Mojave Milky Way
Milky Way over trail car in Mojave National Preserve
Milky Way over trail car in Mojave National Preserve
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Jun, 2017Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken Cima California in the Mojave National Preserve.Time
When planing for night photography I try to determine the subject and composition first. Time of day depends on many factors such as Moon rise or setting and phase to achieve the darkest sky possible. Other considerations are the season to know the orientation. In the Northern Hemisphere during Spring the Milky Way will be more horizontal and lower in the sky making for the entire arc possible to captured. In Summer and early Fall the core will rise more in a vertical position. This image was taken around the end of May and early June around Midnight.Lighting
For lighting a small maglite with a warmer colored bulb was used to light paint the train car. Light painting is not an exact science.It can take a lot of trial and error. I avoid straight on lighting because it creates a flat look with little or no contrast on the subject. I typically use 180 to 45 degree angle lighting and feather it so there are not any hard edges.Equipment
This was taken with a Sony a77ii, Sigma 18-35 f1.8 art lens, tripod and wireless shutter remoteInspiration
I had driven by this train car several times and thought it had some good composition potential for photos. I starting scouting the location during the day in early spring to plan for a night shot during Milky Way season.Editing
Very minimal post processing was done. White balance, color correction and contrast was usedIn my camera bag
Weight has become a priority in my recent equipment choice. Currently my main back pack contains an a7riii camera body, Tamron 17-28 f2.8 for all my wide angle shooting, Tamron 28-75 f2.8 for general purpose shooting and Tamron 70-180 f2.8 for longer reach shooting. I also carry a Flashpoint V1 on camera flash and a Flashpoint R2 pro trigger for off camera shooting . This equipment keeps my back pack around 10 pounds for more comfortable hike and less fatigue.Feedback
Using manual mode setting and focus with a tripod are essential. Having wide aperture lens of f1.4 to f2.8 will collect more light to reduce your shutter speed and ISO. It is still possible to use and f3.5 or f4 lens. You will have to except more noise grain from higher Iso and star trailing because of longer shutter. If you are fortunate to live some place that offers dark night skies I recommend scouting during the day light hours of anything you find interesting. The best part of night photography is you have control over all the lighting. You can do anything from a simple silhouette with stars and or Milky Way to complex foreground and subject lighting with the night sky. The most part of any photo is to capture a moment that tells a story or experience.
