Milky Way 3rd try

[SquarePeg]

I’m not happy with my processing on this one yet. I need sleep after 3 late nights and 2 sunrises in a row lol. Photo specific trips can be exhausting! Went out with the workshop group yesterday from 4-10pm. We hiked our gear about a mile in soft sand in the dark to get this one. The clouds rolled in as we got there so we had to be quick and make the best of it.

This is a single exposure, 16s, ISO 2500 with the XT2 and the Samyang 12mm.


Stage Harbor Light by SharonCat..., on Flickr

 

[D7K]

Nice capture, I may have moved my position just to get the Milky Way coming either off of the large building on the right or between that and the house. But congrats on capturing it in such a hurry and no trails / blur on the stars.


Sent from my mobile device because I’m either outside or too lazy to get my MacBook..

 

[Jeff15]

Very nice...........

 

[tirediron]

This almost feels like it needs to be two exposures. One for the light house/buildings and one for the sky.

 

[SquarePeg]

Nice capture, I may have moved my position just to get the Milky Way coming either off of the large building on the right or between that and the house. But congrats on capturing it in such a hurry and no trails / blur on the stars.


Sent from my mobile device because I’m either outside or too lazy to get my MacBook..

Thanks, I do have a couple of shots from that position with the Milky Way coming out of the top of the lighthouse. I haven’t processed those completely yet. But I will post them in this thread when I’m done with them

 

[SquarePeg]

This almost feels like it needs to be two exposures. One for the light house/buildings and one for the sky.

I darkened the foreground a little bit because I didn’t want to draw attention away from the Milky Way. But I’m not really happy with the post processing that I did on this one, I introduced a lot of noise I think. So I’ll give it a couple more tries but I definitely was not trying to have the lighthouse be totally lit up like it was daytime if that’s what you mean? Not sure if I understand what your comment means.

 

[SquarePeg]

Very nice...........

Thanks........

 

[tirediron]

Not sure if I understand what your comment means.

It's Monday, I'm far from sufficiently caffeinated, and likely, for the most part, typing gibberish. Agree, you don't want the lighthouse to look like it's daylight, but I think a consistent, even exposure, and just a bit brighter (maybe 1/3 - 1/2 stop) overall, and tone down the highlight on the RH edge. What's causing the shadows on the lighthouse?

 

[vintagesnaps]

I noticed that too, I wondered where the shadows were coming from when I don't see any trees; maybe they're on the other side of the house and out of sight?

That you didn't get John's suggestion could partly be due to Monday morning lack of sleep and/or caffeine! but it could be telling you there's still plenty to learn about this type of photography. Or photography in general, because I get John's comment in relation to other things, since I don't do long exposures or stars at night (and live where there isn't this type scenery by any stretch!). Maybe keep trying and learning and practicing and take this as a learning experience to figure out what else to try next time.

I rather like the light and shadows on the lighthouse, maybe a little different adjustment would work better.

 

[SquarePeg]

The shadows may be from a small revolving light that is still in use to guide small boats in to the nearby harbor. The lighthouse itself no longer has a light on it - as you can see. That is what is lighting up the lighthouse. It flashes past it every 5 seconds so 3 x in each exposure. Also the house itself is a private residence that is a vacation rental and there was someone home so those shadows on the lighthouse could be from a window on that side of the house.

 

[Dean_Gretsch]

I think each successive Milky Way set you've presented has been better, with this one best of the three. Number 4 should be perfect!

 

[SquarePeg]

I think each successive Milky Way set you've presented has been better, with this one best of the three. Number 4 should be perfect!

Thanks for the encouraging comments.

I’m going to re-process the landscape one in the first post starting from scratch. I was definitely punchy when I did that one and it’s way too “extra” as the kids say. Meanwhile, I’ve been working on this one and it’s my new favorite.


Stage Harbor Light by SharonCat..., on Flickr

 

[Dean_Gretsch]

I like the positioning you've done with this. It looks like effervescence coming from the top of the lighthouse!

 

[K9Kirk]

I'm just going to say I agree with Dean and it's a very nice pic. Can't wait to see where you're at in a few months with this type of photography, you seem to have hit the ground running. You're tireless work is going to pay off, I guarantee you. Good work!

 

[SquarePeg]

I'm just going to say I agree with Dean and it's a very nice pic. Can't wait to see where you're at in a few months with this type of photography, you seem to have hit the ground running. You're tireless work is going to pay off, I guarantee you. Good work!

Thanks for the confidence! Not sure if I’ll have another chance to try this until next year because the Milky Way will be gone soon below the horizon and I’ll have to wait until April I believe before we get it back. Besides, I’m not willing to freeze my butt off out there in the winter in the middle of the night! I’m trying to figure out one more shoot before the moon is back up and the Milky Way is gone.