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Thread: Galaxies Rising over Mesa Arch, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

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    Default Galaxies Rising over Mesa Arch, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

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    Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park is a very popular site for sunrise. This image was made well before sunrise in deep twilight. The Milky Way galaxy parallels the arch and at lower left above the arch is the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), also elongated horizontally. Just above the Milky Way is the constellation Lyra.

    This is an 11 frame mosaic made with a Canon 1D Mark IV, a Canon 20 mm f/2.8 lens at f/2.8, ISO 1600, 30 second exposures. Light on the arch was by a flashlight pointed at the ground at my feet, so reflected off the ground, making a red color, then reflecting off the arch, making redder color. Final image is 13678 pixels high by 11696 pixels wide. The field of view is over 90 degrees wide and 120 degrees tall.

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    Here is a link to a larger version (1024 pixels high):
    http://www.clarkvision.com/galleries...1.i-1024v.html

    Roger

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    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
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    This is very nicely done, Roger.
    Was it still the last light of sunset over the horizon through the arch that makes the distant mountains visible?
    Nice illumination of the stars and I admire your method, patience and persistance to capture this as a mosaic. The lighting on the arch was also nicely handled. I also like to bounce the light off something that'll give a warmer glow (I usually use the palm of my hand if the FG object is close enough).
    Thanks for posting the link to the larger version too.
    Morkel Erasmus

    WEBSITE


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    Robert Amoruso
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    Roger,

    I like the framing of the distant mountains in the opening of the arch.

    Well done. I am impressed by the definition in the sky.

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    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
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    Wow, Roger, very impressive. The light painting and comp work extremely well. So how big are you printing this one?

    TFS,
    Rachel

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    Quote Originally Posted by Morkel Erasmus View Post
    This is very nicely done, Roger.
    Was it still the last light of sunset over the horizon through the arch that makes the distant mountains visible?
    Nice illumination of the stars and I admire your method, patience and persistance to capture this as a mosaic. The lighting on the arch was also nicely handled. I also like to bounce the light off something that'll give a warmer glow (I usually use the palm of my hand if the FG object is close enough).
    Thanks for posting the link to the larger version too.
    Thanks all,

    Morkel,
    This is the first light before dawn, looking east, over an hour before sunrise. It was still quite dark, after all, the light on the arch is not much brighter than the Milky Way. It took only 9 minutes to do the 11 frames. That's 49 seconds/frame (30 exposure, 2 mirror lock-up delay, 3 second post view, leaving leaving 14 seconds to frame each image). But it took several hours coaxing PTGui to mosaic it the way I wanted--it originally made a circular view like a fish-eye lens. I have a an earlier one with the sky and arch dark, but I like this one better. 5 minutes earlier would have been a little nicer. A tour group of photographers came in with their lights blaring ruining pictures for several minutes. We camped nearby and had gotten up at 4:30 am (family and friends) and we hiked to the arch with only very dim flashlights so not to ruin out night vision, making our first images at 5am. The hardest part was focusing.

    Roger

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rachel Hollander View Post
    Wow, Roger, very impressive. The light painting and comp work extremely well. So how big are you printing this one?

    TFS,
    Rachel
    I'm thinking a 34x40-inch print (I will need to down sample to get to 300 ppi).

    Roger

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    BPN Member Steve Uffman's Avatar
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    Awesome.....hard work paid off....I am inspired to try something like this in the future

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    Very nice Roger! You have me wanting to look in to mosaics before I head to Denali this fall. I'm scared of the learning curve however, and have no panoramic equipment.

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    This is quite amazing. TFS

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    Quote Originally Posted by Colin Knight View Post
    Very nice Roger! You have me wanting to look in to mosaics before I head to Denali this fall. I'm scared of the learning curve however, and have no panoramic equipment.
    Hi Colin,

    Usually, a simple long rail will do the trick. You want the camera in landscape mode (long dimension horizontal). Get a long rail (4 to 6 inches) and attach a clamp on one end. (Arca-swiss compatible rails and clamps--I use Wimberly) Then mount the camera on that clamp. Put the rail on your tripod head then slide back and forth to get to the nodal point. Then when you do the closest row, everything lines up (no parallax). The next row higher is further away (for most landscapes) so when you rotate the tripod head up, the landscape is far enough away that parallax is negligible with any moderate to wide angle lens. That is how I did this image.

    With a gimbal head, the rotation axes are near optimal for mosaics, just needing that rail to get the rotation at the nodal point. For longer lenses with a collar, one can position to the nodal point quite easily. I've also done mosaics hand held, from safari vehicles, as well as from tripods with simple set-ups to full pano head (that I made with the use of a Wimberly sidekick and some right angle attachments). Here are more mosaics:
    http://www.clarkvision.com/galleries/gallery.mosaic/
    and other info:
    http://www.clarkvision.com/articles/large_mosaics/

    Mosaics can be fast and simple with little in the field additional equipment.
    Good luck.

