Latest Posts by wayne-pinkston - Page 5

The Forgotten Arm, Part 1: by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Website Instagram Facebook Painted Hand Ancestral Puebloan Ruins “The Forgotten Arm” is actually a boxing term describing “a move in which one arm is used to hit the opponent, causing him to "forget" about the other arm, which is then used to deliver a harsher blow” (Wikipedia). I am going to borrow this phrase to describe the Northern Arm of the Milky Way, or arm of the Milky Way we see extending North in the Northern Hemisphere. Our sun actually lies in the Orion Arm or Orion Spur, a minor arm of the Milky Way between the Sagittarius Arm and the Perseus Arm. Since we are looking from within the Milky Way, we see it as a disk-like structure edge on, rather than a spiral. A large part of what we see when we look away from the Galactic Core is the Perseus Arm. I call this northern portion the “Forgotten Arm” because we go to so much trouble to shoot away from it, and work to include the Galactic Core in our photos instead. We even have “Milky Way Season”, implying the season is over after the core moves below the horizon in our Northern Hemisphere winter. The “Northern Arm” is still up there, and has lots of interesting structures to see, and is photogenic in itself. Among structures in this region are the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), other Galaxies including Mirach’s Ghost Galaxy (NGC404), the Triangulum Galaxy (M33), and others, as well as star clusters including the Double Cluster (DC), Spiral Cluster (M34), Open Cluster (C28), Dragonfly Cluster (DF) and others, as well as Nebula including the Heart Nebula (IC1805), and Soul Nebula (IC1848). I will try and label some of these structures. There will be 2 photos, one with landscape, and one magnified and labeled. More to come, Cheers Wayne

The Organ by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Website Instagram Facebook This butte is called The Organ, located on the main road in Arches National Park, Utah, USA. This is a panorama of about 12 vertical images (some were cropped off the sides), taken with a Nikon 810A and Nikon 14-24 mm lens at 20 mm, f 2.8,20 sec., and ISO 12,800. Processed in PS and LR. This was taken from the path to "Park Avenue", a nearby area. The main challenge here was to get all the shots without car lights. Arches has become a very popular location for star gazing and night photography, and there is still a lot of traffic on the roads until midnight or so. The milky way was centered over The Organ shortly after twilight, and to get this composition you needed to shoot early. It took about 5 minutes to shoot the whole series, and 5 minutes without car lights was hard to come by. Due to the location near the road, car headlights can light up the formation from pretty far away. This was shot multiple times until I could get a series of photos with only a few interruptions. Anyway it worked out well. After midnight things get quieter in Arches, and most of the stargazers go home, but it's still a busy place for photographers. The butte is dimly lit with what I call "LLL", or Low Level Lighting. It is done with LED light panels (on tripods, and with warming filters) turned down very low to match starlight, and then left on the whole time. People passing by would not be able to see any light on the structure. Thanks for taking the time to look. Hope you enjoy! Big thanks to the wonderful Flickr family for all the support and encouragement! Cheers, Wayne

Ancestral Puebloan (also known as the Anasazi or Cliffdwellers) Ruins in the Four Corners region of the SW USA. This a part of a pueblo, occupied in the 1200's, located in the Canyon of the Ancients. Cheers, Wayne Www.waynepinkstonphoto.com (at Canyon of the Ancients)

Grandstand at the La Playa Racetrack by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Website Instagram Facebook This is "The Grandstand" in the Racetrack Playa in Death Valley. The Playa is a dry lake bed in Death Valley National Park. It lies in a relatively remote area, about a 4 hour drive from Furnace Creek, mostly down a rutted and sometimes rocky dirt road. This is not a road to hurry alone. There are many tales of flat or ruptured tires, and this is not a place to get stuck. The dry lake bed is sonic and unusual. It is best known for the "Sailing Stones" or "Walking Rocks". The Grandstand lies in the NW area of the Playa, and the Sailing Stones are better see more to the South. The Grandstand is a large rock formation arising from the dry lake bed. The photographer in the right foreground of the photo is Eric Gail. He masterminded the trip to the playa. Thank you Eric! You can see his excellent gallery here: www.flickr.com/photos/dot21studios Hey Eric, I'm going to need another model release! Maybe you can send me the name of your agent! Thanks for taking the time to look. Hope you enjoy! Big thanks to the wonderful Flickr family for all the support and encouragement! Cheers, Wayne

