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Archive 2013 · Joshua Tree NP at night

  
 
Steve Perry
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p.2 #1 · p.2 #1 · Joshua Tree NP at night


Sweet shots - Like 'em both, but really like #1 the best.


Feb 21, 2013 at 11:11 PM
Derek Weston
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p.2 #2 · p.2 #2 · Joshua Tree NP at night


Quite nice. I'm actually gravitating back towards wanting to shoot under more partially moonlit night skies. Nothing beats moonlight for long exposure illumination. Some of the best night sky shots you'll see feature a quarter moon or so. Sufficient to illuminate objects on long exposure while not washing out the sky. The summer milky way in particular is great this way. (sitting opposite a bit of moonlight)


Feb 21, 2013 at 11:41 PM
Tuan Le
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p.2 #3 · p.2 #3 · Joshua Tree NP at night


Both wonderful images Fred. I really like the natural lighting on the rocks from the moonlight and all the stars you managed to go with it.


Feb 22, 2013 at 01:50 AM
Fred Miranda
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p.2 #4 · p.2 #4 · Joshua Tree NP at night


onesickpuppy wrote:
I agree with wbrad....Fred...could you help explain why such little star trails?


I am working on a technique for making big prints from landscape night shots. When going 20x30in, I quickly realized that noise must be kept at a minimum and I'm getting good results with ISO 640 and about 3-4 minute exposures at 17mm. I first take a 3-4min exposure for the foreground and stars will be trailing like crazy. Without moving the tripod, I take another picture with identical exposure focusing to infinity using a tracking mount. In Photoshop, I blend the two together. - Fred



Feb 22, 2013 at 10:29 AM
David Leask
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p.2 #5 · p.2 #5 · Joshua Tree NP at night


Very cool Fred. The exposures are perfect, congratulations
David



Feb 22, 2013 at 01:36 PM
Charlie Shugart
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p.2 #6 · p.2 #6 · Joshua Tree NP at night


Except for rock climbers and SoCal photographers, Joshua Tree remains little-known by most of the rest of the world. And it's a spectacular place, which you've discovered.
I love both of these images, Fred.
And the "nighttime" aspects make these shots even better.
Very nice thinking, planning and shooting.
Charlie



Feb 22, 2013 at 02:31 PM
neil_johnson
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p.2 #7 · p.2 #7 · Joshua Tree NP at night


Is anyone else seeing that the first photo looking like an elephant with the eye in the left corner and the trunk with its mouth in the hole in the middle? Or perhaps I am just insane?

Great photos.



Feb 22, 2013 at 02:41 PM
Sneakyracer
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p.2 #8 · p.2 #8 · Joshua Tree NP at night


Awesome images.

For those who do not know you need to take the long exposures for the stars and galaxies using something like this: http://www.vixenoptics.com/mounts/polarie.html

Then or before take the foreground exposure.

Then when you get home you combine the images.

As far as I know its impossible to get those resulting images using single image capture. You can get close using very high iso's and wide apertures.

Edited on Feb 22, 2013 at 05:39 PM · View previous versions



Feb 22, 2013 at 03:12 PM
EL_PIC
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p.2 #9 · p.2 #9 · Joshua Tree NP at night


Fred Miranda wrote:
I am working on a technique for making big prints from landscape night shots. When going 20x30in, I quickly realized that noise must be kept at a minimum and I'm getting good results with ISO 640 and about 3-4 minute exposures at 17mm. I first take a 3-4min exposure for the foreground and stars will be trailing like crazy. Without moving the tripod, I take another picture with identical exposure focusing to infinity using a tracking mount. In Photoshop, I blend the two together. - Fred


Fred - I hope you will share your techniques for tracking and chasing stars ...
It was obvious to me this was a 2 picture blend mask.
Have you tried using a telescope x y z motor mount
My attempt at using such resulted in too much frustration and hardware.
Even thought of merging foreground with a pinhole made background.

Nice pic.



Feb 22, 2013 at 04:09 PM
EL_PIC
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p.2 #10 · p.2 #10 · Joshua Tree NP at night


Sneakyracer wrote:
Awesome images.

For those who do not know you need to take the long expures for the stars and galaxies using something like this: http://www.vixenoptics.com/mounts/polarie.html

Then or before take the foreground exposure.

Then when you get home you combine the images.

As far as I know its impossible to get those resulting images using single image capture. You can get close using very high iso's and wide apertures.


We used to do this with in-camera masking techniques using Large Format film.
I now can think of a reason for LF film.



Feb 22, 2013 at 04:14 PM
Fred Miranda
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p.2 #11 · p.2 #11 · Joshua Tree NP at night


JimFox wrote:
Hey Fred,

You got two really cool star shots here. I like the detail in the stars, but also like how the arch and the Skull are lit up, it looks like you took advantage of the moon to light them up? I think the arch is my favorite.

Jim


Thanks Jim,
The Arch shot was lit mostly by moon light. I did have a red-filter on my flashlight to paint it for a very short time though. From my limited experience, shooting very long exposures, even crescent moon lit, is enough to fill the foreground . The Skull Rock was lit by the moon and also my flashlight coming from the right side.
Fred



Feb 22, 2013 at 05:15 PM
CW100
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p.2 #12 · p.2 #12 · Joshua Tree NP at night


beautiful images !


Feb 23, 2013 at 08:06 AM
Danpbphoto
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p.2 #13 · p.2 #13 · Joshua Tree NP at night


Fantastic captures Fred!! In #2 you can see a globular cluster with a nice tight formation of billions of stars.
Exposures are excellant.
Nice work...as always!
Dan



Feb 23, 2013 at 09:50 AM
Fred Miranda
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p.2 #14 · p.2 #14 · Joshua Tree NP at night


DSC01 wrote:
Fred, these are really nice , the focus is fantastic were you able to achieve that with the moon light or were these done on separate nights and focused before dark and then you waited for the stars? Regards, Dean


Dean,
Both images were shot at night at around 7:30 - 9:00pm. There was no twilight but since the moon was fairly bright, the long exposures were enough to lit the foreground on the frame. - Fred



Feb 23, 2013 at 12:24 PM
Jim Bau
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p.2 #15 · p.2 #15 · Joshua Tree NP at night


Very nice shots Fred. I went to JT for the first time myself a few weeks back, hoping to do nighttime shots at these two locations. As my luck would have it, both nights I was there it was completely overcast! ARGH!!! Can't wait to go back for a second round since it is so close to home.


Feb 24, 2013 at 03:24 AM
Brad Williams
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p.2 #16 · p.2 #16 · Joshua Tree NP at night


Two outstanding shots Fred! I really like the lighting and exposure in them!


Feb 25, 2013 at 12:54 PM
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