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Thread: Road to the Stars

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Default Road to the Stars

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    The night skies in the Kalahari are really something special. This was taken in a remote corner of the Nossob rest camp in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.
    I used an LED Lenser torch bounced off my hand to paint the foreground. It was tricky to get the right exposures to the right spots. We only had a window between 4am and 5h30am from when the moon had set until the dawn would break to capture these images. I love the "falling star" (I know that's not what it is ) at the RHS edge...though I wish it was further away from the edge...
    There was also a storm building on the horizon.

    I will be travelling for work until Friday, so I might not be as active as always - but I will probably log on quickly every night!

    Techs:
    Nikon D3s with Nikkor 14-24mm f2.8 @ 14mm
    f2.8 @ 25s @ ISO-3200
    Last edited by Morkel Erasmus; 07-16-2012 at 05:42 PM.
    Morkel Erasmus

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    Hi Morkel.....Wow! This is a tremendous image that I just Love. I am going to have to try this sometime. Was the nebula visible to your eyes?

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    Hi Morkel, I like the composition and a good job capturing the sky. If this were mine I would eliminate the white line in the lower right.

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    This is quite spectacular Morkel...!

    DON

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    Hi Morkel, this one was worth getting up for, wonderful image TFS

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    Hi Morkel, ditto Vivaldo's comment.
    Best wishes, Mark.
    PS, I like the satellite you caught and I will be off to Niewoudtville soon, so some starry nights and flowery days will be on the agenda in the bulb capital of the world.

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    Must give this a try next time I'm away from the city lights, a really nice image Morkel. The milky way in all it's glory and some earthly scenery as well adds nicely. I think the " shooting star " is a great touch, please leave it in the scene...but get rid of that single red hot pixel just above on the edge.

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    Hi Morkel,

    Beautiful image! I like how there is an effect of the galactic center illuminating the road in the foreground.

    I suggest trying ISO 1600 to give a little more dynamic range and not saturating so many stars, thus retaining more star color. See my image I just posted for comparison.

    Roger

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    Nice one Morkel. Great job painting the FG

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Morkel - fantastic night image. Light painting worked very well. I wouldn't change a thing.

    TFS,
    Rachel

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Thanks for the kind words, folks.

    Roger - will try that, I generally shoot between 1600 and 3200 with a preference for the nebulae I can capture at 3200.
    Morkel Erasmus

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    Nice one Morkel. Like the overall colour and WB here.

    TFS

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    I see a UFO!!! Fantasic shot Morkel! Why light paint bouncing off your hand...does it change the color of the light or just help you control it better? Thanks!

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    Thank you Andrew and James

    Quote Originally Posted by James Fuller View Post
    I see a UFO!!! Fantasic shot Morkel! Why light paint bouncing off your hand...does it change the color of the light or just help you control it better? Thanks!
    James, it gives a warmer colour (the LED Lenser has a blueish tone) and it helps you control the "painting" better...so you are right on both accounts...
    Morkel Erasmus

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