Taken on a recent trip to Zion National Park. Close to the park eastern edge where we were staying. This Ponderosa really lined up well with the Milky Way. I know it’s somewhat obscured by the light in the clouds at the bottom, but I like the interest they add to the image.
Specific Feedback Requested
Composition. Ideas for reducing noise in single shot astro images. I probably just need practice, but I am always disappointed with my stacked images. There is a spot on the lower right branch that looks like it was cloned in some way, the way the clouds interact with the tree, but that is just how they lined up, nothing intentional. I did do a small amount of light painting on the bottom of the tree using an IPhone.
I do like how the Ponderosa somewhat mirrors the Milky Way core, and how the clouds transition nicely into the core. It looks like an ultrawide focal length with the inward curving trees on the edges. Did you consider countering the lens distortion effect? Not sure if it would improve the image so just a thought. For reducing noise I’ve used Lightroom’s tool with success at times. I recently got Topaz Denoise and am eager to try it out–it seems to be well regarded.
I mirror what @DeanRoyer said about this looking like an ultra wide angle lens with the accompanying lens distortion but I also think that what makes the tree and the Milky Way line up so well. I like the rather subdued impression of the core and the cloud cover effect. I think it adds rather than detracts from the image. Topaz is remarkable if you haven’t tried it. Nice image, Cameron.
Thanks Dean. I have not tired Topaz. I think I need to. Noise in my night images is one of my pet peeves I just can’t seem to get past. I shot this at 17mm. The distortion, I think, is an effect of the landscape and I thought it emphasized the Milky Way so I noted but decided not to mess with it.
Thanks David! I appreciate the feedback. I will get Topaz I think. I’ve seen it recommended. I feel comfortable with Lightroom but not so much with photoshop. So trying to edit together multiple exposures in there is a challenge for me.
I like your eclectic composition, who says you need to have a horizontal horizon. Stacking MW images is the way to go to reduce noise. If you are a Mac user, Starry Landscape Stacker with set you back $40, but if you are a Windows user, Sequator is free. With as little as 8 or 16 images your will markedly reduce the noise and you can still reduce further in your software.
Hi Gary! Thanks for the information and for taking the time to comment. I recently got Topaz and have been happy with that so far. Hoping to do some more Astro this year so I’ll see how I feel about it as the year goes on.
