Kodachrome Milkyway
Milkyway viewed from Kodachrome Basin State Park, Utah.
Milkyway viewed from Kodachrome Basin State Park, Utah.
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Jun, 2014Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken last April in Kodachrome Basin Utah just off Hwy 12.Time
My husband and I took a little nap and got up about 1:30 am to drive about 20 minutes from where we were camping. After shooting in another location in the Basin, we drove out the jeep trail to the monolith Chimney Rock. This shot was taken about 2:45 am.Lighting
I was going for a panorama shot and so had to work fast to do a long exposure time (25 sec.) and get the 3 shots in necessary to get from Colossus Point to Chimney Rock. The long exposure brings out this iridescent rainbow effect created by light noise from far off Lake Powell.Equipment
I used a Nikon D700 with a 28mm 2.8 AF-D on a tripod with a manual shutter release attached by cable. The warm jacket, hat and gloves with charcoal hand warmers were essential.Inspiration
Even before heading out to Bryce Canyon from Northern California I knew I wanted a Milky Way shot. I read up on various techniques on-line. I had been out the night before at Bryce Canyon trying to shoot the Milky Way but was having a hard time finding an interesting foreground and orientation to get a large section of it in the shot. Then I remembered all the interesting sandstone structures at Kodachrome. I went out during the day and scouted a few locations I thought would give me both foreground and a large expanse of sky to work with. I knew after a few shots I was going to have to go for a panorama to get the effect I wanted.Editing
This image was mostly post processed in ACR Camera Raw. I still had to take it into Photoshop where I had to spot heal a few missing and hot pixels. After that I brought up the exposure of the foreground and Chimney Rock. I also sharpened the image.In my camera bag
I usually carry a Nikon D700 with a wide angle zoom and a D5000 with a 70-300mm AF-G. For night shooting I use my primes , a 28mm 2.8 and a 50mm 1.4. My tripod is always nearby, but I like to handhold since most of the creatures I shoot don't pose or stand still.Feedback
Scout your location during the daytime. Many of these locations can be tricky at night. Know where the Milky Way is going to be during that time of year. In February it will be small and off in the distance. By November it will be running overhead east to west. You will need a camera that can handle noise and use your widest fastest lens. Use a red light headlamp, and bring lots of layers of clothes. I use fly fishing gloves that let me expose my fingers for fine adjustments.
