Night Lights
Bodie Island Lighthouse underneath the Milky Way on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The lighthouse, stars, milky way, lightning bugs and even the distant lig...
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Bodie Island Lighthouse underneath the Milky Way on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The lighthouse, stars, milky way, lightning bugs and even the distant light from nearby towns to the South all doing their part to light this scene!
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Jan, 2015Views
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Awards
Top Shot Award
Contest Finalist in Stars Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Inspiring Places Photo Contest
Featured
Contest Finalist in Freshmen 2015 Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Astronomy Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Night Lights Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Foto Digital Volume 3 Photo Contest
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Superb Composition
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Superior Skill
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Littlestar4Photography
April 07, 2015
Just -Wow! I have a photo(s) of this lighthouse taken during the day. Not nearly as impressive.
Platinum
Photography78
May 21, 2015
Would love to get shots like this. All I ever get is just stars, not the milky way and never see the milky way with this type of coloring. Absolutely love the light house but the extras just add to it. Very awesome shot!
mensajenn68
May 28, 2015
UNBELIEVABLE! What a great moment you captured! Absolutely stunning balance and composition - an all-around perfect photo!
Hughey51
May 28, 2015
Join the conversation. Add a comment or even better, a critique. Let's get better together!
Platinum
Littlestar4Photography
September 22, 2015
I have a photo of this Lighthouse too, but not nearly so dramatic. Well done. Congratulations on the feature.
Platinum
p_eileenbaltz
September 22, 2015
Stunning image, and extraordinary work! Congratulations on your feature.:)
Ki_Wi
October 17, 2015
Bodi Light always plays 2nd runner up to Hatteras...but this is just stunning!!!!! I love this light...great shot!
Platinum
Stefaan
November 14, 2015
Join the conversation. Add a comment or even better, a critique. Let's get better together!
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sarahmirkin
March 25, 2017
Absolutely gorgeous and stunning! I love lighthouses and the composition with exposure of the stars behind it is an absolute gem of a shot! Love it!
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in Nags Head, North Carolina at the Bodie Island Lighthouse park location during the summer of 2014.Time
During the summer months the Milky Way gives astro shooters a break from the early morning hours as it begins to rise around 9pm as opposed to 2am! This timing makes it much easier to actually get out and shoot without totally disrupting your normal routines and sleep! This shot was captured at approximately 9:38PM EST.Lighting
Lighting for most astro shots is all about finding the darkest night skies possible. The Outer Banks in general have some of the darkest skies on the East coast. There is however, some light pollution generated by the small towns that dot the thin sand bars that comprise the coast line of the Outer Banks, and in the case of this photo, I feel that the light coming from the towns of Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo and Hattereas actually add to the overall feel of the image. Also part of the lighting here are fire flies, the lighhouse fresnel lens, an exit sign casting a red glow inside the access building and of course the "star" of the show, the Milky Way itself!!Equipment
Canon 5D3 Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II Canon Intervalometer RSS Tripod and BH-40 BallheadInspiration
This is a particularly special photo for me. I have been vacationing at the Outer Banks for over 30 years with my family, since I was a kid. I now vacation there with my kids and my parents which has been a great way for all of us to spend time and stay connected. On this night, my 18 year old daughter came along with me and also did some shooting so this outing was extra special in that I could share the event with someone very near and dear to me! I am fascinated with lighthouses, their construction, their stories and lore, the history, decor - you get the point, I love lighthouses! As I continue to expand my photography skills and interests, Astrophotography has to be at the top of the list of things that excite me about the craft. I suppose I don't consider this to be true "astro" but more a combination of landscape and astro. Ultimately, the inspiration here comes from the ability to join many things that are special to me and if I had to choose one image from portfolio that defines me and tells somewhat of a story about me, this would be the one.Editing
With all night images there is a great deal of post-work to be done. High ISO means noise and noise reduction along with adjustments to contrast, clarity and exposure are necessary to really make the stars and Milky Way pop. I recently began truly honing and refining my skills by following some great tutorials online and learned more about the process of using layer masks and Actions in Photoshop which has made a huge difference in my approach and results.In my camera bag
Being a Canon shooter, my bag is mostly full of Canon Gear. I currently have the following: Canon 5D3 Canon 60D Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II Canon EF 24-105mm F/4L Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-5.6 Canon Intervalometer Lee Filter System Really Right Stuff 24L Tripod Really Right Stuff BH-40 ballheadFeedback
Research and planning are paramount to astro shots. Find the darkest skies, learn how to process your images, maybe most important, learn how to set your images up in camera to limit the amount and type of post work you'll need to do! Learn how to focus your camera and lens at night. There are many techniques so you'll have to experiment with them and find what works best for you. For me it's a combination of techniques that have become second nature and act as checks and balances to ensure I'm getting things as sharp as possible. Foreground elements are important but not critical to astro but it does seem that the most captivating images contain foreground. Sometimes this means image blending in post.
