close iframe icon
approved icon sergiorill avatar
sergiorill
Enchanted night
Banner

Enchanted night



behind the lens badge

This is a 21 image panorama taken at Moss Lake in Enchanted Rock Natural Area a couple of weeks ago.

The interesting thing about this image is the ...
Read more

This is a 21 image panorama taken at Moss Lake in Enchanted Rock Natural Area a couple of weeks ago.

The interesting thing about this image is the backstory since I had to hike 2 miles and camp out there by myself in order to take this photo.

This is probably not a big deal to any backpacker, but it was a big deal for me because it’s the first time I've camped more than 15 feet from my car, and it opens the door to all sorts of adventures and locations I had ignored before because they were to far from my car :)
Read less
cameraNIKON D750

settings Aperture f/2.8 ISO 6400 Shutter 20/1 Focal Length 140/10 

upload_dateAug, 2015

Views

1064

Likes

Awards

Top Shot Award 22
Member Selection Award
Featured
Contest Finalist in Light Sensitivity Photo Contest
Staff Favorite
  View more
Peer Award
PhotosByJEM CharlesEDavid davidjprosser Tudorof diegoscaglione billmartin_2615 ileanaandreagmezgavinoser +54
Superb Composition
jofelainejavier briantozer CatClaire aj22 deseo podesta jayholm +19
Absolute Masterpiece
javiersnchezsnchez georgevekic shanesmith_4365 kathrynanderson sandeeppothuri Mntnapoet kathleencollins +12
Top Choice
djonidjaafar danijeladragojevitasovac FiveOPhoto DianeKetelsenPhotography stephanieschwauschboatright Bushman yoyohistory +5
Outstanding Creativity
Florangel0421 mcinteza radtkerattethomas jonboyfk8 carlosdesousaramos EmmaPhillips garydecatevans +1
Magnificent Capture
matkujak Albert-Serra-Photography
Superior Skill
Mike51365 schrammy
All Star
josefpittner

Top Ranks

All About Water Photo ContestTop 20 rank
Water Photo Contest 2017Top 10 rank
Water Photo Contest 2017Top 10 rank week 1
Nature By Night Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Nature By Night Photo ContestTop 30 rank week 1
View more
Dark And Bright Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Dark And Bright Photo ContestTop 30 rank week 2
Trey Ratcliffs Put Your Best Foot Forward Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Dark And Bright Photo ContestTop 30 rank week 1

Categories

1 Comment |
amitabh
 
amitabh March 17, 2016
This is a beautiful shot. I was planning to visit this state park and then went to Copper Breaks instead. Please have a look at my image of the night sky as well.

Submitted to Photo Contests

Tags

#2015 #arch #astro #astrophotography #enchanted rock #lake #light pollution #milky way #milkyway #moss lake #mountain #night #nightscape #nightsky #pano #panorama #panoramic #reflection #star #starry nights #stars #state park #texas #Texas Hill Country #Texas state park #usa
See all

Behind The Lens

Location

At Moss lake on the Enchanted Rock State Natural Area in the Texas Hill Country.

Time

In order to reach this location I had plan ahead and hike for about two miles in Texas August heat (around 105 F) and camp out for the night. The photo was taken just after astronomical twilight had ended to get the milky way closer to the horizon so I could fill the whole arch of the milky way along with the Enchanted Rock and the lake in one photo. The photo was taken around 9:35 pm on August 9 2015.

Lighting

I had to wait until astronomical twilight had ended so the sky would be darker and the milky way would be easier to see. Also, the faint light pollution from the nearby cities helped to get the mountains to stand out a little bit more than if the horizon would have been pitch dark, and help create a nicer reflection on the lake.

Equipment

I used a Nikon D750 with a Nikon 14-24 mm f/2.8 lens on an Oben tripod.

Inspiration

I'm always looking for interesting places to take my astrophotography landscape photos and since this place was designated as a dark sky location by the IDA (International Dark Sky association) I payed a visit in February but it was the wrong time of the year to get the milky way arching over the mountains from the lake, so I did my research and planned that this would be a good weekend to attempt this photo. The park closes at 10 pm, so I knew in order to take this photo I would need to camp for the night, and the location I wanted to take this photo from was on the other side of the regular campsites, so I had to hike in and stay at a primitive campsite.

Editing

This is actually a 20 image two row panorama. I took the individual photos and then merged them using Lightroom CC panorama function; then I used Photoshop to do some curves adjustments to help the milky way stand out more and do some cropping.

In my camera bag

I would normally carry around two bodies (Nikon D750 and D600) along with the Nikon 14-24mm and Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 lenses, along with a nifty fifty (Nikon 50mm f/1.8) and a Bower 14mm f/2.8; plus two carbon fiber travel tripods (Oben and Benro) at least one head lamp and a multipurpose flashlight. Oh, and mosquito repellent, you can not forget the mosquito repellent.

Feedback

Planning ahead and finding the correct dark sky location is imperative. There are plenty of tools available nowadays; and for this particular photo I used "PlanIt! for Photographers" app for iPhone; but I've used TPE and PhotoPills before with good results, plus TPE has a free website http://app.photoephemeris.com/. Another important thing to take into account is the moon phase (if there is too much moonlight the milky way will be washed out from the sky); also you need to keep an eye on the weather, I had the fortune of a clear sky night, but if the sky had been cloudy the milky way would not have been visible regardless of how far away from the city lights I might have gotten.

See more amazing photos, follow sergiorill

User photo
It’s your time to shine! ☀️

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes.
Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.

Already a member? Log In

By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service, and acknowledge you've read our Privacy Policy Notice.