’\u201d Yoder recalls to PetaPixel. \u201cWe were like, \u2018Alright, say in 2026, let\u2019s do it.’\u201d <\/p>\n

\"ALiron Gertsman and Tobias Yoder exchanged a fateful DM on Instagram after the Great North American Total Solar Eclipse in 2024. <\/p>\n

Within a couple of days following the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, Gertsman and Yoder were officially photography friends, and the gears were turning about what they were going to do together in 2026. <\/p>\n

Photography is typically a solo endeavor, and cooperation between photographers, especially professionals in the same genre, is rare. But the experience of working together was fantastic for Gertsman and Yoder alike. <\/p>\n

\u201cAs far as I\u2019m aware, we\u2019re the only two bird photographers to have done that [eclipse shot] in 2024,\u201d Yoder says. \u201cWe both knew what it takes. We knew that we\u2019re on the same wavelength. It was just a natural progression [to work together].\u201d <\/p>\n

\"ThreeFrom left to right: Tobias Yoder, Liron Gertsman, and Gertsman\u2019s girlfriend, Victoria Cirone, before the total solar eclipse. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a really great photographer,\u201d Gertsman tells PetaPixel of Yoder. \u201cWe both got a shot [in 2024] and became friends through this eclipse-chasing phenomenon after that.\u201d <\/p>\n

Since 2024, Gertsman and Yoder have gone on multiple other photography trips together, including to the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii. <\/p>\n

During those trips and many other times between, Gertsman and Yoder have been planning the total solar eclipse shot in Spain that they, fortunately, completely knocked out of the park. But that success, which undoubtedly required a bit of luck, also required a huge amount of planning. <\/p>\n

\u201cTobias and I have been doing research for literally a year, maybe more,\u201d Gertsman says. \u201cThe main thing we were doing was looking at maps of Spain and online databases for wildlife and birds to pin the locations of as many stork nests as we possibly could in the path of totality of the eclipse.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"AGertsman and Yoder pinned a lot of locations to scout in Spain.<\/p>\n

The duo pinned hundreds, if not thousands, of nests \u2014 mostly storks, but other nesting birds as well. <\/p>\n

The white stork (Ciconia coconia) was the photographers\u2019 primary target, as Spain is very well known for its stork population. The country is home to the largest breeding population in Europe, with over 50,000 breeding pairs. They are an iconic bird in the Spanish skies, and their nests dot the country\u2019s landscape. <\/p>\n

Church bell towers and castle towers are also iconic in Spain, so Gertsman and Yoder knew they wanted to combine storks with towers. <\/p>\n

But finding the right stork and the perfect tower was no easy feat. <\/p>\n

The photographers arrived in Spain over a week before the total solar eclipse, rented cars, and set off in opposite directions to scout all the potential locations they had spent a year identifying. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe split up and each took half of the map, and then we just drove nest to nest,\u201d Gertsman explains. \u201cChecking for one, does it align with the eclipse nicely and is there somewhere we can stand that would align with the eclipse? And two, are there storks present?\u201d<\/p>\n

We split up and each took half of the map, and then we just drove nest to nest.<\/p>\n

The stork question is more complicated than it seems. It\u2019s one thing for storks to have lived at a nest during peak breeding season, but it\u2019s another thing for them to still be around now. It\u2019s also another matter whether they are in their nest during the eclipse, which happened around 8:30 PM local time. <\/p>\n

Both Gertsman and Yoder used a web app that Yoder built himself to help scout locations. The photographer has a background in software development, so he could create a tool he could use out in the field. Compared to something like PhotoPills, which Gertsman and Yoder also use, Yoder\u2019s custom app lets him zoom in more and get a virtual Sun and eclipse to scale in the frame. <\/p>\n

\u201cI can get more exact compositions lined up,\u201d Yoder says. <\/p>\n

\"TwoYoder created an app to help him plan shots, which proved very useful when scouting potential locations. <\/p>\n

After finding the spot the duo ultimately settled on for their eclipse photos on Google, Yoder showed up to check the alignment and found it was basically perfect. <\/p>\n

When checking his composition and the size of the Sun in his app, Yoder quickly realized that it was \u201cgonna be good.\u201d <\/p>\n

He sent the photo through to Gertsman, who swiftly agreed it was the spot. <\/p>\n

\"ALiron Gertsman during the total solar eclipse <\/p>\n

\u201cThe alignment was perfect,\u201d Gertsman says. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t just that it was a tall church belltower with a stork nest, but the church was perfectly aligned.\u201d <\/p>\n

The alignment was perfect.<\/p>\n

As both photographers say, it\u2019s hard enough to find a belltower in a good location for the eclipse at the right height, in an accessible area with a good background. Then, add that they needed an active stork nest with a bird likely to be there during the eclipse, and the complications compounded. <\/p>\n

