When photographer Derek DiLuzio realized his backyard trails were within the path of totality, he knew he needed to shoot this rare event.
Weeks ago, while planning for yesterday’s total solar eclipse, I had a thought: What if I found a mountain biker bold enough to ride on the edge of a cliff to capture him right in front of the eclipse? Immediately, my friend and pro downhiller Neko Mulally—who’s currently sidelined from the pro tour with a wrist injury—came to mind. I promised him there would be no technical lines, just a smooth rock face: forgiving on his wrist and an unforgettable experience.
After scouting various locations in the mountains of western North Carolina, we settled on Slate Rock in Pisgah National Forest, for a wider, other-worldly image of the eclipse. Neko, his girlfriend, Callie, and I hauled about 100 pounds of camera and lighting gear to the rock face Monday morning. During the hours leading up to the eclipse, we dialed in the line, rigged the lighting and generally did our best to be 100 percent prepared for the moment of totality.
The photos below tell the story of the truly unique experience of our hunt for the perfect shot.
The gear—which we had a lot of—was prepped and ready to haul.
One last piece of very important gear: solar eclipse viewing glasses.
A shaft of light shined on the camera gear.
Neko ensured his rig was ready to ride when totality hit.
Finally, it was time to hit the trail for Slate Rock.
The morning light in the forest was beautiful, but soon, it would be gone.
Neko and Callie were troopers and hauled tons of heavy gear up the steep singletrack.
The normal views from Slate Rock are worth the hike to get there but this time, we were after another type of view.
Neko got to do plenty of modeling while I dialed in the lighting.
And so it began!
As the eclipse neared totality, Neko made certain his line was clear of unforeseen obstacles.
And we got the shot: Neko Mulally riding Slate Rock during the Solar Eclipse.