Clarkyonline

durdle door milky way

This is one of the most awesome coast lines in the UK down on the South Coast in Dorset. Its a popular place for visitors due to the incredible stone archway an...
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This is one of the most awesome coast lines in the UK down on the South Coast in Dorset. Its a popular place for visitors due to the incredible stone archway and it really is a beautiful place to be any time of day. A must visit place if you're ever in the area. www.paulclark.photography
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Canon EOS-1D X

settings

Aperture f/22 ISO 50 Shutter 120/1 Focal Length 17/1

upload_date

Aug, 2015

Views

2762

Likes

+555

Awards

Contest Finalist in The Night Photo Contest

Featured

Editor's Choice

Peer Award

+163

Superb Composition

+72

Top Choice

+34

Absolute Masterpiece

+33

Outstanding Creativity

+17

Magnificent Capture

Superior Skill

All Star

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Behind The Lens

Location

This was taken on the Jurassic Coast of the Uk in Dorset. A place called Durdle Door.

Time

The shot was taken in the early hours of the morning, around 2am, the moon wasn't around much as it was pretty close to a new moon and the milky way was nice and visible to the naked eye.

Lighting

The shot was taken in 2 stages. i shot the rock formation at sunset, which gave a lovely warn glow to the rocks and the beach. I then basically sat around for another few hours waiting for darkness trying not to move the camera. It was a new moon so i knew i wouldn't have any unwanted light around and it didnt actually take that long for the night sky to appear in all it's glory.

Equipment

This was shot on a Canon 1Dx and a Canon 17-40mm f/4. Both sat on an old un-named half broken tripod (which has now been replaced)

Inspiration

Ive had this shot in mind for quite sometime ever since i visited Durdle Door for the first time. I knew it would make a killer shot so i planned the trip with the weather and it all just seemed to come together better than i could have hoped. I love astro photos and the Jurassic coast is one of my favourite places to shoot so it was a no brainer.

Editing

The post wasn't too complicated with this shot. It was simply a case of blending the sky into the foreground using luminosty masks. As the camera hadn't moved (much) then it was relatively straight forward. A little contrast and highlight adjustment and it was pretty much ready to go. i did play around with a few levels adjustments on the sky to bring out the milky way but as i wasn;t using he best lens for this i didnt want to push it too far as it wasn't as clean as i would have liked.

In my camera bag

I have a set list of kit i take everywhere with me as standard. That list comprises of the Canon 1Dx as it just seems to cope with everything i throw at it. It has never once let me down in terms of it's ability to shoot whatever of genre of photography i give it, although it is a little heavy to lug around on long hikes. The canon L 16-35mm f/2.8 mkii replaced my 17-40mm and is now my work horse landscape lens and i just love the quality of the images that come out of it. I also pack my canon L 70-200mm f/4 is. A truly superb and stunningly sharp telephoto and light enough that it's not a problem when carrying everything around. I love this lens and ive had it for several years. I have 3 batteries with me at all times, a set of Yongnuo flash triggers which double up as wireless remote triggers. I alway knock the cable on a cable remote which infuriates me and this cheap triggers have been a wonderful addition to the equipment. Small, light and if you drop one in the water, then it's not expensive to replace. The range on these things too is crazy. I aslo pack a set of filters, I use B+W screw in filters as they lighten the load. I always have a Polariser, a 6 stop ND and a 10 stop ND. I never go anywhere without my head torch either. even just shooting landscapes, it amazes me how quick it gets dark and more often than not, im never close to my car so this has helped me out on many occassions, plus it has a red light for astro too. I also have anew carbon manfrotto tripod with a geared head which is a huge stepup from the battered peice of junk i took this phoo with but it just goes to show you dont need to buy expensive gear to get a decent shot, but it does help lighten the load overall. Thats about it really. Oh and a lens wipe! Always have a lens wipe.

Feedback

Patience is key when shooting the milky way. It get's cold, dark and lonely. Wrap up warm and be prepared for a long night. You'll no doubt be buzzing that you can see the stars but keep warm. there's nothing worse than being in the middle of nowhere and you can't feel your hands and just want to go home. It's relatively easy to get a shot of the milkyway by pointing your camera directly up so it definitely pays to arrive at your location early so you can hunt around for a nice foreground. Milky way shots always work better with a foreground subject complimenting it. Shoot with a nice wide, fast lens to enable you to shoot for longer without getting star trails and keep an eye on your ISO. I usually shoot around 3200 for about 25 seconds so start at this and adjust accordingly throughout the night. One of the biggest tips i can give on shooting at night is to keep an eye on your lens. There have been many occasions where i get home to check the shots and find my lens had fogged up as the temperature dropped. It's not a mistake i make anymore so take a couple of lens wipes with you and keep checking.

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Clarkyonline

Clarkyonline

durdle door milky way

This is one of the most awesome coast lines in the UK down on the South Coast in Dorset. Its a popular place for visitors due to the incredible stone archway an... Read more

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow Clarkyonline

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This is one of the most awesome coast lines in the UK down on the South Coast in Dorset. Its a popular place for visitors due to the incredible stone archway an...
Read more

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes.
Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.