We weren't able to go camping last weekend so I tried to think of some place local to park and photograph the stars. The yard at the apartment complex has way too much light pollution. It also had to be a place where we could keep near the car as our child would be with us and most likely sleeping. I opted to give the fishing pier at Labrador Hollow Unique area a try. It did not disappoint. The sky was beautiful and fairly clear. I grabbed a lantern to illuminate the fishing pier slightly, but as you can see in the photo even on the lowest setting, it was overkill! I put the lamp away and focused more on the tree reflections and stars. Fireflies flickered, bull frogs croaked deeply and tree frogs trilled. Looking up toward the boardwalk there was more light and a few illuminated clouds. Initially the clouds in the photos looked yellowish but I changed the white balance to temperature and decreased it to 3200 k to whiten the clouds and give the sky a more blue tone. The big dipper shown above us. I tried to capture but I think a portion of the handle got missed. Click on the images to see them larger. The hillside across from us was very dark as it was looking down the pond. There was a small spot of illuminated cloud in one corner just peeking over one of the hills. None of my images are stacked as I have yet to download a program to do that. Stacking is said to help get rid of noise in a photo. I shoot with a crop sensor so there is a bit more noise than you would find with a full frame camera. My camera settings were ISO 1250, f 2.8 with shutter speeds varying 8 to 10 seconds. In the last photo I love the tree curling around the stars like a giant wave. Later I may be able to try to stack it and eliminate noise as I did take multiple shots. I hope you found this blog informative and enjoyable. Our adventure ended at one in the morning as our beds were calling all of us, although it was hard to tear ourselves away from such a peaceful and beautiful spot. Be sure to check back for more adventures in nature photography and get outside for a few of your own! |
Julie MetottNature Photographer, wife, mother, lover of outdoor adventure! Archives
November 2022
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