The Sailing Stones of Death Valley by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Website Instagram Facebook The Sailing Stones or Walking Rocks of the Racetrack Playa in Death Valley National Park, California, USA. The Playa is an extensive "dry" lake bed at a height of 1130 meters, 3608 feet, in Death Valley NP. It is 4.5 km long and 2.1km wide. The Moving Rocks have long been a mystery, leaving behind long tracks as they move without human or animal intervention. It's a fascinating and mysterious place at night. Cameras were set up to monitor them during the winter, and it is now thought that the stones move due to ice in the winter. A temporary pond can form and ice over. As the ice sheet breaks up the ice panels are blown by the wind and push the rocks along the semi frozen lake bed. This is a composite image with focus stacking, all taken at the same sitting and position. There is one exposure focused on the stars and distant mountains, one on the middle ground, and one on the stone, other camera factors unchanged. The rock was too close to get it all focused in one shot. Hope you enjoy, Thanks for taking the time to look. Hope you enjoy! Big thanks to the wonderful Flickr family for all the support and encouragement! Cheers, Wayne

Dreaming of Alien Lands by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Website Instagram Facebook This is a panorama taken in the Valley of Dreams in NW New Mexico. 11 images taken at 15 mm, f 3.2, 15 sec., and ISO 6400, stitched together in Lightroom. I was hoping to create a feel for the bizarre and otherworldly landscape. There is a light panel with a warming filter behind the larger hoodoo to the right, and another behind me to the side. Thanks for taking the time to look. Hope you enjoy! Big thanks to the wonderful Flickr family for all the support and encouragement! Cheers, Wayne

Questions and Answers

When to Photograph the Milky Way

Question: Hello Wayne, I love your photos...always... Can you please guide me how to find the Milky Way? How do you know when and where to see the Milky Way?

Answer: Hello, and thanks for asking. When you see the Milky Way (MW), and how well you see the MW depends on:

1) where you live, and 

2) the time of the year, and

3) the moon or lunar cycle ( a new moon is good, full moon is bad), and

4) and just how dark it is in your location.

It is most desirable to photograph the Galactic Core of the Milky Way. The MW Season is considered to be the months when the Galactic core is above the horizon. The Galactic Core is the widest and most colorful part of the galaxy.

In the Northern Hemisphere these are the good times for Milky Way photography in 2017, at a latitude of approximately 38 degrees north :

Feb. 23 to March 5       (a couple hours in the early a.m.)

March 23 to April 1       (a few hours in the early a.m.)

April 19 to 29

May 18 to 29

June 15-28

July 16 to 27

August 15 to 24

Sept 12 to 22                 (a few hours each night)

At these times the core of the MW is above the horizon and the moon is below the horizon for 2 hours or more. At the beginning and the end of the MW season the core of the MW may only be optimum for an hour or two. In the middle of the MW season, it may be optimum for 4-6 hours. The farther north you go, the shorter the MW season, and the farther south you go, the longer the MW season.  The best months in the northern hemisphere are April through August, and to a lesser degree March and September.   Some portion of the Milky Way, the “arms” of the galaxy, can be see during the new moons during the rest of the year but this portion is the less colorful and less photogenic part of the galaxy. Seeing the MW also depends on light pollution. You need a very dark place away from cities. You can look up places with very dark skies on the Internet, or you can use a smart phone app called "Dark Sky Finder". This will show you where the darkest places are located, and where the light pollution from cities is bad. I use other smart phone apps to plan shooting the MW as well. These include TPE, PhotoPills, and PlanIt. These help to show where the Milky is located in the sky and when it can be seen, and when the moon phase is best for viewing the Milky Way.

