Bodie Island Lighthouse & Milky Way
A clear night in the Outer Banks of North Carolina to capture the Milky Way. This lighthouse has always been one of my favorites....
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A clear night in the Outer Banks of North Carolina to capture the Milky Way. This lighthouse has always been one of my favorites.
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May, 2017Views
1091
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Awards
Peer Choice Award
Contest Finalist in Covers Photo Contest Vol 39
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
Top Choice
Magnificent Capture
Superb Composition
All Star
Superior Skill
Virtuoso
Top Ranks
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 10 rank
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at the Bodie Island Lighthouse in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It is a fairly remote area of the states that is littered with these gorgeous lighthouses to protect the ships from the shoals that have sunk boats for centuries.Time
I captured this around 11:30 pm when the Milky Way was still rising in the east at the end of May. It was already warm, and I came unprepared for the mosquitoes as they were unrelenting, and the frogs were deafening.Lighting
What is unique about the Bodie Island Lighthouse is that its light flashes instead of being constantly on or rotating. So a well timed photo will capture the light beams coming out around its window pained top. I love the depth and pop that this feature adds to the photo.Equipment
This was taken with a Nikon D750 and the Sigma 20mm Art on a tripod.Inspiration
I love a good Milky Way photo, and a strong foreground element is a necessity. This beautiful, towering lighthouse and it's light pattern certainly met those requirements. The luck of a moonless, cloudless night completed everything needed. And the boardwalk acts as a beautiful leading line to the lighthouse. This area provided such great composition.Editing
All edited in Lightroom, and what would surprise most people that this is just a single photo! No blends of photos, no photoshop effort required.In my camera bag
My bag for 99% of photography is full of my film gear: My Pentax 67 with the 55mm, the fantastic 105mm, and the 165mm. While I do feel film can offer some unique advantages, its best quality is that it makes me better. My compositions are stronger as my shots are limited. And when I want these gorgeous night shots, it has taught me to really think my shots out.Feedback
Remember the 500 rule! Divide 500 by your focal length and set your shutter speed to this value. Go when the moon is either in new moon phase, or has set below the horizon as the moon creates too much light pollution to see the Milky Way. And lastly, use Dark Site Finder (http://darksitefinder.com/maps/world.html) to find those remote locations away from all artificial light pollution. Follow those three simple tips, and you'll be capturing the Milky Way with great success!
