Reach For The Stars
May, 2015Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo during a summer I spent living on the Big Island of Hawaii. There was a golf course behind the apartment where I was living, so whenever the stars were out I would just go lay on this golf course and stare at them for hours. This night, the Milky Way was especially visible, so I took my camera and tripod out with me and looked for just the right place to match the vision I had in my mind. Once I found it, I set the timer and ran out to place myself in the foreground. I was so happy with the results that I stayed up until the sunrise editing this picture.Time
This image was captured long after the sun had gone down, sometime in the A.M.Lighting
Anyone who has tried their hand at astrophotography knows that the key is in your shutter speed. Expose your image for too short of a time, and you don't capture the stars properly. But expose your image for too long, and your stars will start to trail. Also, since I prefer to have an actual foreground than to take a picture of the stars and create a composite image, I had to hold my pose completely still the whole time the shutter was open.Equipment
For this shot, I used my Canon Rebel t2i with the kit 18-55 mm lens. Since this is my favorite picture I've ever taken to this day, it just goes to show that the equipment doesn't matter nearly as much as how you use it!Inspiration
Stargazing has always been and probably will always be my absolute favorite activity. The sense of pure awe that I feel in the presence of such a view is something that I wanted to convey to others with my photography, and this image was the result. Einstein sums up my thoughts well when he says, "Enough for me the mystery of the eternity of life, and the inkling of the marvellous structure of reality, together with the single-hearted endeavour to comprehend a portion, be it never so tiny, of the reason that manifests itself in nature."Editing
For this image, I did not have a wide enough angle lens to capture as much of the Milky Way as I desired. So after the initial shot, I angled my camera up and captured another image which I later combined into one small panoramic image. Besides that, I played with the light and saturation until I felt that the photo properly represented what I had seen in person.In my camera bag
Although I'm still a poor college-aged photographer, I've had a chance to expand my equipment to include a wide angle lens, a telescopic 55-250mm lens, a prime 50mm f/1.8, and my old 18-55mm kit lens. I also carry macro-extenders, filters, and a remote shutter with me at all times.Feedback
I truly believe that the photos you capture as a photographer are a reflection of yourself. What inspires you, what makes you stop and think, what takes your breath away; these are the photos that you seek to capture, and the ones that will have the most impact on other people as well. As far as specifically trying to emulate this picture, it's very important to time your picture correctly when capturing the Milky Way. It will move across the sky as the night continues. So chose your foreground wisely, and when the stars are where you want them, capture the shot!
