Little Hunters Beach is probably my favorite spot in Acadia for shooting the MW and I got to share this experience with my brother, Mike. It is amazing standing there in the darkness as you watch the MW cross the nighttime sky while listening to the cobble stones get pushed around by the incoming tide. I have a couple of questions for you folks. # 1: does the partially submerged rocks bother you and # 2: how about the darkness in the UR and UL corners. I evened it out somewhat, just wondering if I should go more. As always thanks for your thoughts.
Go Niners!
What technical feedback would you like if any?
All C&C welcome
What artistic feedback would you like if any?
All C&C welcome
Pertinent technical details or techniques:
(If this is a composite, etc. please be honest with your techniques to help others learn)
Nikon D800, Nikon 17-35 @ 17 mm, f 2.8 @ 20 sec, ISO 3200, cable release & tripod
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@Ed_Lowe I think that the darkness in the corners gives it a nice vignette and the rocks help to break up the smooth negative space that the long exposure caused in the water.
I like this! It is a night image that looks like a night image, the way my tastes go for this genre. The inlet provides a real nice framing and processing looks really good to my eye. Very enjoyable.
Followup, the dark areas look obvious in the small version, but I find them looking good and natural in the large. My eye can only encompass them in the small. Looks good as is in my opinion.
Cool shot, Ed. Wonderful framing choice. As @Gary_Randall indicated the bits of land at the frame edges provide a great vignette. Processing looks good to me.
The inlet, together with your description, create a peaceful framing. The vignetting in the upper corners looks good to me. The whole sky could be a bit darker for more contrast for the stars or Milkyway, but then again, many Milkyway shots get processed so much that it is actually quite pleasing to see this, as one can almost see it without camera too!
Ed, this looks great as presented. The rock and the lighthouse light add some extra interest and the dark corners do feel like a vignette. It does look like your lens has a bit of coma at the edges (the brightest stars have faint vertical lines making them look like Saturn ), but that’s the kind of detail that few non-photog viewers would notice.
The partially submerged rocks don’t bug me; I actually think they add interest. I also have no problem with the dark corners; it gives a nice vignette to focus on the Milky Way.
My understanding is the actual color of the dark sky is brownish, so our renderings are often personal preference. With that said, I prefer a little more blue/less yellow.
Ed, it looks like little Hunter Beach is a great location to shoot the Milky Way. The rocks do not bother me at all. Regarding the vignette, I think it is fine in the bottom corners, and very subjectively, just a tiny bit strong in the upper corners, but that’s personal taste. I’m also in agreement with @John_Williams, I could see the the WB shifting a little more blue, and slightly less yellow, especially in the galactic core.
Again, it’s a matter of personal taste, but I would clone away the light source on the island, I think it would place more emphasis on the Milky Way core.
As has been said, Ed, a very nice composition! Nitpicking: I personally would like to see more colors in Mars. If you happen to still have some dynamic range in there… but it’s not a big deal.
I used to go out and do astrophotography quite a bit but stopped because it got quite mechanical. This image makes me want to do something about it this Summer. Thanks for inspiring, Ed.
@John_Williams and @Ed_McGuirk: I had not noticed the yellow until you mentioned it so here is a version with a little more blue. @Mark_Seaver: I noticed that too. @Adhika_Lie: Unfortunately I do not have any more detail.
Great night time shot, Ed. I like how you waited to frame the MW between the two shorelines. The 20 sec exposure worked well to virtually eliminate star trailing. There’s a little in the corners, but that may be lens distortion. The rocks don’t bother me, but I would try to remove a little more of the corner vignetting. JMHO. I like the colors in your rework.
), but that’s the kind of detail that few non-photog viewers would notice.