Hope the helps, Cheers, Wayne

Questions and Answers

About how to start a web site:

Question: My question is do you have any advice on website set up, online stock image banks, etc.? I see that someone can order one of your prints in a variety of sizes,etc.  Do you physically print them and mount them?  Maybe I don't know enough to even know what are the right  questions to ask.  regardless and advice would be appreciated 

Answer: I use SmugMug to host my personal website. I previously used Photium to host my website, but it was more trouble, and they did not promote the website in searches as well as Smugmug. SmugMug also makes it easier to upload or delete photos. 

https://www.smugmug.com https://www.smugmug.com/plans

I pay them about $150 USD a year to host my website, If I remember correctly. You can get a more robust Business site for about $300 a year. With that package they will design custom packages for mailing to your customers, etc., very fancy. With SmugMug, the setup is pretty easy.There are some You Tube Videos that show you how to do  it. You can customize your website quite a bit.There are other vendors that allow even more customization of your site, but the process gets more complex.I wanted a site that simple and clean, and not too distracting or difficult to navigate. I looked for a host that make selling photos simple, and most importantly, I wanted a host that did a good job of getting your web site noticed in searches on Google, etc. i did some reading, and it seemed that Smug Mug was one of the best at that.You pick a vendor to print your photos. I picked Bay Photo, which is the vendor I use to print my personal photos. There are excellent, one of the best. When someone buys a photo on the site, SmugMug sends the file to Bay Photo and Bay Photo prints it and sends it directly to the customer. It is “hands free” for you. You determine the price of your photos like this:  If Bay Photo charges $10 for a large print, then you determine the markup. For example you can chose 200% and the price of the photo would be $20, and you would get $10, or whatever after taxes. You could choose a 100% markup for a paper print and a 50% markup for a metal print, or whatever you want to do.Hope this helps, Cheers, Wayne

http://waynepinkstonphoto.com

The Three Gossips by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Website Instagram Facebook 

 Arches National Park, Utah. This is a night panorama of the landmark "Three Gossips" formation (foreground on the right), with "The Organ" rock formation in the center background. Sheep Rock is to the left. This is a panorama of multiple vertical images shot at 24 mm, !5 sec., f/2.8, and ISO 12,800, combined in Lightroom and processed in LR and Photoshop. Hope you enjoy! Thanks for taking the time to look. Hope you enjoy! Big thanks to the wonderful Flickr family for all the support and encouragement! Cheers, Wayne

Bristlecone Pine by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr:  Bristlecone Pine in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains of California. Thanks for taking the time to look. Hope you enjoy! Big thanks to the wonderful Flickr family for all the support and encouragement! Cheers, Wayne

http://waynepinkstonphoto.com

The Tree Sisters by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: 

 The Three Sisters, Goblin Valley State Park, Utah. The lighting is done with an LED light panel, made for video, with a warming filter that comes with the light. The light is too blue without the warming filter. This is an F&V Z96 panel I got on Amazon.com. It is placed on a 10 foot, 3 m high lightweight tripod (from B&H Photo), turned down to the lowest setting and left on the whole time. You can hardly see any light at all. I call this Low Level Landscape Lighting , or just Low Level Lighting (LLL). This is not classic light painting. Once you get it set up you can move around, get different angles, etc. (This discussion is in response to a question I received). Thanks for taking the time to look. Hope you enjoy! Big thanks to the wonderful Flickr family for all the support and encouragement! Cheers, Wayne

http://waynepinkstonphoto.com

Questions and Answers

How to take vertical photos and panoramas:

Question: What do you use to mount the camera vertically for your panos?

