Desert Stream in Moon Light
I photographed this scene during a recent waxing gibbous moon to show the serenity of desert solitude at night.
I photographed this scene during a recent waxing gibbous moon to show the serenity of desert solitude at night.
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Apr, 2018Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in the San Rafael Swell, Utah. The tiny river is the San Rafael which is a tributary to the much larger Green River.Time
I greatly enjoy shooting night scenes; especially, during a waxing moon anytime between new moon and first quarter. This particular shot was taken about 9:30PM prior to Venus, the bright planet left of the butte, setting in the west.Lighting
When shooting these type of scenes, moonlight, often combined with light from a campfire, provide the light necessary to render detail throughout the scene; however, I employ different time exposures and f-stops and constantly change compositions to be certain of obtaining an adequate rendition of the landscape and always hope for a little luck.Equipment
I used a Nikon 7200 with a 10mm Rokinon lens and a shutter speed of 30 seconds, f-stop 6.3, to shoot the photo.Inspiration
Photos on Viewbug and various photography magazines have aided me in honing my craft, and this area, a small part of the vast Colorado Plateau, has dark skies and splendid scenery night or day.Editing
I used the "curves" slider in adobe photoshop to slightly lighten the scene because night scenes on the camera's monitor always appear brighter than when viewed on my PC's monitor, and in addition, I employed the noise filter to reduce visible color noise from high ISO's while still keeping the photo reasonably sharp.In my camera bag
I use both Nikon and Canon cameras and a variety of lenses for each. A tripod is a necessary tool when shooting long exposures and for obtaining the sharpest photos under most any condition. My favorite lenses are the Sigma 150-600mm telephoto, 18-300mm sigma macro, 150mm sigma macro, 100mm Micro Nikor macro, and my fixed and extreme wide angle lenses.Feedback
When shooting night time reflections and stars, one must remove themselves as far away from light pollution as possible,or the stars will be barely visible. In Utah, Venus is gone in the evening by early May and it creates a dramatic sky when lying low on the western horizon. Dark places with rivers, ponds, lakes, etc. all serve well for this type of photography. Strong breezes can cause blurred images and if choosing to photograph in these conditions, use weight to support the tripod and camera. In addition, familiarize yourself with the camera's controls so they can be easily manipulated in the dark, and shoot a variety of different exposures and compositions to capture a "winner". No two photos will be exactly the same.
