When it rains, look for rainbows
When it is dark, look for stars
When it rains stars, sit back and enjoy the show :)
Even when we don’t see – the night falls, stars raise and the show continues. Here is a fleeting moment spread across 25 mins, from a random night captured from few years back.
Canon 7D : Canon 10-22 mm : ISO 2500 : 10 mm : f3.5 : 30 sec [50 shots]
Cosmic Showers
Harmon, Illinois, USA
Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are …
Up above the world so high , like a diamond in the sky.When the blazing sun is gone, when he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light, twinkle, twinkle all the night.Then the traveller in the dark, thanks you for your tiny spark,
He could not see which way to go, if you did not twinkle so.In the dark blue sky you keep, and often through my curtains peep,
For you never shut your eye, ’till the sun is in the sky.As your bright and tiny spark lights the traveller in the dark,
Though I know not what you are – twinkle, twinkle little star.
It has been so many years that I totally forgot the lyrics of this lovely rhyme. On second thoughts – never mind – I wouldn’t have remembered past the second line, even if you had asked me then :P In the days of yore, one can only imagine how close people would have been with nature to be inspired to create such simple yet acclaimed art.
But these days, it is really unfortunate, that we are spoiling our night sky with all the light pollution. Did you know that nearly $2.2 billion dollars is spent every year in the U.S. alone on light that is wasted because it is spilled up into the night sky where it’s not needed. I drove 2 hours for this shot to get to a decent dark sky area, but still there were jarring lights on the horizon. It is high time we spread the word and raise some awareness to protect our night sky for our kids. And don’t forget to turn off the lights on Aug 12, 2013, if possible make it a habit :)
This weeks shot is from Green River State Wildlife area. And if you would like to create shots like these, check out the article – Stacking up the Stars – for the technique, Photoshop script (free download of course) and sample files to try hands on. The below is just one of the many ways you can process using the script (Creative Style Option 1 + Star Spike Pro). If your are getting started with night photography, check this write up – Sleeping with the Stars :)
You weren’t just a star in the sky, You were the whole damn sky …
Canon 7D : Canon 10-22 mm : ISO 2500 : 10 mm : f3.5 : 30 sec [86 shots]
| Its raining Diamonds, Green River Harmon, Illinois, USA |
It was a fun drive up Mt St Helens over the weekend. I was rooting for the sunset and there was some good light. But the highlight of the trip definitely was the milky way – suspended over St Helens. As we watched the stars drift across, the distant light on the horizon, lit up the clouds from beneath. It was ethereal.
I have tried to capture that feeling and moment in time. Nothing in this shot was created in Photoshop, It was all there – the stars, the clouds, the distant light and Mt St Helens. This is a composite of 60 shots each with an exposure of 30 seconds. One of the intermediate shots was processed to highlight the milky way; others were processed to highlight the star trail. I present to you ‘Condensed in Time’ – Approximately 30 minutes from that night, condensed into a single shot for you to enjoy. Hope u like it !
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Like the Ocean 