Answer: I use an "L" bracket. Here are photos from a Google search:

https://www.google.com/search?q=l+bracket+camera&client=safari&rls=en&biw=1584&bih=1295&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwit5fCbseLPAhXJHT4KHaYqAu0Q_AUICSgC

It screws on the bottom of the camera, and will attach to the tripod head either horizontally or vertically. It is Much better than turning the tripod head vertically, with the camera hanging to the side. The camera, when vertically with the L bracket, is balanced over the center of the tripod, and is much more stable than if you turn the whole tripod head sideways. Also, because the center of rotation is closer to the sensor plane there is much less parallax. Parallax has not been an issue for me. I use an Acratex L bracket and tripod head. There are many brands, and you just need to make sure the L bracket fits with whatever tripod head you are using. You can also use a nodal rail to further prevent paralax, This helps to center the sensor plane right over the center of rotation. In my night images paralax problems have not been a issue however when using the Acratex L bracket. Hope this helps, Cheers, Wayne

http://waynepinkstonphoto.com

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado, at night. This was taken near the end of August along the North or NE side. The Visitors Center and primary roads are along the South side, but the North side is much quieter. I was not aware of this park until I was introduced to it by @pinkstonian. For "Lord of the Rings" fans, this is as close to Mordor as you might ever see. The canyon is very dark, narrow, and deep. In some places it is much deeper than wide. The dark rock is much different than the red rock canyons of nearby Utah and Arizona. This is a composite of 2 images, 20 sec, ISO 12,800 for the sky, 300 sec, ISO 1600 for the foreground, both at 14mm, f2.8. Cheers, Wayne http://waynepinkstonphoto.com

Canyon Country by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Canyon Country. This is the view from Muley Point atop Cedar Mesa in southern Utan. It is near the top of the Moki (Mokey) Dungway, a spectacular dirt road that drops 1,200 feet or 400 meters from the top of Cedar Mesa down into the valley below. The views are spectacular, looking from southern Utah all the way to Arizona and Monument Valley. This is canyon country, atop the vast Colorado Plateau, occupying parts of Utah,Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. The plateau is around 5,000 - 6,000 feet or 2,000 meters high, with innumerable deep canyons and gulches. You mostly travel on top of the plateau or mesas, and descend into the canyons. It is like an endless wonderland to explore. I love the night photos taken on mountain tops, but this is a bit different. You are atop the mesas looking down, but you are looking down into deep dark canyons. There is not much light down there!!! Hopefully I have captured some of the beauty. This is a composite image consisting of a 15 sec., ISO 6400 image for the sky, and a 5 minute ISO 1600 images of the foreground, taken back to back. Both taken at 24 mm, f/2.0 with a Rokinon 24 mm f/1.4 lens. Thanks for taking the time to look. Hope you enjoy! Big thanks to the wonderful Flickr family for all the support and encouragement! Cheers, Wayne Please join me at: Website Facebook Instagram Blog

Stillness Reigns Over The Alabama Hills by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: This was taken in the Alabama Hills in eastern California, near Mt Whitney. For those who have not been there, it is a wonderful place for night photography, or any landscape photography for that matter. There are numerous large rock collections separated by largely flat ground, making it easy to get around. This panorama was made from multiple vertical images shot at 14 mm, f/2.8, 20 sec., and ISO 10,000. Processed in Lightroom and Photoshop. My daughter served as my photo assistant this summer, and that is her standing on the rock.A big thank you to Eric Gail (www.flickr.com/photos/dot21studios/) for finding this spot. Thanks for taking the time to look. Hope you enjoy! Big thanks to the wonderful Flickr family for all the support and encouragement! Please join me at: Website Facebook Instagram Blog

A Candle Wax Landscape by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Thanks to everyone for the kind comments! This is a panorama from the Bisti Badlands in the NW part of New Mexico, USA. The landscape resembles melted wax in many areas, an is the result of erosion of an ancient sea bed over millions of years. It is "otherworldly" and a unique experience at night. This is a panorama of multiple vertical images shot at 18 mm, f 3.2, 25 sec., and ISO 6400. There is Low Level Lighting, or LLL, to gently illuminate the foreground. This is very dim constant light that attempts to match starlight, so dim you can hardly see it. In this case I have used LED light panels with warming filters turned down very low. Thanks for taking the time to look. Hope you enjoy! Big thanks to the wonderful Flickr family out there. Please join me at: Website Facebook Instagram Blog

