The Faces of the Eclipse From the Streets of New York City
Walking through the streets of Brooklyn, people poured out of storefronts, giggling and looking up at the sky with their paper glasses. Everyone, it seems, was focused on one thing: the solar eclipse.
Update 4/11: We have added more photos from photographer Shayne Pyle
Not only was this the last eclipse viewable in North America for the next 20 years (and 21 years until the next one will be visible in New York), but it also had great visibility in New York City with a 90 percent totality. People littered sidewalks, some with glasses, others with alternative viewing tools, a homemade pinhole projector or a colander from the kitchen. Even those inside having a late lunch or working in an office made sure to look out the window to catch a glimpse of the historic event.
Heading to Prospect Park, a massive crowd gathered at Grand Army Plaza and the long steps of the Brooklyn Public Library’s Central Branch, all located within the same couple of blocks. A man hawked eclipse glasses for $3, rushing along anyone who dared hold up the line. He took cash and Apple Pay.
Once armed with the glasses to safely watch, people’s necks craned upward, all at the same angle. When the peak hit, the crowds, in the Plaza, on the library steps, and through the park, all cheered and clapped.
Prospect Park, nicknamed Brooklyn’s backyard, often takes on a life of its own. Venture through on any nice day, especially coming out of the cold winter, and visitors are met with families, readers under trees, cookouts, pets, and of course, photographers. That Monday was no different.
Friends Astrella Sjarfi and Sarah Demby used glasses from the 2017 eclipse to watch this year’s event and try and get a solid image with their phones. Ultimately, even they agreed taking pictures of the people was more rewarding.
“The park never gets this busy not on a weekend,” Demby pointed out.
Not far away, Nikhil Chitre, a professional photographer and videographer, was busy, camera in hand, taking video and photos of people’s reactions. Chitre arrived at the park shortly after noon, getting set up before the crowds began to pack in.
New York City-based street photographer Alexa Van de Walle took a similar route.
“I stayed in my neighborhood in Brooklyn and walked for the entire two hours photographing the thousands of people in Prospect Park, and around Grand Army Plaza and the Brooklyn Public Library, where there was a jazz ensemble,” Van de Walle shared over email.
“People of all ages were outside and everyone was in such a fantastic mood, many people even asked me to make their photo. It was spectacularly beautiful to watch strangers interacting and experiencing the wonderment of an eclipse.”
Over in Manhattan, photographer Cesar Isabel also found the normally bustling city calm. Stereotypes of rude or jaded New Yorkers were nowhere to be found.
“The atmosphere was that of anticipation and wonder. People gathered in every corner, practically holding hands ready to share the once in a lifetime experience,” Isabel told PetaPixel over email. “No stress, no one pushing, overall unity.”
Among the crowds, too, was Q. Sakamaki, an award-winning photojournalist based in New York City. Sakamaki was in Central Park with his wife.
“Although the shooting itself was not the top priority, I photographed people around the environments and time, in the documentary style — candid and often very quickly and instinctively, as usual,” Sakamaki shared with PetaPixel over email. He ended up taking portraits of some students who were gathered watching the eclipse.
And while many photographers, professional or not, were eager to try and capture the celestial event, plenty found inspiration in those watching.
Andrew Stewart was with his family in Prospect Park while taking a timelapse, for example. But his camera wasn’t pointed at the sky. Instead, it was “on the whole park, so less on the eclipse and more on the people experiencing it,” he shared.
“This position is something I try to maintain throughout life and in my visual style—if everyone is looking in one direction, then turn around and see what’s happening behind you, often it’s much more interesting and beautiful,” New York-based photographer and cinematographer Pavel Krikunov told PetaPixel over email. Besides, Krikunov notes, “there are a lot of eclipse photos, and they are all beautiful but similar, and I just wanted to capture the moment of togetherness that I mentioned earlier.”
Part of photographing a historic event lies in the response, after all.
“The eclipse was really cool to see but for me my interest was on the people and their reactions. It’s not everyday so many different people are in the same place, doing the same thing, looking at the same object. I knew making photos of everyone with their glasses on, smiling would show how big of an event the eclipse was,” Boston photographer Shayne Pyle told PetaPixel via email. “I wanted to capture the history of the event and how people reacted. I also knew there was photographers all over using their telephotos capturing incredible shots of the eclipse so for me my focus was on reactions of people instead of the eclipse itself.”
Pyle stuck to Manhattan in the Flatiron District, where the same camaraderie was found among the crowds.
“The atmosphere was energized with enthusiasm and wonder. Everyone was really excited to be there and to witness the eclipse. As I was walking towards the Flatiron building I saw more and more people with their eclipse glasses gathering by the park,” Pyle shared. “Groups of friends, co-workers, and family members gathered to make an afternoon of the event. Everyone seemed happy and in good spirits. Strangers were interacting with one another, it felt exciting and peaceful at the same time, even with that many people in one spot.”
Walking through Prospect Park, families and friends let their children and pets run around, embracing the warm spring weather. It was enough to draw many out, whether they had the protective glasses needed to enjoy the eclipse or not. Jennifer Onyeagbako saw the eclipse in 2017 and wanted to see it again but wasn’t able to glasses but enjoyed Prospect Park all the same.
“I was already here, so I wanted to come and experience it with a bunch of people, and so many people came out. It was really great energy,” she told PetaPixel “People were cheering so I was getting the Cliff Notes of what was happening.”
After handing her eclipse glasses to get a glimpse before the moon moved out of the sun’s way, Onyeagbako headed off, the crowd of thousands now slowing picking off.
It’ll be several years before another eclipse comes along, but the wonder captured on the faces of those who were there will be immortalized far longer.
