The LMAC Community run by @shaka holds a weekly collage contest round for its members. In the Community, you'll discover a variety of themed contest entries submitted for consideration. If selected for the final round, contest hopefuls anxiously await results indicating where their placement that determines the prize amount. It's a fun contest that any Hive member can participate. If you'd like to join in, just visit the LMAC Community account here and follow the rules of the contest for details on the latest contest.

The LMAC Community also offers an opportunity for members to create and post in the Community "freestyle" collage themes. In the freestyle option, more freedom is allowed to design your creations without having to incorporate the weekly contest photo. However, contest rules still apply.

For my Freestyle Collage No. 87, my theme is "celebrating the total eclipse of 2024".

The excitement was certainly stirring these past weeks awaiting the arrival of the total eclipse predicted to occur on April 8th, 2024. So much so, that hundreds of couples planned their wedding nuptials and receptions during this day. I watched as brides in white dress and grooms in tuxedos stood hand in hand waiting for the moment to accept each other as their life partners.

An eclipse is a natural phenomenon that occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun. Four types are known to occur: total, annular, hybrid, and partial. During any one eclipse, totality occurs in only a narrow path on the surface of Earth. This narrow track is called the path of totality.

I don't reside in a state in the U.S. where I was able to view it since I wasn't in the path of totality, but I watched it on television. It doesn't matter. Viewing this event while is happening is nowhere near seeing a photo of it.

I won't attempt to provide a lengthy explanation of a solar eclipse here. But I will share some tidbits that I didn't know.

• an eclipse season exists;

• in a total eclipse, during the new moon phase, the disk of the Sun is fully obscured by the Moon;

• eclipses are common, but tTotal eclipses are rarer because they require a more precise alignment between the centers of the Sun and Moon;

• a solar eclipse can only be viewed from a relatively small area of the world;

• although total solar eclipses occur somewhere on Earth every 18 months on average, they recur at any given place only once every 360 to 410 years.

Only the total phase of a total solar eclipse is safe to view without protection. Enthusiasts known as eclipse chasers or umbraphiles travel to remote locations to see solar eclipses.

Individuals traveled long distances to see this rare event. However, precaution was given and hopefully those who witnessed it in person at a location in the path of totality understood that looking directly at the Sun can lead to permanent eye damage.

Such is the retail market in the U.S. that special eye protection or indirect viewing techniques, together with memorabilia celebrating this event are massed produced and sold for use used when viewing a solar eclipse.

The total solar eclipse of 2024 in the U.S. was touted as being "special" since thirty-two (32) million people in the United States witnessed it firsthand during its 115-mile wide path of totality that ran from Mazatlán, Mexico to Newfoundland.

It's late in the afternoon in my area in Southeast Texas. The eclipse has moved out into the Atlantic Ocean toward its destiny.

The eclipse will be the last total solar eclipse in the U.S. for approximately 20 years. Even then, supposedly it will only cover tow or three states, and some parts of Canada.

As a senior citizen, this may probably be the last total solar eclipse that I will see in my lifetime.

So I thoroughly enjoyed it on this day in 2024.

^Source

In preparing my theme, I envisioned a young woman anxiously awaiting the arrival of the total eclipse sitting atop a castle buttress. She is accompanied by her friends, both animal and imaginary.

Below are the additional images I included to create an eclipse watching party:

Item	Contributor	Source
Girl sitting watching stars	Pixabay	Link
Castle	@lmac	Link
Leopard	Pixabay	Link
Tank Commander	@alex2alex	Link
Black cat	PxFuel	Link
Playground Equipment (Green-from Tel Aviv)	@alex2alex	Link
Playground Equipment (Blue-from Tel Aviv)	@alex2alex	Link
Playground Equipment (Peach-from Tel Aviv)	@alex2alex	Link
Playground Equipment (Gray-from Tel Aviv)	@alex2alex	Link
Lighthouse	@redheadpei	Link
Yellow Leaves	@rappler	Link
Yellow flower	@rappler	Link
Pure Fractal titled "UniversalSwirl Rays"	@justclickindiva	Link
Pure Fractal titled "Lightning5-Gray"	@justclickindiva	Link
Eclipse	Pixabay	Link

When compiling my freestyle collage design, I upload my images to Canva. It's my design program I use to blend my images. Below are the procedures I use that incorporate the tools at my disposal in my Annual Pro Membership Subscription.

To a blank canvas, I added the female image staring at the sky.

Duplicated the image to create a background that filled the entire screen.

Added the golden veil fractal. Decided to place a copy of it on each side of the screen.

Added the lighthouse and leopard to the landscape, and the black cat to the skyline.

Added the playground stickers. Positioned the in various parts of the skyline.

Added the eclipse image and faded it into the background. Completed the project.

Below is my completed freestyle collage:

Thanks for your visit. I appreciate it. I hope you like my freestyle collage theme.