A couple night shots

CWSkopecCWSkopec Registered Users Posts: 1,325 Major grins
edited June 23, 2013 in Landscapes
Whenever I'm out in the wilderness away from the city lights, I attempt at least 1 night shot with star trails. Lately, I've begun trying to add to the scene with a little bit of light painting in the foreground. And by "lately" I mean I've just gotten around to processing these :rofl

1| Morena Rocks: Taken at Lake Morena east of San Diego. The area around the lake wasn't the most photogenic, but these large boulders and their arrangement really caught my eye. Unfortunately it was a pretty popular campground with LOTS of people running around even after dark so I didn't want to leave my camera unattended for too long, hence the short star trails. This image is a stack of 8 (or maybe 9) 5-minute exposures, started about 30 minutes after sunset. During the first exposure, I lit the rocks by hand with a small LED flashlight.

Lake-Morena-Stars-X2.jpg


2| Illuminated Path: I decided to forgo the circular star trails and pointed my camera south for this image because I preffered the shape of the valley that surrounded me here. Taken at a remote area in Cleveland National Forrest and a good distance from the big city, I started my exposure just after sunset so I could get the orange glow near the horizon and a blue sky with star trails above. This one is composed of about 20 individual 5-minute exposures, during the first of these, I ventured down this long forgotten road lighting it with a small LED flashlight. The ghostly shape on the left of the road I me being careless and catching my leg with the flashlight. I attempted to edit it out, but quickly decided that it added enough to the image that it could stay.

Illuminated_Path_2-X2.jpg

C&C always welcomed!
Chris
SmugMug QA
My Photos

Comments

  • tsk1979tsk1979 Registered Users Posts: 937 Major grins
    edited April 11, 2013
    I think the shape adds to the effect :)
    However, the first shot could have been better if polaris had been in the frame.
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  • CWSkopecCWSkopec Registered Users Posts: 1,325 Major grins
    edited April 11, 2013
    tsk1979 wrote: »
    I think the shape adds to the effect :)
    However, the first shot could have been better if polaris had been in the frame.

    Thank you for the comments, tsk. And I completely agree, I should have gotten Polaris in the frame. And I usually do but I must have been in too much of a hurry to get set up and taking photos that night. Lesson Learned! :D
    Chris
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  • kdogkdog Administrators Posts: 11,681 moderator
    edited April 11, 2013
    Super creative stuff, Chris. Rocks are a little hot in #1. #2 is just awesome. thumb.gif
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  • CWSkopecCWSkopec Registered Users Posts: 1,325 Major grins
    edited April 15, 2013
    kdog wrote: »
    Super creative stuff, Chris. Rocks are a little hot in #1. #2 is just awesome. thumb.gif

    Thanks, Joel! Now that you mention it, the rocks in #1 do look a little too bright. I'll go back and play with some adjustment brushes to see if I can get those under control! :D
    Chris
    SmugMug QA
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  • FlyNavyFlyNavy Registered Users Posts: 1,350 Major grins
    edited April 15, 2013
    Very creative!
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  • EaracheEarache Registered Users Posts: 3,533 Major grins
    edited April 15, 2013
    Nice!
    Like the shooter in #2 - and the ghostly shape adds a lot, imo.
    I live near #1...
    Eric ~ Smugmug
  • shniksshniks Registered Users Posts: 945 Major grins
    edited April 16, 2013
    The second shot is great Chris. Well done. :ivar:ivar



    Cheers,
    Nikhil

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  • CWSkopecCWSkopec Registered Users Posts: 1,325 Major grins
    edited April 16, 2013
    FlyNavy wrote: »
    Very creative!
    Earache wrote: »
    Nice!
    Like the shooter in #2 - and the ghostly shape adds a lot, imo.
    I live near #1...
    shniks wrote: »
    The second shot is great Chris. Well done. :ivar:ivar



    Cheers,

    Thank you, John, Eric & Nikhil!

    I'll be off in the wilderness with friends this coming weekend and hope to try my hand at at least a couple more star trails/light painting shots. We'll be in an area that I've been to in the past and haven't had much photographic luck in, so hopefully with this new "trick" in my bag I can come away with something shareable! mwink.gif
    Chris
    SmugMug QA
    My Photos
  • fool4thecityfool4thecity Registered Users Posts: 632 Major grins
    edited April 22, 2013
    Cool images, love the second one! Nicely done, look forward to seeing more!
    www.mikeklarich.com
  • GregoryCarrollGregoryCarroll Registered Users Posts: 1 Beginner grinner
    edited June 23, 2013
    CWSkopec wrote: »
    Whenever I'm out in the wilderness away from the city lights, I attempt at least 1 night shot with star trails. Lately, I've begun trying to add to the scene with a little bit of light painting in the foreground. And by "lately" I mean I've just gotten around to processing these rolleyes1.gif

    1| Morena Rocks: Taken at Lake Morena east of San Diego. The area around the lake wasn't the most photogenic, but these large boulders and their arrangement really caught my eye. Unfortunately it was a pretty popular campground with LOTS of people running around even after dark so I didn't want to leave my camera unattended for too long, hence the short star trails. This image is a stack of 8 (or maybe 9) 5-minute exposures, started about 30 minutes after sunset. During the first exposure, I lit the rocks by hand with a small LED flashlight.

    Lake-Morena-Stars-X2.jpg


    2| Illuminated Path: I decided to forgo the circular star trails and pointed my camera south for this image because I preffered the shape of the valley that surrounded me here. Taken at a remote area in Cleveland National Forrest and a good distance from the big city, I started my exposure just after sunset so I could get the orange glow near the horizon and a blue sky with star trails above. This one is composed of about 20 individual 5-minute exposures, during the first of these, I ventured down this long forgotten road lighting it with a small LED flashlight. The ghostly shape on the left of the road I me being careless and catching my leg with the flashlight. I attempted to edit it out, but quickly decided that it added enough to the image that it could stay.

    Illuminated_Path_2-X2.jpg

    C&C always welcomed!

    Amazing just amazing.. Love those effects....Nice creativity sense..I think I must try my luck to get such lovely pics
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