It’s getting cold here in the mountains, and right now, I’m warming up with a glass of red wine. Meanwhile, the photo below is as fresh as the bread I had for breakfast today – the sensor in my Nikon Z9 is still warm. And, to top it off, the news in the photography world this week is piping hot. Here’s what you need to know.

Having reliable power is essential to photography and videography. Instead of traditional power banks, lots of photographers – and especially videographers – will use V-Mount style batteries in order to deal with multiple devices more seamlessly. SmallRig’s VB99 is an evolution of the traditional V-Mount battery, and it’s what I’ll be reviewing today. Should you be getting the VB99 instead of a traditional power bank?

To see something extraordinary, you don’t always have to travel to the other side of the world. Sometimes all you need to do is put on your slippers and step outside your door. That’s exactly the case with the story I’m about to tell you today about the Common Toad.

Photo by Jongsun Lee on Unsplash.

“Viewing any part of the bright Sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury.” These words come directly from NASA, and they ought to know. Don’t take chances. Be informed. Read what NASA says about annular eclipse safety.

Still quoting NASA here. “When watching an annular solar eclipse directly with your eyes, you must look through safe solar viewing glasses (“eclipse glasses”) or a safe handheld solar viewer at all times. Eclipse glasses are NOT regular sunglasses; regular sunglasses, no matter how dark, are not safe for viewing the Sun. Safe solar viewers are thousands of times darker and ought to comply with the ISO 12312-2 international standard. NASA does not approve any particular brand of solar viewers.”

“Do NOT look at the Sun through a camera lens, telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device while wearing eclipse glasses or using a handheld solar viewer — the concentrated solar rays will burn through the filter and cause serious eye injury,” NASA says. Emphasis added.

“Do NOT use eclipse glasses or handheld viewers with cameras, binoculars, or telescopes. Those require different types of solar filters. When viewing a partial or annular eclipse through cameras, binoculars, or telescopes equipped with proper solar filters, you do not need to wear eclipse glasses. (The solar filters do the same job as the eclipse glasses to protect your eyes.)” And this too comes directly from NASA.

The eclipse that happens on October 14, 2023 will be visible to millions of people in the Western Hemisphere and is the last of its type visible from the United States until June 21, 2039. From every angle, it’s a momentous occasion and thousands of photographers will attempt to document it. Cool. But be sure to download NASA’s 2023 Annular Eclipse Safety Sheet here and read it carefully before even thinking about it.

There’s useful general information about this event from NASA here. And you’ll find the full text of Safety Tips from NASA here.

Good luck, have fun, and most of all, don’t gamble with your eyesight. As for me, I’ll watch it online the next day.

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