This picture was taken at the first signs of dawn. The twilight filled the sky with a dark blue color as I let the shutter open for 20 seconds. I was able to keep ISO fairly low at around 640.
You can still see some stars about to get washed out. I hope you like it. - Fred
This is great Fred. I like the emphasis on the landscape with the stars being incidental. The blue sky fits better with this pre dawn light. How did you light the Josua tree? It is well done.
I attempted some moonlit shots last night but got uneven sky illumination. I think I need less moonlight. I used your suggestion of ISO640 but still had lots of noise to deal with. I look forward to your workflow on night shots that you hinted at recently.
I used my 16-35 and should have used the 17TSE and accepted the slower lens for the better optics.
Just the right amount of light on that tree to give it the right balance. It also looks as though you probably gelled your light source; the warm color temperature blends in nicely. Charming photo.
This is such a lovely shot, Fred! I am immensely drawn to the light painted tree shape which is in good harmony with the rest of the scene, dancing clouds, dancing Joshua trees, and dancing horizontal lines.. perfect!!!
gorgeous shot. Really lovely composition, and the lighting is beautiful. As others have noted, the Joshua tree has just the right amount of light to capture your initial attention. Then you notice the silhouettes of the other background trees, the low-hanging clouds, the faint glimmer of the stars...
What a really cool shot. You picked the perfect time to shoot this, I like the blend of light in it. The foreground is lit up perfectly too, just enough detail to give interest.
ben egbert wrote:
This is great Fred. I like the emphasis on the landscape with the stars being incidental. The blue sky fits better with this pre dawn light. How did you light the Josua tree? It is well done.
I attempted some moonlit shots last night but got uneven sky illumination. I think I need less moonlight. I used your suggestion of ISO640 but still had lots of noise to deal with. I look forward to your workflow on night shots that you hinted at recently.
I used my 16-35 and should have used the 17TSE and accepted the slower lens for the better optics....Show more →
Hi Ben,
Without using a tracking device, I usually start 15-20s exposures at ISO 640 because it is still pretty clean with the Canon 5D III. Whenever needed, I push it to ISO 1250 knowing that some noise reduction would be required in post. I usually illuminate the foreground at the end of the exposure. Say, last 4 or 5 seconds in this case. I also try to lit it from the sides instead of straight on. Take care, Fred
Fred Miranda wrote:
Hi Ben,
Without using a tracking device, I usually start 15-20s exposures at ISO 640 because it is still pretty clean with the Canon 5D III. Whenever needed, I push it to ISO 1250 knowing that some noise reduction would be required in post. I usually illuminate the foreground at the end of the exposure. Say, last 4 or 5 seconds in this case. I also try to lit it from the sides instead of straight on. Take care, Fred
Thanks Fred. I have been staying under 15 seconds even wide. But I think some of the smearing I see with the 16-35 is optics rather than motion. I don't see it with the 17TSE at similar times.
Phrasikleia wrote:
Just the right amount of light on that tree to give it the right balance. It also looks as though you probably gelled your light source; the warm color temperature blends in nicely. Charming photo.
Yes, I used a red gel on my flashlight and had it set to a dimmer mode. Thanks for your comment.