Fly Away... by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: This is called The King of wings. It is a winged hoodoo in the badlands of New Mexico. I saw a photo of this hoodoo about 2 years ago and had a real itch to photograph it. Last year I went there and it happened to be the wrong time of the year. I returned this spring and finally got the right night and season. The trail there is not very long, and if you do it just right it is not all that hard. The trail is unusually unforgiving though, especially at night. You can be 3-4 meters, or 10-15 feet off the GPS track and not be able to pass. You may be just off the trail and on a ridge rather than in a ravine. This is especially true at night when vision is limited. It is an unusual place with a partial skeleton near the base, probably from a cow. This is a panorama of multiple vertical images. There is Low Level Lighting, or LLL, to give some detail to the rocks. This is lighting that is very dim and left on the whole time, done with LED light panels. I am not sure of the size, but it is easy to walk upright under the "wing". There must be a massive amount of weight cantilevered from the base. Thanks for taking the time to look. Hope you enjoy! Big thanks to the wonderful Flickr family out there. Please join me at: Website Facebook Instagram Blog

Contemplation by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Corona Arch near Moab, Utah. The person in the arch is my wife and it was her first real night hike. She had accompanied me to other night shoot but not one requiring hiking. The hike was about 1.5 miles or 2.4 km. First of all we are from Virginia (flat). A Utah mile (km) is a lot different than a Va. mile. It would seem that they used a different rule to measure distance in Utah, lol. 😳 Second, everything seems longer in the dark, as you cannot see landmarks and it's hard to see you are making progress. Third, there are a couple of cables and a ladder to make the hike safer. They are not hard, but they do look intimidating in the dark. So, it was definitely a case of "are we there yet"???? She was really a good sport but thought I was crazy to take her there. It's all a lot easier if you have seen it in the daylight. So thanks Vickie for being a good sport and my model. One it was over she admitted she had a good time. 😀. Www.waynepinkstonphoto.com Thanks for taking the time to look. Hope you enjoy! Big thanks to the wonderful Flickr family out there. Please join me at: Website Facebook Instagram Blog

Colorado River in Canyonlands National Park by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: This is a night view taken of the Colorado River in Canyonlands National Park in Utah, USA. This was taken at Shafer Point, overlooking another "horseshoe" bend in the Colorado River. This is a composite of 2 images, the sky taken at 14 mm, 30 sec., f/2.8, and ISO 12,800. The foreground was taken at 14 mm, f/2.8, 600 sec., and ISO 2000. Thanks for taking the time to look. Hope you enjoy! Big thanks to the wonderful Flickr family out there. Please join me at: Website Facebook Instagram Blog

Tower House Ruin Panorama by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: This is a panorama of the Tower House Ruin near the Cedar Mesa region of Utah. It is an Ancestral Puebloan Ruin, or Anasazi - Cliff Dweller Ruin in the Four Corners region of the SW USA. This is a panorama of multiple vertical images combined in Lightroom, looking out from the alcove. There is low level constant light on the foreground. This is not classic light painting, but more similar to modified studio lighting or "outdoor" studio lighting. It consists of light panels on tripods left on the whole time, very dim, barely visible or not visible to the naked eye. This takes time to set up. The light is intended to match the intensity of starlight (it does not take much!). This different from traditional light painting where you briefly shine a brighter light on the subject or near a subject. I have encountered several photographers at night that just about had a nervous breakdown when you mentioned light painting, but then became very quiet and cooperative when they saw the lighting I set up. I think we need a different label for this kind of landscape lighting, different from "light painting". I have decided to personally call this Low Level Landscape Lighting, (LLLL for short), or LLL, Low Level Lighting. I hope some term other than light painting catches on, as it just does not describe the more recent methods of landscape lighting at night. I doubt that anyone in a studio would describe their lighting as "light painting;. We just need some new language to talk about these methods more accurately. Thanks for taking the time to look. Hope you enjoy! Big thanks to the wonderful Flickr family out there. Please join me at: Website Facebook Instagram Blog

