Rocking Stars

[Morkel Erasmus]

An image taken at night in South Africa's Karoo desert, a semi-desert area that spans a very large portion of our country's South-western and South-eastern surface.
The stars here are always magnificent. The light behind the hill is from the moon which was about to peek over the crest of the hill.

I found this rock to be an interesting foreground element, and painted it gently with a strong LED torch bounced off my hand for a warmer tone.

Techs:
Canon 7D with 10-22mm USM @ 10mm
f3.5 @ 25s @ ISO-1600

[Arthur Morris]

Beautiful and skillfully done. But. If you had moved a few feet to your left you could have centered the foreground rock in the little hill on the horizon....

[Roger Clark]

Morkel,

Nicely done. I agree with Artie. Also, do you see the face in the rock? It looks like a fish coming out of the water: the crack is the mouth, and there are markings where the eye would be. Either a fish or a dinosaur. Might be nice to work that in, perhaps with the right constellation....

Roger

[dankearl]

Morkel, I like the comp. If the FG rock was centered on the hill beyond, the hill beyond would almost disappear and the horizon would
be diminished.
Very nice star photo.

[Randy Bronkema]

very nice star image I like the soft painted light on the FG rock. I'd move so the rock was more to the right i the shot as well this maybe a good location to do a image with star trails. just a thought. skillfully done !!!!

Randy

[Andrew McLachlan]

Very nicely done Morkel, love the split in the rock and that the rock does not go above the horizon line. Agree with Arthur that it would have been nice to place the rock under the little hill. Still a very nice image!

[Morkel Erasmus]

Morkel,

Nicely done. I agree with Artie. Also, do you see the face in the rock? It looks like a fish coming out of the water: the crack is the mouth, and there are markings where the eye would be. Either a fish or a dinosaur. Might be nice to work that in, perhaps with the right constellation....

Roger

Interesting thought, Roger...and yes I see it . I am looking forward to return, though I don't think it will be in this year. It's a good 1000km drive to this National Park, and for that distance I can also go to the Kalahari which is higher on my 'favourites' list (although the stars there are just as bright).

Artie - good suggestion. I guess at the time with it being dark one tends to forget to consider all elements in the scene

[Robert Amoruso]

I thought it looks most like a Lobster claw. Before reading any comments I thought moving left to get the rounded top of the rig in line with the claw would have perfected the image Morkel.

[Rachel Hollander]

Morkel - nice star image. I like the effect of the softer painted light. Btw I want some of what you guys are smoking, I see a split rock.

TFS,
Rachel

[Jerry van Dijk]

Hi Morkel, great and creative work on painting the FG. Lovely light. I like the opposing diagonals of FG and horizon.

[Morkel Erasmus]

Thanks Robert, Rachel and Jerry...

[Andrew Aveley]

Great advice on this image Morkel :)