Two photographers changed the notion that photography is a solo venture by teaming up for a year-long research gig on how to get the best pics of the next total eclipse. Canadian wildlife and nature photographer Liron Gertsman and Texas bird photographer Tobias Yoder traveled together to Spain. Each had taken spectacular eclipse photos in 2024 and were on a quest to capture the perfect eclipse photo in 2026. They were not just looking for perfect weather conditions. They also were in search of a great white stork!
It turns out that Spain held the best eclipse opportunity. Spain also lays claim to possessing the largest stork breeding population in Europe. The pairing of this great bird with an eclipse shot was irresistible. With over 50,000 breeding pairs of white storks to choose from in Spain, the intrepid photographers went on a stork-nest hunt.
Oh, there was a third element desired in the perfect shot – either a church bell tower or a castle tower, please! Yoder created an app to help define eclipse possibilities, utilizing his background in software development. The determined photographers split up their tracking map, each searching for appropriate sites. They drove to nest locations, always on the lookout for nests on towers.
A particular church bell tower with a stork nest perched on top was pre-selected as “the one.” Yet, the big unknown (in addition to weather), was whether a given stork would return to its bell-tower nest by 8:30 PM local time. The stork-nest hunters visited their ideal location for 3 evenings before the big day. On two of the evenings, the picture-perfect stork returned to roost before the 8:30 time slot. One evening was a late night out, but Gertsman reasoned that their stork shot would be successful due to effects of an early darkened eclipse sky. Only arriving 30 seconds before eclipse totality that special night, the chosen stork became a collaborator, offering its silhouette in stunning stillness.
Just to make sure their photo adventure would not be a bust, the photographer innovators had set up backup cameras in a location far away. They programmed this second shoot to begin 15 minutes pre-eclipse and keep snapping away approximately every 5 seconds. Fortunately, their secondary location also delivered. It was an awesome photography evening!
For more photos from that lucky night, see https://petapixel.com/2026/08/19/two-photographers-spent-a-year-planning-the-perfect-eclipse-photo-and-success-came-down-to-30-seconds/?ck_subscriber_id=2584255186&utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Start%20packing%20to%20avoid%20this%20common%20regret%20-%2023021000
How much of our lives do we overshadow our own curiosity and creativity? We can be inspired by the grit (passion + perseverance) shown by these photographers. Their intention to collaborate paid off with unique results. How might we encourage others to take on peaceful projects that inspire creativity? As “Nickel Creek” Grammy Award-winning guitarist and singer-songwriter Sean Watkins suggests, “Only the curious have something to find. “
Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz
528. When have you captured a photo of a unique slice of nature?
529. What has to happen to you to feel awesome joy?
Pearls of Peace: A Family Psychologist’s Circle-of-Life Blog 