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[Judd Patterson]

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1156/1487780516_d400c7a15a_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/juddpatterson/1487780516/)

Sorry if you've seen this before...just had never posted it here at BPN.

Canon 5D, 24m f/1.4
40 sec, f/2.2, ISO 800
October 2007
Konza Prairie, Kansas
Cottonwood, Milky Way, and Jupiter

It took quite a number of attempts to finally create this image. Just finding the right tree took me about a year. It needed to be alone on a hillside where I could get down below, and it had to face the right direction for the Milky Way to be included...then you wait for the right lunar and weather conditions to give things a try! I was back home for a couple days last month and was very sad to learn that this tree did not make it through a bad ice storm...it has now toppled to the ground, a victim of its isolated position on the top of the hill.

Oh, and do me a favor...turn off those lights. Attempting night sky photography makes you intimately aware of light pollution. It's just so hard to find dark skies in much of the eastern United States...how much longer will our western skies be clear?
http://laps.noaa.gov/albers/slides/ast/places.gif

[Michael Pancier]

Unreal. I just saw Jones' image of the MW with his 1ds Mark III at ISO 800 and got jealous. Never thought the 5d could get you comparable results.

I wonder if we could get similar results in the Glades ....

[Judd Patterson]

Michael, it's been on my list of things to try...during the dry season when the mosquitoes won't darken the view. :) I don't own this 24mm lens, so I'll have to rent it again if I want to try.

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Judd,
I did happen to see this on your website (???) and was hoping that you posted it. This is great! That 2.2 f stop really helped with the fact that you didn't even have to be at a higher ISO. Love the detail in the Milky Way and perfect placement of the cottonwood. You started to get a bit of star movement on the left because of 40 second exposure.........but it doesn't affect the overall imact of the image in the least bit! Fantastic!

PS to the Glades thing............I have been there many times at night.........Just be aware of the lights of Homestead....... Facing away from them may help or go deeper into the drive to Flamingo and further away from the lights!

[Michael Pancier]

I shot in the Glades at Mahogany Hammock with the astronomers 20+ years ago and it used to be pretty dark. I did get nice shots using old Kodak Ectrachrome pushed to 1000. I have a 50 1.4 which I think would work well too. If you guys think of doing it let me know.

[Fabs Forns]

Outstanding work, Judd, I like everything about it.

Thanks for the read too!

[Robert Amoruso]

Exceptional image Judd.

I was at Canaveral National Seashore last week on a turtle watch and totally surprised at the amount of light pollution. CNS is the largest stretch of undeveloped shoreline on either coast in FL - not including the glades. Last time I was anywhere I got to see this many stars was in NM.

[Paul Marcellini]

The glades has plenty of glow from Miami too. Maybe close to Flamingo but you may get light from the keys. I have wanted to try this but have been waiting for a better camera. This is excellent Judd. Too bad about the tree.

[Kaushik Balakumar]

Amazing capture. Very different one. Your careful preparation paid off.
Like everything about this image.

[Julie Kenward]

Beautiful work. I love how you lined it all up and took the time to do it right.

[Noel Carboni]

Awesome image, as I've said before Judd. It's a shame about the tree, but you have immortalized it.

Hey, any time you want to get out and do astrophotogrphy look me up. You can borrow my 17-40, which is nice and sharp. And, I have a nice little Orion motorized camera mount, which tracks the stars. :)

-Noel