    Roger

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    This is outstanding, Roger! Love the composition and your technique.

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    Brilliant Roger, getting up very early payed off very nicely. I also like the BG mountains TFS

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    Lifetime Member Jay Gould's Avatar
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    Hello Mosaic Master - the website version is awesome!!

    This is the first light before dawn, looking east, over an hour before sunrise. It was still quite dark, after all, the light on the arch is not much brighter than the Milky Way. It took only 9 minutes to do the 11 frames. That's 49 seconds/frame (30 exposure, 2 mirror lock-up delay, 3 second post view, leaving leaving 14 seconds to frame each image).
    Since it only took 9 minutes, why not do the entire mosaic in Live View and eliminate having to engage mirror lock-up?
    Cheers, Jay

    My Digital Art - "Nature Interpreted" - can now be view at http://www.luvntravlnphotography.com

    "Nature Interpreted" - Photography begins with your mind and eyes, and ends with an image representing your vision and your reality of the captured scene; photography exceeds the camera sensor's limitations. Capturing and Processing landscapes and seascapes allows me to express my vision and reality of Nature.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jay Gould View Post
    Hello Mosaic Master - the website version is awesome!!

    Since it only took 9 minutes, why not do the entire mosaic in Live View and eliminate having to engage mirror lock-up?
    Thanks Jay.

    Live view heats the sensor which increases noise. So live view should not be used before a low light high ISO exposure. Mirror lock up is easy. I enable the custom function and select the 2 second delay (this is the selection of high frame rate, single frame, 30 second delay or 2 second delay). I did not use a cable release. I simply moved the camera to the position I wanted, pressed the shutter button and let go of the camera. The camera was on 30 second exposure, so the mirror was raised by the cameras and the shutter opened 2 seconds later. I use this mode on most of my tripod-mounted landscapes.

    Roger

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    Quote Originally Posted by Roger Clark View Post
    Thanks Jay.

    Live view heats the sensor which increases noise. So live view should not be used before a low light high ISO exposure. Mirror lock up is easy. I enable the custom function and select the 2 second delay (this is the selection of high frame rate, single frame, 30 second delay or 2 second delay). I did not use a cable release. I simply moved the camera to the position I wanted, pressed the shutter button and let go of the camera. The camera was on 30 second exposure, so the mirror was raised by the cameras and the shutter opened 2 seconds later. I use this mode on most of my tripod-mounted landscapes.
    Roger
    Hi Mate, your response is most interesting to me because I "live" in LV! I carry extra batteries and use LV extensively for composition and settings. When doing landscapes, rather than "guess" or "work at" correct exposure, I simple look at the histogram in LV and work the dials to ETTR setting the DOF I want to accomplish.

    Please define "low light high ISO exposure".

    Custom function: C1 - I have specifically set for 5 exposure AEB HDR, Manual, ISO 100, f/3.5 (my TS-E; when I attach the 24-105 C1 opens at f/4), and SS at ( I cannot remember the SS; camera is in the car and I am in the motel room!).

    Please explain, in as much detail as necessary for "Mirror Lockup/Delayed Shutter Activation For Dummies" as is necesary to communicate the settings you use for one of the C functions that includes mirror lockup and shutter activation delay.

    Thanks,

    PS: BTW, I have been in Arizona for two weeks shooting in Monument Valley, Antelope Slot Canyons, and Canyon de Chelley. I still have to do another review of "Microadjustment For Dummies". Cheers,
    Cheers, Jay

    My Digital Art - "Nature Interpreted" - can now be view at http://www.luvntravlnphotography.com

    "Nature Interpreted" - Photography begins with your mind and eyes, and ends with an image representing your vision and your reality of the captured scene; photography exceeds the camera sensor's limitations. Capturing and Processing landscapes and seascapes allows me to express my vision and reality of Nature.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jay Gould View Post
    Hi Mate, your response is most interesting to me because I "live" in LV! I carry extra batteries and use LV extensively for composition and settings. When doing landscapes, rather than "guess" or "work at" correct exposure, I simple look at the histogram in LV and work the dials to ETTR setting the DOF I want to accomplish.

    Please define "low light high ISO exposure".
    Hi Jay,
    It probably depends on the camera on how much heating of the sensor occurs with live view and how much the effect is in noise. Certainly if you are at ISO 800 or higher there will likely be an effect on the noise level if you have been using live view for very long (3 seconds or more). It also likely depends on ambient temperatures, with more detrimental effects with higher temperatures. At ISO 100 you probably will not see an effect of increased noise.


