Skyline Drive: Neowise F3

[photoflyer]

@SquarePeg 's excellent shot from the lighthouse motivated me to try again. So, up to the Skyline Drive I went. Shot from Fishers Gap Overlook: Stanley Virginia and Shenandoah River in the valley.

 

[SquarePeg]

Awesome!

 

[Space Face]

Yeah, that works.

 

[K9Kirk]

Very nice but I'm curious as to why the city lights are streaking a tad toward the 10 c'clock. Did you bump the tripod mid pic perhaps?

 

[photoflyer]

Very nice but I'm curious as to why the city lights are streaking a tad toward the 10 c'clock. Did you bump the tripod mid pic perhaps?

Very good eye! I actually shot this with the Sky Adventurer tracker. It was a 30 second exposure so while the stars are sharp, the foreground is just a little blurry. In other versions I actually reduce the exposure of the foreground so it's less noticeable.

At 24mm I probably didn't need the tracker but I wanted the Stars to be as sharp as possible and the comment as well.

 

[SquarePeg]

oh a tracker - fancy! I have been tempted to get one. I think most people shoot a static foreground and do it as a composite? Haven't gotten much into that.

 

[Mike Drone]

Nice shot even with the city lights. I wonder why the comet is so faint here.

 

[photoflyer]

oh a tracker - fancy! I have been tempted to get one. I think most people shoot a static foreground and do it as a composite? Haven't gotten much into that.

True but in this case there is nothing of interest (like a lighthouse) so I don't think it matters. If they're looking at the town I've failed.

Nice shot even with the city lights. I wonder why the comet is so faint here.

This is a 30 second exposure. I got very lucky. There was a thunderstorm about 100 miles away so lightening is actually lighting one of the clouds from above. It's like having the biggest strobe on earth.

 

[SquarePeg]

You definitely didn't fail. I didn't notice the town until someone else pointed it out.

 

[K9Kirk]

It's no failure the lights being like that but if you wanted you could simply crop from the bottom up to just above the hills and no more city lights.

 

[SquarePeg]

I wouldn't crop out the city light.

 

[PJM]

Great shot! I had a hunch "tracker" was going to be your answer when I saw the questions. And I didn't even notice the lights.

 

[Dean_Gretsch]

Definitely a good eye, Kirk. I had to enlarge the photo to see what you're talking about on my phone.
I certainly would not crop the city either. It adds much to the pic. Very nice! Everyone has done very well with this common subject. I never would have even known about the comet if not for everyone's photos here.

 

[charlie76]

I think most people shoot a static foreground and do it as a composite? Haven't gotten much into that

You guys are killing me with these cool comet photos. I was wondering if the shots were “real” or composites. Never done night photography, but it’s on my list