Of the hundreds, maybe thousands of possible locations, not very many had any promise at all to the photographers when they were actually there on the ground in Spain. A proverbial needle in a haystack, if the haystack was spread across hundreds of miles of Spanish landscape. <\/p>\n

\u201cAlmost all of the other similar bell towers and things of that sort were not perfectly at a profile like that,\u201d Yoder says. <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd just because of how good it was, don\u2019t think either of us ever had any doubt that this was the place we wanted to try,\u201d Gertsman adds. <\/p>\n

\"AA backup spot <\/p>\n

The photographers had identified potential backup spots in the event the weather didn\u2019t look promising, and knew of areas with more stork nests that would give them a better chance of getting a bird in the frame. However, the priority location was so good they decided they would take the risk and live with the results. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe were willing to take a riskier position for this one, mostly because we\u2019ve done it before and we wanted to set the bar high,\u201d Gertsman says. Tobias and I had talked a lot about this topic. Over the past two years, we\u2019ve done a lot of photo trips together, and we always kind of succeed.<\/p>\n

An optimistic Gertsman was comfortable with the risk and knew that even if things didn\u2019t work out as he wanted, he would have had a good trip and a good experience in Spain with his girlfriend, Victoria, and his photography friend, Tobias. <\/p>\n

\u201cI was going to enjoy an eclipse regardless of what happened photographically,\u201d he adds. <\/p>\n

\"AThankfully, Gertsman didn\u2019t have to experience the feeling of failure. <\/p>\n

However, he says that when you\u2019re so focused on the vision, and it seems like it isn\u2019t going to happen, it\u2019s a very unpleasant feeling. <\/p>\n

\u201cI was still grateful we were there. I was willing to accept failure, but I was certainly not looking forward to it.\u201d <\/p>\n

Yoder laughs that he \u201cprobably had more optimism than I had any right to have.\u201d <\/p>\n

A Literal Last Minute Success <\/p>\n

While it\u2019s easy for the photographers to feel so good about their shots after the fact \u2014 their plans all worked out perfectly \u2014 it was dramatic up until the very last moment.<\/p>\n

Despite over a year of planning and countless hours of research, work, and scouting, many factors were still outside their control. <\/p>\n

They had the perfect location, which they knew would look good during the total solar eclipse, but they didn\u2019t know whether the weather would cooperate. They also didn\u2019t know if the stork would actually be there at the right time. <\/p>\n

After choosing their location, Gertsman and Yoder visited the stork nest three nights before the total solar eclipse. Two of those three times, the stork was nestled in its roost before 8:30 PM, the time of the eclipse. One time, however, it was late. <\/p>\n

Gertsman was pretty sure that because the partial solar eclipse would darken the skies, the stork was probably more likely to arrive earlier during the big event than too late. Yoder, as he admits, was more optimistic than he should have been. <\/p>\n

But in the minutes before totality, the bird was nowhere to be seen. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe spotted the bird flying in about 90 seconds before totality,\u201d Gertsman says. \u201cIt landed on its nest about 30 seconds before totality.\u201d <\/p>\n

[The bird] landed on its nest about 30 seconds before totality.<\/p>\n

All of the photographers\u2019 plans could hardly have been closer to falling apart at the last second. <\/p>\n

\u201cTwo minutes out, I was starting to feel really iffy,\u201d Yoder says. \u201cBut I really did believe with how dark it was getting, surely, the bird would return to its nest. I mean, it has to. That\u2019s where it sleeps, right?\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cIt just felt like it had to be on its way. But we don\u2019t know where it is.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce we were just a couple of minutes out and our bird was nowhere to be seen, I started thinking, \u2018Okay, we probably flew too close to the Sun here. This isn\u2019t going to happen.’\u201d <\/p>\n

But then they saw it off in the distance and thought it must be their bird. It was coming straight toward the tower. <\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>Liron Gertsman <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was definitely stressful. I\u2019d be lying if I said I didn\u2019t have a knot in my stomach,\u201d Yoder says. \u201cBy the time it landed, we could already see the outline of the corona. I mean, it was that close. It was crazy!\u201d <\/p>\n

I\u2019d be lying if I said I didn\u2019t have a knot in my stomach.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe decided that if it\u2019s not cutting it close, we\u2019re probably not setting the bar high enough for these really ambitious photos,\u201d Gertsman says. \u201cIt finally felt like we set the bar at a spot where it was tough to clear. It was a real challenge.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>Tobias Yoder Kinda-Sorta Backup Plans <\/p>\n

While Gertsman and Yoder fully committed to their primary photo location for the solar eclipse, they weren\u2019t totally screwed if things went sour. <\/p>\n

After arriving in Spain, they were discussing potential locations and scouted one with lots of stork nests that could work for a wide-angle shot. While their goal was a telephoto shot of a tower with a stork, they thought a scene about a hundred miles away would be nice, too. <\/p>\n