    Quote Originally Posted by Jay Gould View Post
    Custom function: C1 - I have specifically set for 5 exposure AEB HDR, Manual, ISO 100, f/3.5 (my TS-E; when I attach the 24-105 C1 opens at f/4), and SS at ( I cannot remember the SS; camera is in the car and I am in the motel room!).
    Hmmm. Cars are easy to break into. I never leave my gear in the car. I even carry my full backpack containing my 500 mm into a restaurant, unless I can sit where I can see the car while eating.


    Quote Originally Posted by Jay Gould View Post
    Please explain, in as much detail as necessary for "Mirror Lockup/Delayed Shutter Activation For Dummies" as is necesary to communicate the settings you use for one of the C functions that includes mirror lockup and shutter activation delay.
    On the 5DII, mirror lockup is custom function III-6 (set to enable). Next, select the drive mode (one of the buttons on top of the camera, near the top wheel by the shutter button. Then rotate the wheel on the back of the camera to cycle from single shot to continuous, to 10-second delay to 2-second delay and select the 2-second delay. That's all there is to it.


    Quote Originally Posted by Jay Gould View Post
    Thanks,

    PS: BTW, I have been in Arizona for two weeks shooting in Monument Valley, Antelope Slot Canyons, and Canyon de Chelley. I still have to do another review of "Microadjustment For Dummies". Cheers,
    Have a great time Jay. I wish I was there too.

    In case anyone is wondering, Jay is referring to my microadjustment article about doing microadjustment on site:
    http://www.clarkvision.com/articles/microadjustment/

    Roger

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    Lifetime Member Jay Gould's Avatar
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    Thanks Roger; you have apparently set a C function solely for Mirror Lockup-2sec delay. I do understand how to do that. Are you able to ONLY set two operations with the C function and negate all other in camera settings?

    When you set a C function for, e.g., mirror lockup and 2sec delay, whatever other functions have been set in the camera, e.g., manual, ISO and aperture and SS settings, aren't they also included as part of that chosen C function.

    When I set a C function specifically for AEB/HDR - I use that a lot because the first image in the series is the "perfect" exposure I set in the first instance - I have also set other basic functions, e.g., Manual, ISO 100, widest f/stop (f/3.5 to accommodate my TS-E 24mm), a high SS to make sure that any minor movements due to breezes are negated. I also generally do the AEB in LV so that the mirror is slapping up and down; I have also had a chance to look at the histogram immediately before pushing the cable release button.

    When I leave the gear in the car; it is locked in the truck/boot - never in the back seat.
    Cheers, Jay

    My Digital Art - "Nature Interpreted" - can now be view at http://www.luvntravlnphotography.com

    "Nature Interpreted" - Photography begins with your mind and eyes, and ends with an image representing your vision and your reality of the captured scene; photography exceeds the camera sensor's limitations. Capturing and Processing landscapes and seascapes allows me to express my vision and reality of Nature.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jay Gould View Post
    Thanks Roger; you have apparently set a C function solely for Mirror Lockup-2sec delay. I do understand how to do that. Are you able to ONLY set two operations with the C function and negate all other in camera settings?

    When you set a C function for, e.g., mirror lockup and 2sec delay, whatever other functions have been set in the camera, e.g., manual, ISO and aperture and SS settings, aren't they also included as part of that chosen C function.
    Hi Jay,
    No, the mirror lockup is independent of all other functions. You can still work in manual, aperture priority, or whatever. With mirror lockup on an the drive mode in continuous or single shot, the first press of the shutter button raises the mirror. The second press opens the shutter. But when you select the shutter delay modes (the 10-second or 2-second delays), one press of the shutter raises the mirror, then the timed delay happens then the shutter is opened. All other camera functions operate like any other mode.

    Quote Originally Posted by Jay Gould View Post
    When I set a C function specifically for AEB/HDR - I use that a lot because the first image in the series is the "perfect" exposure I set in the first instance - I have also set other basic functions, e.g., Manual, ISO 100, widest f/stop (f/3.5 to accommodate my TS-E 24mm), a high SS to make sure that any minor movements due to breezes are negated. I also generally do the AEB in LV so that the mirror is slapping up and down; I have also had a chance to look at the histogram immediately before pushing the cable release button.
    So with "live view" (which is really delayed view) you have extra mirror flaps and heating the sensor. Seems like a recipe for reduced IQ. I find taking a quick image and checking the histogram to be quick. I can always delete the image if I need a different exposure.



    Quote Originally Posted by Jay Gould View Post
    When I leave the gear in the car; it is locked in the truck/boot - never in the back seat.
    I have heard many stories of cars being broken into at night at hotels/motels. And if someone see you putting things in the trunk, it is just a big advertisement of something good. I heard about a pro photographer in Yellowstone who drove to a restaurant and after coming out found all his gear (including super telephoto lenses) was stolen out of the trunk in broad daylight. Apparently someone saw him photographing and followed him.
    Be careful.

