Spending a night at Joshua Tree NP has always been my dream. I finally could do it with a couple of friends at last new moon. Here is a series of Milk Way images that I took during that night. Thanks for viewing.
#1: The Arch Rock is a famous place to shoot MW. There were so many photogs there at night. I was lucky enough to secure a good spot to shoot this image. The entire rock formation looks like a rattle snake with its tail. I wanted to position its tail pointing straight at the galactic center of the Milky Way.
#2: We carried a tent to camp there at night, but we ended up using it to set up this shot. We also did some light painting on the nearby rocks which look like the Musketeers. I captured this image with an intention to show "Sleeping Beauty and the Musketeers"
#3: It was me shining the light toward the Milky Way. I changed the light color for the creative expression.
#4: This last shot is to remind me of my initial dream of spending a night at the Joshua Tree NP. It is even better to be able to spend the night under the beautiful Milky Way and million stars.
Overall, it was a great night with lots of wonderful memories.
Henry
Updates: I revised #2, #3, and #4 based from the feedbacks. Note that I ran out of space to add #4 in the original post, so I added #4 and its revision to the last message.
#1 is my favorite. It's a nice comp and the sky is nice despite the air glow and city glow. Maybe reduce the saturation of the rock a little?
The black point in #2 and #3 needs to be reduced. You are nearly black clipping the deep sky.
#4 is a close favorite. The light pollution and air glow makes it tough. I'd try to bring down the highlights in the core some.
Great job. Wish I was there again.
Very nice series Henry. My favorite is the first. I really like that you kept it dark and the arch is just subtly lit. 2 and 4 are nicely done as well, but be careful as I don't think you're allowed to camp in that area, assuming you're near the arch. I kind of like 3 with the silhouette but I don't understand why so many people would want to shine a light at the Milky Way.
#1 and 4 are the best because the Milky Way looks the best.
#2 and 3 the contrast was turned up so much that you lost half of the Milky Way in both shots. That really hurts these. Compare how much of the Milky Way is seen in #1 and 4. Almost all that is left of the MW in #2 and 3 is the meaty part.
In #3 the person holding the light ruins the shot. You would have been better just having him stand there silhouetted without the light as the light is aiming the wrong way and causing the shot to be unbalanced. Plus, a shot like this has become so overdone it's lost it's special feel. Everyone is doing it and there is just no longer any special feel to it.
I agree with Tuan, that where you set up camp here is illegal, so it's a good thing you weren't caught and given a citation. You have to be a mile from any road in order to backcountry camp.
Thanks Jim for your feedback. I will tone down some contrast in #2 and #3 at next edit.
I believe that I might have had a shot of me in silhouette and without shining the light at the MW.
So you don't have to camp only in designated campsites in the NP? I thought backcountry camping was only in BLM land but of course I am probably mistaken.
Scrumhalf wrote:
So you don't have to camp only in designated campsites in the NP? I thought backcountry camping was only in BLM land but of course I am probably mistaken.
All National Parks have different rules. Some of them are as you stated. Others have designated backcountry wilderness camps you have to stay in (like Glacier) others like Yosemite have designated back country camps you can stay in, but also have zones laid out were you get a back country permit for and then you can camp pretty much where you want as long as it's a mile from any roads. And then places like Joshua Tree have pretty loose rules, but being a mile from the road is again a common denominator. Here is the link to the Wilderness camping rules in JT. https://www.nps.gov/jotr/planyourvisit/backpacking.htm
JimFox wrote:
All National Parks have different rules. Some of them are as you stated. Others have designated backcountry wilderness camps you have to stay in (like Glacier) others like Yosemite have designated back country camps you can stay in, but also have zones laid out were you get a back country permit for and then you can camp pretty much where you want as long as it's a mile from any roads. And then places like Joshua Tree have pretty loose rules, but being a mile from the road is again a common denominator. Here is the link to the Wilderness camping rules in JT. https://www.nps.gov/jotr/planyourvisit/backpacking.htm
Thanks for the info, Jim!
FYI, we did not camp at that "illegal" spot. We brought the tent to camp at a nearby campground that we got a permit, so the tent was only for setting up the shot and was packed up right after we finished shooting the MW.
I do not do lots of back country camps, but just to better understand the rules, when you said "one mile from any roads." My understanding is that one mile or less from any road, right? Sorry if it sounds like a "stupid" question! hehe
^^ Not Jim, obviously, but the rule is at least one mile from the road, not "one mile or less from any road". Perhaps you meant to say one mile or more - if so, that is correct.
