p.3 #1 · Colorado Aspens and Milky Way + new Milky Way
Klaus,
Awesome pics and while #1 and #4 may be a little much for the brain to digest I'm guessing crunching down a 36mp star field into a tiny iPad size print does not do this justice at all. (Since the alt forum does not have this restriction maybe you could post some larger size pics - please?)
I prefer #4 to #1 but am still wondering if the foreground still needs a tad more darkening to give it that night time feel to it. Also love the comp on #3.
In any case I hope to see more night sky landscapes from you as I expect we are just scratching the surface on photo ops using star trackers.
I plan to purchase a star tracker and am just starting the research. At the moment the iOptron SkyTracker has caught my attention (as I already have a rock-steady old metal Gitzo tripod sitting in the closet). Have you heard anything good or bad on this? Just wondering how it stacks up agains the Astrotrac?
p.3 #2 · Colorado Aspens and Milky Way + new Milky Way
The Milky way shot looks really good. Wish the foreground or land elements were a bit better lit since it's a comp anyway but it is good as is. I know that meadow well and it is a great spot during the fall in the maroon creek area. There is a little pond down there which is awesome for shots.
The one of Sneffles is good also, could have been made better by using a heavy ND filter and getting some movement in the clouds.
The Autumn Meadow shot is in another spot that I also know very well and it has been shot to death but it is worth it. Been shot a lot for a reason and its great to see a shot from there since conditions are always different. This year it seems the grass is taller and greener (maybe due to it being a wet year) which makes helps create a beautiful contrast with the fence and fall colors.
p.3 #3 · Colorado Aspens and Milky Way + new Milky Way
dbehrens wrote:
Klaus,
Awesome pics and while #1 and #4 may be a little much for the brain to digest I'm guessing crunching down a 36mp star field into a tiny iPad size print does not do this justice at all. (Since the alt forum does not have this restriction maybe you could post some larger size pics - please?)
I prefer #4 to #1 but am still wondering if the foreground still needs a tad more darkening to give it that night time feel to it. Also love the comp on #3.
In any case I hope to see more night sky landscapes from you as I expect we are just scratching the surface on photo ops using star trackers.
I plan to purchase a star tracker and am just starting the research. At the moment the iOptron SkyTracker has caught my attention (as I already have a rock-steady old metal Gitzo tripod sitting in the closet). Have you heard anything good or bad on this? Just wondering how it stacks up agains the Astrotrac?
Dave,
Thanks and I think you hit it right on the head. All these stars on such a little Inet picture is a bit overwhelming. When you view it at 20x30, 30x40 and larger its pretty amazing.
For print I did fine tune the foreground and mountains to make it match the sky better.
My opinion on mounts is that the Astrotrac is the way to go for a nice portable setup. It uses a 12" diameter tracking drive that is hard to beat and the accuracy is pretty amazing. If you are only going to do very wide field work then the iOptron might be OK but the Astrotrac will let you shoot up to 200 and even 300mm lenses with very long exposures. IMHO its worth it to get the Astrotrac for ease of use and accurate tracking. I have my setup in a small aluminum case and I take it with me just about everywhere.
Thanks again and hope this helps.
p.3 #4 · Colorado Aspens and Milky Way + new Milky Way
Sneakyracer wrote:
The Milky way shot looks really good. Wish the foreground or land elements were a bit better lit since it's a comp anyway but it is good as is. I know that meadow well and it is a great spot during the fall in the maroon creek area. There is a little pond down there which is awesome for shots.
The one of Sneffles is good also, could have been made better by using a heavy ND filter and getting some movement in the clouds.
The Autumn Meadow shot is in another spot that I also know very well and it has been shot to death but it is worth it. Been shot a lot for a reason and its great to see a shot from there since conditions are always different. This year it seems the grass is taller and greener (maybe due to it being a wet year) which makes helps create a beautiful contrast with the fence and fall colors. ...Show more →
Thanks for your thoughts. If I lighten up the FG too much it looks out of place. It took a little bit to fine tune the image for print to make everything work together. I will have to post the final image.
Its funny you mentioned the use of the filter on the Sneffels shot. I shot about a dozen shots with the 10 stop ND filter but the movement of the clouds from west to east just didn't look that good. I did get a nice comp of the clouds moving right toward me the next day that worked out nicely. I didn't post that image yet though.
Yep, the meadow is a great place to hang out. We camped there for two nights and it was wonderful. I have several more comps from the meadow which all seem to work OK that I will have to post. Thanks again!
p.3 #6 · Colorado Aspens and Milky Way + new Milky Way
Klaus Priebe wrote:
Dave,
Thanks and I think you hit it right on the head. All these stars on such a little Inet picture is a bit overwhelming. When you view it at 20x30, 30x40 and larger its pretty amazing.
For print I did fine tune the foreground and mountains to make it match the sky better.
My opinion on mounts is that the Astrotrac is the way to go for a nice portable setup. It uses a 12" diameter tracking drive that is hard to beat and the accuracy is pretty amazing. If you are only going to do very wide field work then the iOptron might be OK but the Astrotrac will let you shoot up to 200 and even 300mm lenses with very long exposures. IMHO its worth it to get the Astrotrac for ease of use and accurate tracking. I have my setup in a small aluminum case and I take it with me just about everywhere.
Thanks again and hope this helps. ...Show more →
Yes it does - I see the Astrotrac can handle 15kg - good advice! Thanks again! Dave
p.3 #12 · Colorado Aspens and Milky Way + new Milky Way
Panther wrote:
Howdy Klaus,
Great Series of Images,
The Stunning Skies just seem
to make time stand still, had to have
been a surreal feeling just standing there
seeing that.
Your images never disappoint, Once again,
Masterfully Done !!!
Kindest Regards,
Craig
Craig,
Thanks and how have you been. I haven't talked to you in quite a while. Been so very busy as of late. Hope you are doing well and talk to you later.
