Aurora Borealis on the Eastern Shore of Maryland

Image Critiques
1

Aurora over the Dock Web.jpg
Aurora over the Dock Web.jpg2080×3026 1.94 MB

Critique Style Requested: In-depth

The photographer has shared comprehensive information about their intent and creative vision for this image. Please examine the details and offer feedback on how they can most effectively realize their vision.

Self Critique

This is a composite image that combines a single sky image (Aurora and Milky Way) with a foreground takes in the same location (opposite direction) at blue hour. Overall I am pleased with the color contrast and the level of detail of the stars. I am a bit concerned about the blending of the foreground appearing contrived.

Creative direction

My vision was to visually tether the dock in the tall grass used for canoeing to the duck blind with the celestial awe of the Aurora and Milky Way.

Specific Feedback

My concern is that the image appears contrived. The primary astro image was beautiful with minimal processing in LrC, but I did not think it was complete with the foreground. I blended a foreground from the same location (different direction and different time of day) in attempt to achieve visual continuity.

I intend to print this image. I am also looking for suggestion on a paper type (or potentially a semi-gloss canvas) that will capture the colors and mode of this image.

Technical Details

Astro image single exposure: Sony a7RV, RAW (24MP) to reduce star trails, Rokinon 14mm f/2.8, s=13s, ISO 1600, (2 AM).
The foreground: Sony a7RV, RAW (61MP), 24-70mm F2.8 GMII, f/13, ISO 125, s=2s (blue hour).

Post processing with LrC – cropped some wires, color and WB correction, removed (partially but not fully) spherical abberations introduced by the Rokinon lens.

Blended the foreground (dock and high grass) with astro image in photoshop, correcting for opacity (blending mode = darken).

Description

August 12th was the peak of the Perseids Meteor Showers. The night was clear with minimal clouds, so I set out to a Bortle 2/3 dark sky area 1.5 hours from my home in Annapolis, MD. After some blue hour images and a nap in my truck, I set up my intervelometer to capture 2 hours of 13s images at ISO 1600 with my favorite Astro lens. I was upset with all the “light pollution” that should not have been at my shooting location, and reduced my planned ISO and shortened my planned exposure settings.

The light pollution turned out to be the Aurora Borealis which dipped all the may down to the Midatlantic. The Aurora was in the news, but at 2 AM it is hard to think too clearly.

After 2 hours, I capture 10-20 meteors but I realized my camera was pointed at too high an elevation, and Ileft still annoyed at the “light pollution” where no light sources were present.

After a few days (I am not retired yet and that pesky work things is infringing on my editing time) I processed the imaged from that evening and Aurora and Milky Way appeared in my image. The photo lacked a foreground, so I blended my blue hour images of the dock and tall grass to create a light path leading to the sky.

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2

Interesting image! I have no objections to compositing a FG, but I think there are a couple of issues here that could be tweaked. For my taste, about halfway down the image becomes too dark and contrasty. The yellow areas feel strange and of a puzzling color – were they clouds in the astro shot or from the FG? In both lower corners, especially the right, the blending has given a strange look. And the FG horizon curving up strongly on the left feels a bit unusual, but if it is intentional that’s fine. The central area with the boardwalk itself feels like it ahould be lower in contrast for a night (or pseudo-night) scene. A straight Darken blend mode will want a lot of local adjustment of tonalities of the two layers.

1 Like
3

Thank you for your comments. The FG shot is quite narrow – I agree that I should lower the contrast. The yellow area was part of the Astro shot. I will work on the image to incorporate your suggestion and repost in the next couple of days (silly work is again interfering with my photography.)

Once again, thank you for your comments.

4

Dont you just love a surprise Aurora? For the sky, I sure think you could go a lot higher with our ISO, especially with that camera body. I regularly shoot at 4000-6400 with my DSLR Nikon D850. As @Diane_Miller mentioned, the foreground is a little funky on the edges. My very limited experience with foreground blends also makes me think your ISO is too low for the foreground. It might have been helpful to use some low level LED lighting to help with noise there. The contrasty greens I am seeing are often the result of too much shadow lightening, so either more added light, or more gathered light (higher ISO or longer exposure) would have been good.

5

Thanks Paul – I concur with yor comments. I was so surprised by the Aurora I rushed my edit. When I find an hour I plan to re-process the RAW file from that day.

Excitement led to rushed and poor editing:)

6

I today get that. I usually have about 10 versions of the same shot as thoughts evolve, then a year later I’ll often revisit as my own workflow shifts.

1 Like
7

I just submitted a more recent Milky Way stacked image (my first use of Starry Landscape Stacker) for critique. This was taken from Craters of the Moon National Monument – a Bortle 1 Dark Sky.

I would greatly appreciate you comments on this image if you have a moment. I have some fols interested in purchasing prints of this image and I want to get it right before committing to the printing process and expense.