Check List

Mount Pleasant Dual-Sunset Master Project Guide [z01]

Location: Mount Pleasant Summit Overlook (39.7251°;N, 82.5952°;W)
Target Sector: 240°; to 300°; (West Horizon Window)

Pre-Departure Checklist & Log

Check off each item before leaving for the mountain and log current weather conditions below.

Weather Audit: Confirm clear skies, low humidity, and stable wind parameters roughly 1 hour prior to sunset.

Base Camera Configuration (Pentax K-70): Mount the 12mm lens (or 16mm). Turn Electronic Level ON in Custom Menu 3. Keep the live-view horizon line green.

Telephoto Camera Configuration (Sony a77): Mount the 600mm lens securely to its dedicated support platform.

Reference Unit Configuration (Pentax WG-8): Ensure GPS metadata tagging is active and 'Stamp Data' is enabled in settings.

Support Hardware: Pack non-magnetic or aluminum tripod setups to avoid throwing off the compact digital compasses.

Star Tracker Policy: Ensure tracker motors remain deactivated during landscape horizon framing to eliminate ground rotation errors.

Session Weather Data Log:

Cloud Condition: Temperature (°;F): Wind Velocity: Humidity Level:

1. Lens and Gear Strategy

• Base Landscape Frame (Pentax K-70): Use the 12mm lens. It gives a 99°; horizontal field of view. This easily covers the entire 62°; seasonal sunset trajectory in one wide frame. (Alternative: The 16mm lens gives an 83°; view, which works but leaves less edge margin).
• Close-Up Sun Insets & Video (Sony a77): Use the 600mm lens. Because of the crop sensor, it behaves like a 900mm lens with a tight 1.8°; view. This captures a huge, detailed sun disk dropping behind the distant horizon line.

2. Critical Dates, Times, and Azimuth Targets

To document the complete seasonal path, capture three specific milestone phases on clear mornings or late afternoons:

• Winter Solstice Extreme (December 21): The sun sets at its furthest South-West point (~241°;). Arrive and set up equipment by 4:30 PM. Sunset occurs at 5:04 PM.
• Spring Equinox Mid-Point (March 20): The sun sets directly in the center of your project window (~271°; Due West). Arrive and set up by 7:00 PM. Sunset occurs at 7:39 PM. Use this day to lock in your main 12mm base image.
• Summer Solstice Extreme (June 20): The sun sets at its furthest North-West point (~301°;). Arrive and set up by 8:25 PM. Sunset occurs at 8:59 PM.

3. Solving Alignment Wobble and Equipment Discrepancies

• Star Trackers: Do not use a star tracker to keep the horizon level. Star trackers rotate sideways to trace stars on the Earth's tilted axis. If pointed at a landscape, they will tilt and roll the ground elements completely crooked over time.
• Digital Compass Drift: The built-in compass on the Pentax WG-8 and external O-GPS units are highly sensitive to metal. Heavy iron or steel tripod heads pull the magnetic needle and cause degree readings to wobble or change values when you tilt the camera.
• Pentax K-70 Settings: Keep your horizontal line level across different months by going to Custom Setting 3 to turn the Electronic Level ON. Press the INFO button during live view until the horizon bar shows up, and keep the indicator line green.
• Pentax WG-8 Settings: Go to the GPS Settings menu and enable "Stamp Data" to print the heading degrees directly onto the bottom corner of your images for reference.

4. The Master Alignment Protocol

Since digital compasses experience electronic drift, use a permanent ground anchor to align the half-way horizontal pixel line instead of guessing digital degrees:

1. Pick a clear morning to look across Lancaster from Mount Pleasant using your Sony a77 and the 600mm lens.
2. Find a permanent, permanent building, tower, or church spire that sits exactly at 271°; West when the camera is level.
3. On every single shooting trip, place that exact landmark dead-center in your crosshairs at half the horizontal pixels.
4. This bypasses electronic drift completely and ensures all wide shots and telephoto inset videos stack together perfectly for your final composite.