Red Topped Hoodoos in the Valley of Dreams by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Red Topped Hoodoos in the Valley of Dreams, New Mexico Badlands. There is low level constant light on the foreground. This is not classic light painting, but more similar to modified studio lighting or "outdoor" studio lighting. It consists of light panels on tripods left on the whole time, very dim, barely visible or not visible to the naked eye. This takes time to set up. The light is intended to match the intensity of starlight (it does not take much!). This different from traditional light painting where you briefly shine a brighter light on the subject or near a subject. I have encountered several photographers at night that just about had a nervous breakdown when you mentioned light painting, but then became very quiet and cooperative when they saw the lighting I set up. I think we need a different label for this kind of landscape lighting, different from "light painting". I have decided to personally call this Low Level Landscape Lighting, (LLLL for short), or LLL, Low Level Lighting. I hope some term other than light painting catches on, as it just does not describe the more recent methods of landscape lighting at night. I doubt that anyone in a studio would describe their lighting as "light painting;. We just need some new language to talk about these methods more accurately. Thanks for taking the time to look. Hope you enjoy! Big thanks to the wonderful Flickr family out there. Please join me at: Website Facebook Instagram Blog

Ancestral Puebloan or Anasazi Ruins in the Four Corners by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: This is a panorama of Ancestral Puebloan or Anasazi Ruins in the Four Corners region of SW USA. This is made from a series of single vertical images shot at 18 mm, f/2.8, 30 sec., ISO 6400. There is low level constant light on the foreground. This is not classic light painting, but more similar to modified studio lighting or "outdoor studio lighting". It consists of light panels on tripods left on the whole time, very dim, barely visible or not visible to the naked eye. This takes time to set up. The light is intended to match the intensity of starlight (it does not take much!). This different from traditional light painting where you briefly shine a brighter light on the subject or near a subject. I have encountered several photographers at night that just about had a nervous breakdown when you mentioned light painting, but then became very quiet and cooperative when they saw the lighting I set up. I think we need a different "label" for this kind of landscape lighting, different from "light painting". I have decided to personally call this Low Level Landscape Lighting, or LLLL for short. I hope some term other than light painting catches on, as it just does not describe the more recent methods of landscape lighting at night. I doubt that anyone in a studio would describe their lighting as "light painting". We just need some new language to talk about these methods more accurately. Cheers, Wayne Thanks for taking the time to look. Hope you enjoy! Big thanks to the wonderful Flickr family out there. Please join me at: Website Facebook Instagram Blog

Partition Arch by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: The Milky Way shining Partition Arch in Arches National Park, Utah. Nikon 14-24 mm lens, f/2.8, 30 sec., ISO 6400. There is a constant light used, an LED light panel with a warming filter turned down low and left on. Thanks for taking the time to look. Hope you enjoy! Big thanks to the wonderful Flickr family out there. Please join me at: Website Facebook Instagram Blog

Question and Answers

Using the Nikon 14-24 f/2.8  vs.  Rokinon-Bower 24 f/1.4 

Question: Wayne, do you shoot with the 24mm because there is less distortion when you stitch the images together? I'm just curious why the rokinon 24 vs say the Nikon 14-24 at 14mm , which is a wonderful lens. I understand the rokinon has a larger aperture but at 24 mm, max exposure time is reduced. Obviously you knocked this image out of the ballpark - would love to know a bit more about the lens choices for panoramas. Thanks and keep up the fantastic work.

