Star Trail at the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in Califronia
This one picture is actually over 200 single 30 second exposures merged together in...
Read more
Star Trail at the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in Califronia
This one picture is actually over 200 single 30 second exposures merged together in Photoshop.
Shot at a crazy high ISO of 12800 by mistake, but I guess it got every little star to light up!
Read less
This one picture is actually over 200 single 30 second exposures merged together in Photoshop.
Shot at a crazy high ISO of 12800 by mistake, but I guess it got every little star to light up!
Read less
Views
7399
Likes
Awards
Contest Finalist in Right Down The Middle Photo Contest
Featured
Contest Finalist in Best Shot Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Photographer Of The Month Photo Contest Vol 9
Runner Up in Patterns In Nature Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Patterns In Nature Photo Contest
Peer Award
Outstanding Creativity
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Superior Skill
Love it
All Star
Magnificent Capture
Genius
One Of A Kind
Master Editing
Virtuoso
Top Ranks
Categories
iamgabbymartinezzz
February 16, 2016
this is extremely van gogh style, yet as photography. I absolutely love this! The texture is there, even if it is a 2d medium! its amazing
wantchevy1961
July 05, 2016
This is amazing! I have a question though. I'm old school I guess, where I do RAW photos in digital and film 98% of the time, so I was wondering , how do you get that affect in the sky? I've been seeing alot of this lately.
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken on an overnight camping trip in the Ancient Bristlecone forest in California. Lucky for me I met up with another photog who had a warm van while the hour long plus exposures were being made. Also lucky for me, that guy is now a good friend!Time
We first started the night with shots of the sunset and then moon set near the entrance station of the park. After a few great hours of early night shooting I had to decide if I wanted to go to my nice warm sleeping bag in camp or to drive with my new friend about an hour on the cold bumpy dirt road to Patriarch Grove high atop the White Mountains of Inyo National Forest. Life is short, so I agreed to continue shooting deep into the night. It was about 2 am by the time we got to Patriarch Grove. It was very dark, and very cold. However, the long exposure time needed for the shot actually went by quickly as we talked photography and philosophy in his warm van. I didn't see my sleeping bag back in camp until way after sunrise. Funny side note, on the drive back, the sunrise was brilliant, but we were both way to spent to even think about trying to shoot it.Lighting
There was no moon. There were no clouds. It was cold. Perfect conditions for photographing the Milky Way and star trails. I did splash the Bristlecone tree with a warm (not LED) flash light toward the end of the long exposure. My new friend told me to bump the ISO as high as I could, so I did. I am not sure this was needed, but man, I think I captured every star that was out that night.Equipment
Nikon D810. Really Right Stuff tripod. Sigma 15mm fish eye lens. Nikon remote trigger. Zacuto magnifying eye piece to help focus on the stars in live view. Tape to lock in focus once obtained. Don't forget flashlight(s) for light painting and finding your way around in the dark. Warm clothes.Inspiration
This only my second attempt at star trails. I have always been impressed with night photographs with stars in them, and wanted to give it shot. I have always been sad to have to stop shooting after the sunset, and having a few new skills can open up a whole new world of shooting. There is a learning curve for sure, but it's really not that difficult!Editing
The free app star stacker worked like a dream. Can't believe is't free!In my camera bag
Usually way to much! Nikon D810 with the the trilogy zooms. My favorite primes are the Zeiss 135 APO, Sigma 15 fish eye, and the Sigma 35 art. I usually do stuff that requires a tripod (HDR, night photography) and always bring my Really Right Stuff tripod with that wonderfully large RRS bh 55 ball head.Feedback
My new friend and I meet up for the second time this summer to do more shooting like this. We planed for a time of year when there was no moon. Unfortunately, our much anticipated week was cloudy and raining. The whole week. We got some good sunset shots in Bodie State Park, but night star photography was out due to cloud coverage. So you need to be lucky and/or flexible when planning a night star trail photography trip.