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Bahia Honda Rail Bridge
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Bahia Honda Rail Bridge



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Milky Way over Bahia Honda Rail Bridge, Florida Keys

Milky Way over Bahia Honda Rail Bridge, Florida Keys
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cameraNIKON D800

settings Aperture f/2.8 ISO 800 Shutter 30/1 Focal Length 170/10 

upload_dateJul, 2015

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2 Comments |
HaliSowle
 
HaliSowle July 02, 2015
Very cool image, like the movement of the clouds.
JKThree
JKThree July 03, 2015
Thanks!
nandicmb
 
nandicmb October 14, 2015
Congratulations on your Contest Finalist win in Full Focus Photo Contest!

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Tags

#bridge #galaxy #night #stars #milky way
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Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken near Bahia Honda State Park along the US-1 bridge.

Time

This was taken just before 1 am. I used the iPhone app "Photo Pills" to determine what time was the best time to see the galaxy over the bridge. I had to wait for the rolling clouds to clear, but was able to get this lucky shot before the moon rose too high to wash out the stars.

Lighting

I had to wait for the rolling clouds to clear, but was able to get this lucky shot before the moon rose too high to wash out the stars. When the moon first comes out , it can sometimes create a nice glow to help illuminate the clouds, bridge, and water. But when the moon is too high (and full) the stars get washed out and it's hard to see the galaxy.

Equipment

This image was taken with a Nikon D800, 17mm (17-35mm Tamron lens), f/2.8, 30 second exposure, Tripod, no flash

Inspiration

I love taking galaxy night pictures but rarely get the opportunity (since I live in the city). I saw the bridge while on vacation with my family and immediately though it would make a nice set up for a galaxy shot. I looked up when the galaxy would be in position and returned to the scene later that night.

Editing

This image only had some light post-processing done in Lightroom. I lighted the bottom part a bit with a graduated filter, dehazed a pinch (+31), dropped the blacks to increase contrast (-46) and increased over all exposure to compensate for the black adjustment. The edits made the galaxy pop a bit while also highlighting the water under the bridge.

In my camera bag

In addition to my Nikon D800, I carry a 50mm Nikon prime, a wide angle 17-35mm Tamron lens (same lens to take this shot), and a 70-300 mm Nikon zoom lens. I also have a GorillaPod tripod hooked onto my bag "just case". For this shot I did not use the GorillaPod – just a standard tripod. I often bring my SB-800 flash. Finally, a bunch of extra batteries, SD cards, microfiber cloth, snack bars and a small bottle of bug spray complete the bag.

Feedback

For starters, you'll need to go somewhere where there is little (or no) light pollution. "Dark Sky Finder" (web or smartphone app) works great for finding a spot. If you can't get to truly dark skies, you sometimes can get lucky tweaking the sky in post production. You'll still want a nice base photo with as dark of a shy that you can , though. You'll also need to know WHERE/WEN the galaxy is so that you can plan your shot. If you're not an astronomer, I recommend PhotoPills (app) or Stellarium (desktop). Keep in mind that there are certain times of year that are better than others. If you're in the northern hemisphere, March to October will allow you to capture the galactic center (which is visible in this photo). You'll definitely want to get the galactic center! Finally, you need to know how LONG to expose the image. If you expose for too long, you can accidentally capture star movement (well, technically, it's the earth moving). There is not an "exact" time to keep your shutter open, as it all depends on your focal length (how zoomed in you are). The wider you're shooting, the longer you can expose.To find out how long you can expose, follow the "500 rule". The 500 rule is 500 divided by your focal length, which will give you (in seconds) how long you can expose before getting star trails. So, in my case 500 / 17mm = 29.411 seconds. I don't think my rounded off "30 seconds" made too much of a difference. Of course, at these long exposures, you MUST use a tripod! Finally, for comfort, be prepared for the elements - bug spray, jacket, snacks, some tunes, and a few flashlights (small/not too bright to see your camera controls/ bigger to walk to your location) will make the experience better. If this all sounds technical and scary, don't worry! It takes time and practice. The serenity you can find while staring into the quiet night sky and waiting to see what you've captured is well worth the technical frustrations that came come.

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