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Jack of All Trades,
Master of Nothing
Picture of 2000Z-71
posted
So, I've been chasing the Northern Lights ever since I've been up here. Working nights, Alaskan weather and solar activity do not make for a good combination of seeing a good show. Even with trips to Talkeetna and Fairbanks, I've yet to see more than, "Green Fuzz" on the horizon.

Tonight Anchorage actually had clear weather, but there's no solar activity, so no Auroras to chase. Well with the fresh snow, clear skies and full moon, I decided to practice my nighttime photography. I've got a lot to learn. Now I know enough about shooting into the sun and getting starburst and lens flare which can be fun to play with. I had no idea that shooting into the moon produced lunar flare. A 747F taking off from Ted Stevens while cool, was not the effect for the skyline shot I was hoping for. But spectacular evening, fresh snow reflecting the full moon, the mountains literally glowed. Hiking around Glen Alps at 0400 was like daylight. Yes, Alaska is the Land of the Midnight Sun, just not this time of year.

But I did get one shot tonight that I'm really proud of, Orion hunting over Flattop Mountain.





My daughter can deflate your daughter's soccer ball.
 
Posts: 11919 | Location: Eagle River, AK | Registered: September 12, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Drug Dealer
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Very cool pic. What camera, exposure time, F-stop, etc. did you use?



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Posts: 15529 | Location: Virginia | Registered: July 03, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Jack of All Trades,
Master of Nothing
Picture of 2000Z-71
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quote:
Originally posted by Jim Shugart:
Very cool pic. What camera, exposure time, F-stop, etc. did you use?

Nikon D7500, Nikkor 18-300mm 3.5-6.3 zoom lens, f3.5, 20 second exposure, ISO 26,000.

First time I've seriously tried nighttime photography. I've got a lot to learn...




My daughter can deflate your daughter's soccer ball.
 
Posts: 11919 | Location: Eagle River, AK | Registered: September 12, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Jack of All Trades,
Master of Nothing
Picture of 2000Z-71
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This was typical of a lot of the shots I was getting last night. I had no idea lunar flare was a thing. The cool thing about this shot from Goose Bay looking across Kinik Arm is one of the Iditarod musher's kennel was just over on the other side of the road. So I got serenaded by 100 huskies howling at the full moon.


A shot of the moon lighting up the Chugach Range. The snow literally glowed in the moonlight and it was almost like daylight.




My daughter can deflate your daughter's soccer ball.
 
Posts: 11919 | Location: Eagle River, AK | Registered: September 12, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Spiritually Imperfect
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Think of the moon as a giant sun reflector. Big Grin
Nice nighttime shots.
 
Posts: 3876 | Location: WV | Registered: January 30, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Looks cool! Send some of that snow to us here in Cordova!
 
Posts: 668 | Registered: August 23, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Charmingly unsophisticated
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Nice!


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Posts: 16253 | Location: Harrison, AR | Registered: February 05, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Nice photographs!


Jim
 
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Not really from Vienna
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I don’t see no onion...

Wink
 
Posts: 27233 | Location: SW of Hovey, Texas | Registered: January 30, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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tired, or just lazy
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Very nice pics!


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Posts: 2115 | Location: South Dakota-pheasant country | Registered: June 20, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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I've been dipping my toes in night photography as well but have been focusing more on the night sky during the new moon cycle or last quarter after the moon has set for the night. Haven't attempted any scenic shots when the moon has been out but I have shot pictures of just the moon and the exposure and ISO settings have been quite a bit less because of the brightness of the moon.

You would be surprised how much detail a camera can pull out of a dark night sky. Next new moon cycle you should give some of these shots another try but back off on the ISO setting a bit. High ISO settings introduce a lot of noise into the images.

Hopefully this link works but here is a shot I took a month or so ago with my Sony A6000 with a 21mm, F1.4 and 25 second exposure. I post processed the image in Lightroom Classic with some presets that I have but the lens picked up all of the detail and color even though there was no moon in the sky.



Edited to resize image.
 
Posts: 2504 | Location: Southern Minnesota | Registered: March 15, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of Tubetone
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quote:
Originally posted by 2000Z-71:
But I did get one shot tonight that I'm really proud of, Orion hunting over Flattop Mountain.


That shot is better than good. It's philosophically inspirational.

It makes one wonder. Nice job.

“When I consider the short duration of my life, swallowed up in an eternity before and after, the little space I fill engulfed in the infinite immensity of spaces whereof I know nothing, and which know nothing of me, I am terrified. The eternal silence of these infinite spaces frightens me.” Blaise Pascal


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Posts: 3078 | Registered: January 06, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Very cool!


phxtoad

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Posts: 427 | Location: Tempe, Arizona | Registered: October 01, 2013Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Green grass and
high tides
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all beautiful guys. Thanks for sharing.



"Practice like you want to play in the game"
 
Posts: 19855 | Registered: September 21, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Jack of All Trades,
Master of Nothing
Picture of 2000Z-71
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quote:
Originally posted by sjp:
Looks cool! Send some of that snow to us here in Cordova!

Surprised you haven't got any yet. I've been thinking about driving over o Valdez for the past couple of weeks. Everytime I'm off the weather forecast calls for snow over there so I haven't made the trip.




My daughter can deflate your daughter's soccer ball.
 
Posts: 11919 | Location: Eagle River, AK | Registered: September 12, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Baroque Bloke
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Orion – the BEST constellation!



Serious about crackers
 
Posts: 9599 | Location: San Diego | Registered: July 26, 2014Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of 229DAK
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quote:
Originally posted by 2000Z-71:
quote:
Originally posted by Jim Shugart:
Very cool pic. What camera, exposure time, F-stop, etc. did you use?

Nikon D7500, Nikkor 18-300mm 3.5-6.3 zoom lens, f3.5, 20 second exposure, ISO 26,000.

First time I've seriously tried nighttime photography. I've got a lot to learn...

Was the lens at 18mm or something more?


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Posts: 9339 | Location: Northern Virginia | Registered: November 04, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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^^^^
Your linky no workey
 
Posts: 17614 | Location: Stuck at home | Registered: January 02, 2015Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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veiw from my scope Wink





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Posts: 55277 | Location: Henry County , Il | Registered: February 10, 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Eschew Obfuscation
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Beautiful shot of Orion.


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Posts: 6617 | Location: Chicago, IL | Registered: December 17, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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