    Roger

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    Lifetime Member Jay Gould's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Roger Clark View Post
    Hi Jay,

    No, the mirror lockup is independent of all other functions. You can still work in manual, aperture priority, or whatever. With mirror lockup on an the drive mode in continuous or single shot, the first press of the shutter button raises the mirror. The second press opens the shutter. But when you select the shutter delay modes (the 10-second or 2-second delays), one press of the shutter raises the mirror, then the timed delay happens then the shutter is opened. All other camera functions operate like any other mode.

    So with "live view" (which is really delayed view) you have extra mirror flaps and heating the sensor. Seems like a recipe for reduced IQ. I find taking a quick image and checking the histogram to be quick. I can always delete the image if I need a different exposure.
    ...

    Roger
    QuickGuide to EOS Live View Features
    This QuickGuide will review all of the features available for Canon EOS cameras when used in their Live View mode. When the camera is in this mode the reflex mirror is in the up position, blocking the normal pentaprism viewfinder. Instead, the image is projected through the lens and directly onto the sensor, which in turn displays the image on the rear LCD panel. Live View is the only viewing option available when your camera is Movie mode.

    The benefits of Live View include the ability to:
    • preview the exact focus and depth-of-field at the working aperture
    • magnify specific portions of the image at 5X or 10X for critical focusing
    • easy viewing and composing when camera is tripod mounted, even with Tilt-Shift lenses
    • preview the effects of exposure compensation, white balance and Picture Style changes

    Because the mirror is in the up position, it is no longer a potential source of noise and vibration. This is an important benefit for photographers who use long telephoto lenses or macro lenses at high image magnifications.

    There are two potential limitations to keep in mind. The first is that AF during Live View is slower than viewfinder-based AF and is therefore not practical for action or video photography. The second is that Live View draws more energy and generates more heat. It is therefore best suited for situations where you will either be using it for only a few minutes at a time or you are using a camera powered by an AC adapter and working in a way that prevents the sensor from overheating.
    http://www.learn.usa.canon.com/app/p...QuickGuide.pdf

    I am surprised to hear that in LV each time you activate the shutter the mirror is activated too; my understanding was that the mirror was locked up and when I did a 5xAEB burst, the mirror stayed up during the burst.

    http://blog.gemstoneimages.com/2011/...mirror-lockup/

    http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/re...0&changemode=1

    Cheers,
    Cheers, Jay

    My Digital Art - "Nature Interpreted" - can now be view at http://www.luvntravlnphotography.com

    "Nature Interpreted" - Photography begins with your mind and eyes, and ends with an image representing your vision and your reality of the captured scene; photography exceeds the camera sensor's limitations. Capturing and Processing landscapes and seascapes allows me to express my vision and reality of Nature.

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    Great detail of information share here with a superb image , thanks you and well done :)

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    Landscapes Moderator Andrew McLachlan's Avatar
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    Hi Roger, awesome capture. Love how it turned out...can't wait to try some of this night stuff when my D800 arrives.

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    Hey Roger! I got back home from a short Canyonands NP and Arches NP trip last night. I just did a search here to see who else had done some photography up there. I was at Mesa Arch yesterday morning before sunrise (having camped at Willow Flat the night before) but the stuff I came away with pales next to this!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ian Cassell View Post
    Hey Roger! I got back home from a short Canyonands NP and Arches NP trip last night. I just did a search here to see who else had done some photography up there. I was at Mesa Arch yesterday morning before sunrise (having camped at Willow Flat the night before) but the stuff I came away with pales next to this!
    Hi Ian,
    I have not been to Mesa Arch in July. Actually I avoid the Moab region from late May through July due to biting gnats. Did you encounter the gnats?
    When the sun is so far north, the sunrise light on the arch is blocked by the mountains and the distant mesa. I find it better in the fall or winter. For example, I posted this image, taken in October, on BPN a couple of years ago:
    http://www.clarkvision.com/galleries....L4.c-800.html

    Thanks for the comments on the image. Now I want to go back with my new 24 f/1.4 lens.

    Roger

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    No, no gnats at all. I had never been to the Moab area before and spent 4 days camping in Canyonlands and on the Colorado. Explored Arches and Canyonlands and had a blast, but it was hot (I guess I'm used to that living in Phoenix). I'll post a Mesa Arch sunrise image that I like.

    Since there was no moon, I played with some star images for the first time -- not very good, but fun!

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    Nice image Roger. Your hard work paid off.

    It's not unusual to see a cooling fan blowing in the rear display in images taken by hard core astrophotographers. The rear display is closest to the sensor and the thought is the greatest sensor cooling effect is achieved in that way. I saw a review of the 60Da that included data on with and without a small cooling fan blowing on the rear display. Unfortunately I can't find the article.

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