I am not one of those folks who has a lifelong fascination with chasing solar eclipses. In fact, it wasn't until about six weeks before the big 2017 eclipse was happening that I considered photographing it at all. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and the majority of people I knew who were planning to travel to find the path of totality were headed north, as the sun and moon were doing their dance right through the heart of Oregon. To say it would be crowded is an understatement.

That's why I went west to the heartland. Missouri, to be specific.

An invitation from friend for free lodgings at his house in the Kansas City suburbs meant I could travel without paying the outrageous rates that hotels were charging and, instead, invest my money in photography gear. And solar eclipse glasses, of course. And the great thing about buying photo gear for that once-in-a-lifetime eclipse event that you're probably going to have a hard time finding a use for again: eBay.

I briefly flirted with the idea of buying a Canon 400mm lens for one of my camera bodies, but momentary excitement could not justify a $2,000 purchase when a rental only costs around $100. 

Here's a list of the primary eclipse gear I brought with me:

• Canon 5D Mark III
• Canon 60D
• Canon 400mm lens (rental)
• Canon 70-200 mm lens
• tripod with Wimberley WH-200 Gimbal Head
• tripod with Arca Swiss Monoball Z1 Single Pan Ballhead
• Canon TC-80N3 Timer Remote Controller
• Lee 100mm Solar Eclipse Filter (20 stop reduction)
• Daystar Universal Solarlite Film Lens Filters
• a 10-pack of B&H Solar Eclipse Glasses

If you're attempting to purchase solar filters for an eclipse shoot, I recommend three things:

1. Shooting the sun in any capacity can be dangerous so do your homework. One great online source I recommend is Canon's A Total Guide to Totality: Solar Eclipse Photography.
2. Order EARLY, like 6 months to a year. I'm not kidding. I saw way too many people scrambling in the days leading up to the eclipse for either non-existent or fraudulently dangerous materials.
3. Check out Thousand Oaks Optical.

In addition, no photography excursion is complete without the appropriate iPhone apps:

• Eclipses
• Eclipse 2017
• PhotoPills
• Sun Seeker
• My Radar Pro

Weather apps are especially important, as I eventually discovered. After scouting out the perfect location the day prior, I relied on My Radar Pro for up-to-the-minute forecasts. In my case, the reports were accurate: clouds and rain. Yes, I chose perhaps the only spot in the path of totality that ended up being covered in heavy clouds. In fact, it rained just as totality hit. In the end, I only came away with one usable photo.

But the experience was fantastic and perhaps the most important thing I brought with me that day was a sense of humor and a group of like-minded friends.

I guess it's time to start planning for the next solar eclipse in 2024!