Clingman's Dome Star Trails
The observation tower on the summit of Clingman's Dome is a very unique structure, one which adds immensely to the character of the mountain. I'm glad that som...
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The observation tower on the summit of Clingman's Dome is a very unique structure, one which adds immensely to the character of the mountain. I'm glad that someone in the past decided to build the tower - I can't imagine the NPS of today deciding to build the tower! Anyway, this is my first real foray into star trail photography. Now that I've upgraded to the full-frame sensor, night photography has become much more attractive to me. The tower on Clingman's Dome is the perfect silhouette for night shots - strange and moody! Thankfully, the weather wasn't moody on this particular night - very little cloud cover, not much wind, and not brutally cold. So, strange weather for Clingman's Dome! There was no moon on this night, but there was an unfortunate amount of light pollution from Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge. It's hard to find truly dark skies in the area, I think. This is seven 10 minute shots blended together - I haven't bought an intervalometer yet, so I didn't have the patience to take hundreds of shorter exposures. November seems like a good time for this type of photography in the park, anyway - after the leaves, but before the better chances for snowfall.
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Dec, 2014Views
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Certo
February 14, 2015
I'm stunned! Amazing image! I doubt you were around before this tower was built and the old one was there. I really liked it. Watched sunrise 1 winter day w/girlfriend, coats & blanket in the '70s.
Certo
February 14, 2015
This is almost like one of those surreal images created with PhotoShop, or some other. The hard lines of the tower are beautiful, but the trees so still on a mountain top? Congrats!
pvarney3
February 14, 2015
Thanks Certo, I really appreciate your comments! No, I wasn't around for the old observation tower! Glad to hear you were able to experience a great sunrise from the mountain!
pvarney3
February 14, 2015
It was a rare 'calm' night on Clingman's Dome - not too many of those! Night photography is interesting to me because of the surreal-ness. You often get images that you didn't expect/anticipate, because a camera sensor is so different from an eye (especially at night!).
arkhunter
December 29, 2016
Were the breaks in the trail intentional or did you just have some gaps in the shots? I assume it was lots of layered shots to get the trials.
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
I captured this photo on the summit of Clingman's Dome, which at 6644' elevation is the highest point in Great Smoky Mountain National Park, and also the highest point along the Appalachian Trail.Time
This photo was taken, of course, at night! I arrived at the observation tower before sunset, and waited several hours for any remaining ambient light to dissipate. This photo is a blend of seven 10-minute exposures, taken around 11:00 PM.Lighting
The bane of astrophotography seems to be light pollution, but here it actually seemed to work in my favor, as the lights of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge added a nice warm glow to the clouds.Equipment
I used a Canon 6D (excellent for its low light performance) and a Canon 17 - 40 mm f4l USM lens, and an Oben tripod. I unfortunately don't have an intervalometer yet, so that's why I used fewer longer exposures rather than many more shorter exposures.Inspiration
Star trails have always interested me, as has night photography in general, but I never really tried my hand at it until recently. That being said, Great Smoky Mountains National Park isn't really a place renowned for its interesting night shots. When I thought about it though, I realized this observation tower would make an awesome star trail subject, since it almost appears extraterrestrial in nature! Unfortunately I didn't meet any aliens on this particular night.Editing
I blended these exposures in StarStax, and then hand-blended a shot with some light painting on the tower and trees. I also had to significantly cool the white balance, as it was skewed pretty dramatically to the warm-side from the light pollution.In my camera bag
I usually have my Canon 6D, EF 17 - 40 mm f4L, and EF 70 - 200 f4l. My bag isn't as stacked as others, but then again, I'm only a poor grad student!Feedback
Plan ahead! Know the conditions you want for the particular shot you want, and don't settle. Some others who were up here left in disappointment when the clouds didn't clear, but lone behold! They cleared. For star trails, choose a strong subject. Star trails are cool, but any one with a DSLR and tripod and aim their lens at the sky and with some patience capture star trails. The subject is what differentiates your shot!
