Badwater Basin this March and my first time using a tracker <3
Updated to include a second image for comparison
Any and All technical and artistic feedback welcome
Pertinent technical details or techniques:
Image 1 - A Blend including a tracked 120" sky @ISO1600 on 14mm fixed f2.8 samyang lens scaled up to go with the panorama foreground which consists of two 20" exposures @f.28 ISO6400 and 21mm
Image 2 - ditto but a twilight foreground composition blended, as few steps to my left (as I could see better and get more detail)
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@vikki_macleod
You may only download this image to demonstrate post-processing techniques.
That is one fantastic Milky Way sky! Kudos on this capture and I’m happy you were able to come away with this on your short trip. You should be quite happy with the results. I know it’s hard to tell at these web sizes, but I hope good enough resolution/noise that you can print large!
Also, I think you did well in balancing the light on the salt flats. It’s night, it’s dark, and so it’s always difficult knowing where to take the luminosity. I think you’ve done well with that.
My only reservation is the comp. Is this an image about the salt flats? or the Milky Way? For me anyway, because this is at night, the salt flats just don’t provide enough interest (even though I still think the luminosity and is appropriate.) Then again, cropping only diminishes the foreground further. And would it be blasphemy to crop the sky? hmmmm… I might be tempted to do that which I think could make a case for a stronger near/far comp where both parts compliment each other. I think as presented it has more of a ping pong effect and the eye going back and forth. Hope that makes sense!
Thanks @Lon_Overacker, I had another waiting to be edited, which was at twilight and a couple of steps to my left for better leading lines and detail. I’ve added that to the post to see if you think it works a bit better. I think I like this one more.
YES! This composition works much better! The subtle, but very effective lead-in lines tie the sky with the salt flats and patters very well.
Perhaps you could play with the luminosity in the sky and/or the salt flats - but we’re really talking about personal preferences at this point. I think a luminosity in the night sky somewhere between the two versions. But definitely a on the comp of the repost.
Vikki, I’m with @Lon_Overacker on this one, the second image is much stronger all around in terms of composition. The arrangement of the salt formations in the second image does a much better job of pulling your eye into the scene, and I think the use of 3:2 aspect ration also helps in this regard. And I would not crop any of the sky away, you need the breathing room above the arc of the MW. My only suggestion for improvement in the second image would be to slightly increase the luminosity a bit, but not as as bright as the first image.
on the comp of the repost.