NORFOLK, Va. — 13News Now introduced you to Hampton Roads astrological photographer Peter Squicciarini seven years ago ahead of his first mission to Greenville, South Carolina to capture the 2017 solar eclipse.
On Saturday, Squicciarini begins a new journey. The path of totality for the 2024 total solar eclipse has him trekking to Arkansas. He’s planned the trip for months.
Now, as a professional photographer working for Canon, Squicciarini has a whole new bag of tools and tricks to take the best photos of the highly anticipated celestial event.
“I have a better bag of gear, more experience planning, I’m excited to see what’s going to happen,” Squicciarini said.
That includes a massive 600mm lens that he’ll extend to grab crisp, close shots of the sun and moon every step of the way.
Squicciarini also uses Google Earth to scout precise locations in Arkansas to set up camp.
Squicciarini has an impressive catalog of work on Instagram, and you can follow along for Monday’s eclipse.
But for Squicciarini, the beauty of the art form has little to do with likes and clicks.
“Obviously, it’s personally gratifying for me, as an artist, to share what I think is beautiful with the world,” Squicciarini said. “But if you want to do this long term, you have to do it for yourself, your connection with nature, your evolution as a person. That’s one of the most satisfying parts of it.”