The photographers set out on a mission at a used camera store, grabbed some older Nikon DSLR cameras with built-in intervalometers, and set them up at a backup site, hidden in some bushes and covered with fabric. <\/p>\n

As it turns out, these backup cameras worked well and did capture some really nice shots. While Yoder hasn\u2019t processed his B photos, Gertsman has and shared the one below. <\/p>\n

\"ALiron Gertsman\u2019s photo of the duo\u2019s backup location <\/p>\n

\u201cI was a little afraid of leaving expensive camera equipment unattended,\u201d Gertsman laughs. \u201cBut I also wanted a second camera with me in case something happened with my main camera.\u201d <\/p>\n

So Gertsman bought a used Nikon D610 with a kit lens, ensuring he could keep his Canon EOS R5 II and R5 cameras with him at all times. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe programmed them to start shooting about 15 minutes before the eclipse to start taking bracketed photos every five seconds or so. The cameras worked as intended, which was great. <\/p>\n

\"AThis is how Tobias Yoder hid his backup DSLR <\/p>\n

\u201cThey also didn\u2019t get stolen. We didn\u2019t think they would. We hid them pretty well. But yeah, it worked out.\u201d <\/p>\n

Speaking of equipment, Gertsman used his Canon EOS R5 II with his RF 100-500mm f\/4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens for the total solar eclipse, shooting right near 500mm. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe Canon R5 II is a better camera than the Canon R5, but there\u2019s a couple things that it\u2019s not quite as good at. And one of those things is the Canon R5 actually performs slightly better in low light, like during an eclipse,\u201d Gertsman says. \u201cHowever, it also doesn\u2019t shoot in full 14-bit color with its electronic shutter.\u201d <\/p>\n

Gertsman wanted to use the electronic shutter during the eclipse to eliminate any risk of shutter shock during continuous shooting, so he used the R5 II to get better electronic-shutter image quality. <\/p>\n

Yoder is a Nikon man himself, and used his Nikon Z8 with the Nikkor Z 180-600mm f\/5.6-6.3 VR at 500mm as well. <\/p>\n

Both photographers are extremely experienced with their equipment, which they each credit for their success during a chaotic event like a total solar eclipse. <\/p>\n

Even with all that planning and practice, the moment itself goes by very fast. Totality was just 76 seconds, and it flew by. <\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>Liron Gertsman captured this partial eclipse photo following totality <\/p>\n

\u201cIt goes by so fast. Even though we had done rehearsals with timers, to measure exactly how long everything would take, it felt like it went by three times faster,\u201d Yoder says. <\/p>\n

It goes by so fast.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe repositioned a few times during totality,\u201d Gertsman says. \u201cWhen you\u2019re shooting at 500mm, the Sun moves quickly in your frame.\u201d <\/p>\n

The photographers had even practiced their side-by-side maneuvers, swapping spots to keep things lined up in their viewfinders. <\/p>\n

\u201cOne of us is lined up shooting, and then while they\u2019re shooting, the next one of us kind of goes to their other shoulder, and then by the time they\u2019re not lined up, the next person is lined up and shooting, and then while you\u2019re shooting, the other person goes around to your other shoulder. So that way we maximize the amount of time between the two of us that we would be perfectly aligned with the church,\u201d Gertsman says. <\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>Liron Gertsman <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd we practiced this dozens and dozens of times beforehand, but one thing I think we didn\u2019t quite anticipate is that during the eclipse, it got so dark that it actually became quite hard to see whether or not you were centered with the church in the eclipse.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was so much of a blur, and I was really focused on the shots,\u201d Yoder says. \u201cIt almost feels like a dream thinking back on the eclipse.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would have been nice to have a little bit more time to just take it in.\u201d <\/p>\n

A Magical Moment Born From Over a Year of Planning and Seconds of Luck <\/p>\n

Ultimately, the planning, scouting, and, importantly, gambles all paid off for Liron Gertsman and Tobias Yoder last week in Spain. The Spanish eclipse dream shot they had in mind came true. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a lot of work. It was a lot of fun,\u201d Gertsman says. \u201cThere are no words to describe how spectacular a total solar eclipse is, and how special it is to see your plan come to fruition.\u201d <\/p>\n

For Yoder, he says that if he hadn\u2019t lived the eclipse experience he did, with the stork showing up just seconds before totality, he\u2019d write it off as cheesy fiction. <\/p>\n

\u2026 the shots that barely happen are my favorites.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, much of the magic in art and photography lies in what feels just beyond my understanding and control, and for that reason, the shots that barely happened are my favorites.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"ThreeYoder, Gertsman, and Cirone just after the eclipse, soaking up their success. <\/p>\n

Image creditsLiron Gertsman<\/a> and Tobias Yoder<\/a><\/p>\n

Affiliate Disclosure PetaPixel articles may include affiliate links; we may earn a commission if you buy through one. <\/p>\n