Skyline Drive Milky Way
Taken from Shenandoah National Park.
Taken from Shenandoah National Park.
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Jul, 2016Views
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Awards
People's Choice in spectacular stars Photo Challenge
Peer Award
Top Choice
Superior Skill
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken along Skyline Drive, in the Shendandoah National Park, VA.Time
The photo was taken at around midnight. Minutes after I took the shot, the moon rose over the horizon and ruined any chance at getting any other photos. But I was glad that I got one good one.Lighting
For this picture, I wanted a silhouette in the foreground. I think the trees accomplish this quite nicely. The trees also function as a way to block some of the light on the horizon from the nearby cities, but some of that light pollution does still get through and adds a bit more contrast to the silhouette.Equipment
Nikon D810 Nikkor 14-24 f/2.8 Lens The tripod I used was a cheap one I found at a thrift store for a couple dollars.Inspiration
I've been wanting to shoot the Milky Way for a couple years, but all the light pollution in DC can make it quite difficult. SoI studied a light pollution map, and found a nice spot to give it a try.Editing
Post-processing is a huge part of what I do for my pictures. This photo is actually a series of about 12 shots, merged in photoshop. I usually start in Lightroom, and then move over to Photoshop to finish.In my camera bag
I carry the same equipment pretty much everywhere I go: Nikon D810 Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 Nikkor 85mm f/1.8 Filters: Lee big stopper, Tiffen 1.2 ND filter Nikon SB-400 flash Occasionally I'll bring my Nikkor 300mm F/4.Feedback
For me, it's a two and a half hour drive to get to an area without light pollution. If you're planning to shoot the milky way, make sure you do your research first... Make sure the weather is good and cloudless, and the moon is down, and what time of night will the core of the milky way be above the horizon. Also, if you're in the northern hemisphere, it is best to shoot the milky way in the summer. I've made the drive before, only to run into a rainstorm, ruining my chances of shooting the milky way, so my advice is: make sure you do your research first.
