Starry Nights in Joshua Tree - MyPictureDay
Hello, Steemit! I looked through the previous #MyPictureDay challenges hosted by @timsaid, and I loved the results. So here are a few images of my own for my very first submission!
Visiting Southern California, I knew that the skies would be littered with light pollution, but I was determined to find the Milky Way. I found that Joshua Tree National Park was only a few hours from me and was told it was well worth the drive. My girlfriend and I headed out for the evening and made our way deep into the park where we could find the darkest skies. I sat there for hours in anticipation, searching for the best angles and foreground, while she took time to stargaze under the millions of dots above us. It was absolutely spectacular... Shooting on the Sony a7R II and the Sigma 24mm f/1.4 Art, I was able to capture thousands of those distant lights and share them here with you. I hope you enjoy the views as much as we did!
f/2.0 | 15s | 24mm | ISO 2000 - I was hoping that the clouds wouldn't ruin the view; thankfully they didn't. I actually quite enjoyed the soft, golden color they reflected from the nearby city lights.
f/1.4 | 6s | 24mm | ISO 3200 - A man was walking around Skull Rock, lighting it with a flashlight. I asked if he would stand in place for me. Delightfully so, he stood still just long enough for me to get the shot!
f/1.4 | 8s | 24mm | ISO 2500 - We found a small group of photographers walking through the park. They offered to show us a secret arch and I'm so glad we followed them! Sure, their red light showed up in my image and I couldn't frame the Milky Way through the arch, but I was still happy with the results.
f/1.4 | 6s | 24mm | ISO 3200 - Caught this on our way back to the car. The stars aligned almost perfectly with the opening between the rocks. I absolutely loved the natural framing and couldn't pass up the opportunity to capture it.
Thank you very much for taking the time to check out some of my work. I can't wait to see what everyone else has to share!
Best regards,
Dimitri Smith
Those shots are truly amazing, for real!
Thank you so much! Your words are very kind.
I'm at low Voting power now but I definitely love your shots. ^^ welcome to Steemit. ^^
Well it still means a lot to me. Thank you!
Excellent work! Astrophotography is so much fun. :)
Thank you! It sure is. Shooting the night skies is one of the main reasons I got into photography, but sadly I have neglected working on the skill set over the past few years. I'm really trying to dive deeper into it this year to improve upon my work!
Well, more power to ya! :)
You deserve a lot more Attention for these amazing photos ! WOW
I resteemed this 🚀
Thank you so much! We've all got to start somewhere and that certainly helps!
You are right , if you keep coming with jaw dropping content like this you ll be on top of steemit in no time . Best of luck , looking forward to more great content.
great star sky, gob job
Thank you very much. The skies were spectacular.
amazing bro , it great pic .
In fact I was about to choose your post but checking the metafiles I saw the shots are from June 23, 2017 and therefore you didn't follow the rules. Hope your next shots will do so!
I am so amazed by your photography skills :)
Fantastic shots and views! Love the tid bits about driving the extra miles to capture the images. It's like life- you can't reap the rewards unless you're willing to go the extra mile(s). Thank you for sharing these shots! I'm thankful you drove out there! :)