One Hudson Valley photographer found the perfect formula for the perfect photo.

June 10th, 2021, was a pretty big day around the Mid-Hudson region. We were able to experience a once-in-a-lifetime sunrise. The Ring of Fire solar eclipse was the talk of the town during the weeks leading up to the event.

Hudson Valley photographers prayed for clear skies and mapped out the best spots to snap photos of the spectacular sunrise. One Dutchess County photographer went a step further and sketched out the perfect shot.

Millbrook photographer Julian Diamond shared his plan and his photo of the partial solar eclipse on Twitter and then... the tweet went viral. Photography website PetaPixel shared the story and we reached out to Diamond to hear all about this now-viral photo.

We asked Diamond how long it took for him to prepare this shot above and he shared that he began researching months ago. Diamond explained:

The planning actually started early this year, when I began using maps, satellite imagery, and astronomy apps to virtually search for a suitable location. I knew what I wanted the shot to look like – I just needed to find a fire tower with a line-of-sight from the correct direction

Diamond added, "Once I had honed in on the Stissing Mountain fire tower, I physically visited the location of interest on three separate afternoons before finding the perfect viewpoint."

After jotting down the GPS coordinates and taking several photos of the surrounding area, Julian was able to go home and sketch out his photo-taking process.

The outcome was a gorgeous photo of that rare sunrise, but how rare is the photo? We asked Julian if he was the only one in that spot taking pictures and surprisingly he said yes. However, he worked directly with the Dutchess Parks Department who granted him off-hour access. Diamond shared his gratitude saying "I'm very grateful that they graciously accommodated my request."

You can check out some of Julian's photography, including beautiful shots around the Hudson Valley at his website JulianDiamondPhotography.Com.

We asked Julian if nature has always been his inspiration for photography in the Hudson Valley and he wraps up nicely for us saying:

Natural and semi-natural settings have always been my focus as a photographer. I clearly don't mind images that show some human influence, whether it be a fire tower, or a bridge, or an old barn. After all, that's a big part of what I feel makes the Hudson Valley such a unique place to be a visual artist: we're living at the interface between an enormous metropolis and relatively untamed wilderness.

 

43 Stunning Photos Show Once in a 'Lifetime' Hudson Valley Sunrise

The Hudson Valley experienced a once in a "lifetime" sunrise. This historic sunrise had occurred just twice in the past 150 years. Check out these must-see photos: 

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