The "Milky Way" test of a boondocking site
I know there are many definitions of boondocking, and that is a good thing. But here is one possible test -- if you are not in a campground and you can see the Milky Way under clear skies, you are re...
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I have been stuck in town for several months due to family obligations, just wishing I could get away. We're hoping to get into the Eastern Sierra toward the end of the month to take advantage of the dark of the moon, at least for a few days, but who knows if it will happen?
So as a poor substitute for travel, I am going back and re-editing some of my favorite Milky Way shots. I'm posting this pair (below) to illustrate the power of editing in the digital age. The first one is the shot that came out of the camera, and the second has been re-edited in Lightroom, which is like Photoshop for Amateurs. (I am still learning how to take full advantage of editing.)
You'll notice a meteor trail in the upper right corner of the second shot -- I did not even see it when I first took and edited this photo!!
The mountains were faintly illuminated by a sliver of the moon as it was setting on the other side of the canyon -- so that enabled me to increase the exposure of the mountains without washing out the stars.
And the key to making the Milky Way "pop" was to wipe the Milky Way with a brush and slightly increase the exposure and the contrast. Using the virtual "brush" means that those changes only affect the area covered by the brush-stroke.
Anyway, this is the original shot:
Click For Full-Size Image.
And this is the latest version of the same shot, edited:
Click For Full-Size Image.
So as a poor substitute for travel, I am going back and re-editing some of my favorite Milky Way shots. I'm posting this pair (below) to illustrate the power of editing in the digital age. The first one is the shot that came out of the camera, and the second has been re-edited in Lightroom, which is like Photoshop for Amateurs. (I am still learning how to take full advantage of editing.)
You'll notice a meteor trail in the upper right corner of the second shot -- I did not even see it when I first took and edited this photo!!
The mountains were faintly illuminated by a sliver of the moon as it was setting on the other side of the canyon -- so that enabled me to increase the exposure of the mountains without washing out the stars.
And the key to making the Milky Way "pop" was to wipe the Milky Way with a brush and slightly increase the exposure and the contrast. Using the virtual "brush" means that those changes only affect the area covered by the brush-stroke.
Anyway, this is the original shot:
Click For Full-Size Image.And this is the latest version of the same shot, edited:
Click For Full-Size Image.
