Joshua Tree CA, astrophotography of the milky way core
Joshua Tree CA, astrophotography of the milky way core
Joshua Tree CA, astrophotography of the milky way core
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NIKON D750
Aperture f/1.4 ISO 12800 Shutter 20/1 Focal Length 200/10 
Joshua Tree, California, US
Jul, 2019Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo June 2019 in Joshua Tree National Park in CA. It was very close to the boyscout trail and campground.Time
This photo was taken around 12:30 AM.Lighting
This was a new moon, meaning no moon, very dark, no light. I used a f/1.4 aperture wide open and ISO 12800 to get the look.Equipment
I used a Slik 700 DX pro tripod, Nikon D750 DSLR, Sigma 20 mm f/1.4 art lens. No flash.Inspiration
I took an astrophotography class and this was the 2nd part of the class, we actually met at Joshua Tree National Park. There were about 16 students and 8 instructors/helpers. This was my first real attempt at Astrophotography after really learning how to take the photos. I was trying to get a nice capture for a good memory.Editing
I used a simple program to adjust saturation, white balance, contrast, highlights, shadows, and dehaze.In my camera bag
I take my D750 and if I am going to do star trails I also take my D5000, and if doing time lapse my Go Pro Hero 5. My lenses are Nikon 14-24 f/2.8, Nikon 70-200 F/2.8, Nikon 50 mm f/1.4, Tamron 28-300, Sigma 150-500 mm, and my Sigma 20 mm art f/1.4. I also bring my lensball crystal ball, my Slik 700DX tripod and a few other tripods. I have several filters of all different sizes and types. If I am shooting an eclipse I have some welders glass as well.Feedback
Shoot on a new moon night, best months are May-July but you can get astro shots in CA area from April-October. Shoot wide open at f/1.4 - f/2.8. Iso 800-12800, just try a few different settings, and use your live view to focus on the brightest star. Use the rule of 500 to avoid star smearing, so if using 20 mm lens, divide that into 500, max long exposure time = 25 seconds.
