windmill
Aug, 2016Views
182
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Awards
Fall Award 2020
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Superior Skill
All Star
Magnificent Capture
Genius
Jaw Dropping
Exceptional Contrast
Outstanding Creativity
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in the countryside west of Yankton, South Dakota. The light pollution from the city is visible in the lower part of the sky--even in South Dakota it is hard to find places that are completely dark!Time
This was shot in the evening, probably around 10-11 pm, if I remember correctly. We needed it to be completely dark so that the Milky Way would be visible. Milky Way photos are most effective if there is no moon, so that the stars and lights are not obscured. There was a bit of moonlight that night, but it actually worked in my favor! See the next question about lighting.Lighting
No lighting used except natural lighting! I left my shutter open for 15 seconds. The light from the partial moon illuminated the blades and tail of the windmill. I was able to enhance that in Lightroom.Equipment
Canon 7D Mark ii, Sigma 11-17 wide angle lens, Manfrotto tripod.Inspiration
I was experimenting with Milky Way shots, and realized it is always best to have some foreground interest. A friend knew of this old windmill in a farm field west of Yankton, so we hauled our equipment out there in the dark. I do not recommend doing this--go earlier and set up before it gets totally dark! We had flashlights, but the ground was very uneven and it was difficult stumbling along with heavy photo equipment in the dark.Editing
Yes, I processed this in Lightroom. I had to reduce the noise quite a bit and also brought down the temperature and exposure. Lowered the black clipping all the way and brought up the whites so that the stars would be more visible. I also added a graduated filter to the lower half to darken it more, and did some brushwork to bring out the lighter parts of the photo.In my camera bag
I always have my Canon R6--love the new mirrorless cameras! But the trusty D7 is still part of my kit as well. Since I do a lot of wildlife photography, I always have my Canon 100-400mm lens, most often with a 1.4 extender.Feedback
Milky Way photos take some planning. It is helpful to scout out a site during the day. You can then lock in focus settings so that the object in the foreground is in focus if it is near your camera. It's almost impossible to do this in the dark! Use the widest angle lens that you have to take in the whole sky. And post processing is almost always required to bring out the light in the sky and darken the other areas.
