Noah Wetzel captures wingsuit flight through solar eclipse

Photographer Noah Wetzel and Red Bull Air Force athlete Mike Brewer successfully captured a photograph of a wingsuit flight through a total solar eclipse in Spain. The project required nine months of preparation to coordinate the flight path, lighting, and timing for the 84-second window of totality.

Wetzel captured the image from approximately 1,400 meters away using a Canon EOS R5 II with a 600mm lens. The shot depicts Brewer traveling at roughly 150 miles per hour through the glowing ring of the eclipse. To achieve the shot, the team utilized remote flash triggers and precise calculations to manage extreme challenges, including low-light focusing, high-speed movement, and long-distance composition.

Wetzel described the technical requirements as “treading the fine line of photographically impossible” across five different dimensions. The preparation included testing flight paths and equipment in locations such as Moab, Utah, to ensure the team could handle the complex environmental variables present during the event.