The Celestial Shot

Katelyn Dobbins Clayton captures breathtaking images of the 2024 solar eclipse

Many photographers in the Ark-La-Tex aimed their cameras toward the skies in order to capture the best pictures of the total eclipse that happened on April 8th, 2024. Texarkana’s own Katelyn Dobbins Clayton has garnered quite a bit of attention online for her pictures of this jaw-dropping celestial event. 

Katelyn was born in Mississippi but moved to Texarkana in 2008. In 2021, she started “solo-traveling" once a month, taking week-long trips to visit America’s national parks and other locations known for amazing views. Katelyn purchased her first camera from a friend and took it with her on a trip to Yellowstone National Park. When she showed her friends and family the photos she had taken, she received such a positive response that she decided to get serious about photography. 

Although photography is currently just a hobby for Katelyn, she wants eventually to transition this passion into a full-time business. Most of her photography is focused on wildlife and landscapes, but she does book sessions for family and senior pictures. “My dream is that I become a household name in the Texarkana photography industry,” she explained. Her photography business is called Katelyn Dobbins Photography. 

On the day of the eclipse, Katelyn didn’t venture very far: she readied her equipment in her own backyard. “I wanted complete solitude to focus on getting a few good shots,” she explained. “I didn’t even know about the eclipse until two months ago, but I immediately knew I had to get pictures. So, I researched for weeks on how to photograph an eclipse and had my entire set-up ready the day before.” Katelyn captured images of the entire eclipse cycle, working quickly to take the solar filter off of her lens and change her camera settings during totality. “I thought I was going to miss my chance to get a good picture,” she admitted. “I caught the very end of totality the moment the sun peeked back out.” 

Katelyn has since shared her incredible images with the world. Click the link to view the gallery of her solar eclipse images:  VIEW GALLERY