Milky Way over the Blue Ridge Parkway

moose135 · July 3, 2017

I took a ride out to the Blue Ridge Parkway a week ago, up near Boone, NC, to shoot the stars and Milky Way.

1 - Your basic Milky Way photo:

2- A random star photo, I think that light on the horizon is Wilkesboro:

3 - A six-shot pano:

Stumblebum · July 3, 2017

Nice John! If you can find better fg, then it would make shots stand out more. Pano is nice! Looks like a bench is there.......if mine I would try to figure out how to add a person firing beam at center or something....I love the explosive galactic center to the right....

black mamba · July 3, 2017

Nice work, John. That pano shot is pretty strong. I've been up in Banner Elk since June 10 and so far I think there's been two nights of clear skies. Good opportunity, though, to get some good shots of clouds floating along below the ridge top level.

See you, buddy

Tom

moose135 · July 3, 2017

@Stumblebum said:
Nice John! If you can find better fg, then it would make shots stand out more. Pano is nice! Looks like a bench is there.......

Thanks! I do look for some good foreground elements when I can, but that night, we were just looking for a nice clear area to see the sky - I was out with a friend who hadn't shot the stars before, so I wanted her to get some good images to start. The thing that looks like a bench is actually a large sign at the edge of the parking area - it is the "Tom Dooley" parking area, and the sign tells the true story of Tom Dule, a Civil War veteran, who inspired the song. I'll probably go back and edit that out - I thought about it, but never did.

moose135 · July 3, 2017

@black mamba said:
Nice work, John. That pano shot is pretty strong. I've been up in Banner Elk since June 10 and so far I think there's been two nights of clear skies. Good opportunity, though, to get some good shots of clouds floating along below the ridge top level.

Thank you, Tom! If you're going to be around for a while, we'll have to meet up.