There's something really unique about the results of diffused light in front of starry skies - in this case, the Milky Way. I really like the color variation the stars show anyway, but the diffusion I saw coming from a thin layer of clouds seemed to exaggerate the glow from the brighter stars even more.
So I thought I'd give a look at this vertical comp from my last trip down to La Veta and the Spanish Peaks. This composite image was taken in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains west of Walsenburg, Colorado. For most of the night, the clouds were too thick to get much detail in the Milky Way. But just before twilight made the details disappear, the clouds thinned out, revealing the glowing beauty of the Milky Way's center core over West Spanish Peak.
On the technical side, I took two exposures (under moonless skies) using a Nikon 50mm f/1.2 lens. The first was a 4 minute long-exposure at ISO 800, f/2 (I think). Then for the sky, I shot at ISO 3200 for 15 seconds (also at f/2, I think). I say I think on the aperture because the 50mm 1.2 manual focus lens doesn't capture this in the meta-data. I then blended the two exposures in photoshop.
Thad Roan - Bridgepix, TylerPPorter, Joel.Sjaarda, Rod B. Photos, and 44 other people added this photo to their favorites.
View 20 more comments
icecubephoto - trying to catch up 13 months ago | reply
The Nikkor 50mm 1.2 is a wonderful thing indeed, and I'm not surprised you own it, Mike. And I tend to agree with you on the aperture; f/2 looks spot-on.
In case anyone is wondering why you wouldn't shoot that lens wide open, have a look at the coma at f/1.2:
BTW- try mounting a reversing ring on it sometime- the DOF is about 2-3mm!
James and Harrie 13 months ago | reply
Just incredible, you really are 'quite good' at this!
Michael Bandy 11 months ago | reply
Outstanding! You get some great stars and night sky out there!
Willem B. 6 months ago | reply
Mike, what a stunning shots you have in your Photostream. I very much envy the place you live to capture these kind of pics. Thanks also for sharing the technical side, I might try this once I find a place with little or no light pollution nearby.