Answer: Well, first of all, at 24 mm my version of the 24/1.4 is remarkably sharp, even at f/1.4. It is sharper and has less coma than the Nikon 14-24 at f/2.8. The Nikon is a wonderful lens, and is my most used and versatile lens, but if I am shooting at 24 mm then the 24/1.4 is better. Second, it lets in more light. I can push the histogram more to the right. There is some danger in overexposing the stars, and I was concerned about that, but it worked out. I actually took the pano at several settings and chose the best one. By pushing the histogram more to the right, I get much more detail in the foreground, and that was the goal. For example, some photographers have argued that if you shoot the same photo with an ISO of 6400 and 12,800, all other settings being equal, the 12,800 will actually have less noise in the darker foreground areas than the 6400 photo. The histogram is pushed to the right, the foreground looks lighter, asnd there is less noise there. This is because the dark pixels in the dark left side of the each have less information than the lighter pixels in the right side of the histogram. Less information in each dark pixel equals more noise in the image. The more you push the histogram to the right, the more information you have in each pixel and relatively less noise. Of course you have to avoid overexposing the sky. Overexposure is rarely a problem in night photography, lol. Anyway there are some people that advocate shooting at higher ISOs for that reason. There are discussions on the internet about it. Hope this helps! More light into the camera is good, especially when you are working at the limits of the cameras sensor!

Shiprock Reprised by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: This is a panorama of Shiprock, the huge rock tower for which the town of Shiprock, New Mexico is named. Many photos back I posted a photo of Shipwreck from last year, and several people had expressed an interest in shooting there. We (myself, Chris Wray, Sandra Herber, and Eric Gail) shot there and ran into another group from Flickr including Willa Wei, Huibo Hou, and Wenjie Qiao. Some of their photos have been posted from the night, and it is fascinating to see how different photographers interpret what they capture. The photos vary quite a bit and reflect choices in processing and acquisition. Willa's group captured foreground photos at blue hour and as such they have more foreground detail which is beautiful. We arrived later and for the panoramas obtained a series of vertical single exposures, foreground included. This is series of 12 vertical images obtained with a 24 f1.4 Bower-Rokinon lens at 24 mm, f 1.4, 15 sec., andISO 12,800. The rock monolith is 1,583 feet, 482.5 meters high (from the surrounding plain). It is the remnant of the throat or central core of an extinct volcano, exposed over time by erosion. By the way, one of the photographers, Wenjie Qiao, has developed an excellent smartphone app called PlanIt, that helps to plan night photographs like this. Consider checking it out! Thanks for taking the time to look. Hope you enjoy! Big thanks to the wonderful Flickr family out there. Please join me at: Website Facebook Instagram Blog

The Rubber Duckie of the Badlands (Bad Duckie!) by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: I posted this on 500px as the the Bisti Sphinx, but remarked that it looked more like a Rubber Duckie. Well everyone who bothered to remark liked Rubber Duckie better, so it is now the Badlands Duckie. There was one vote for Napoleon's Hat! It is about 10-12 feet, 3-4 meters high, and sits up on its own pedestal on top os a small ridge. The elevation gives a wonderful view of the badlands in the distance. It may have another name, but I could not find one. The hoodoo in the distance on the lower right is called the Ostrich Hoodoo, which may help for the location. This is a panorama of 15 vertical images, all single exposures, taken with a 14-24 mm lens at 18mm, f3.2, 20 sec, and ISO 6400 and stitched together in Lightroom. Sky and foreground were taken at the same time. Foreground was illuminated with a single dimmable LED light panel with a warming filter, set to low and left on. I've been away from Flickr for a while due to being out in the field photographing quite a bit. I hope to have some good photos to share in the future. Thanks for taking the time to look. Hope you enjoy! Big thanks to the wonderful Flickr family out there. Please join me at: Website Facebook Instagram Blog

River House Anasazi Ruins by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Anasazi Part 8: This is the River House Ruin adjacent to the San Juan River near Bluff, Utah. It is a very well preserved Anasazi or Ancestral Puebloan ruin. You can drive up to the ruin if you can survive the 4WD road. It is unusual in that you can actually get close in the car or by ATV. Most ruins require a hike. The 4WD road is a real adventure though. It takes about 45 minutes, and traverses a stream 3 times, and requires careful driving through rutted stone, sand, clay. I would not recommend it if the roads are wet. Driving the road in the dark was exciting to say the least. This is a panorama of 13 vertical images taken at 24 mm, f/1.8, 15 sec., and ISO 12,800. Taken with a Bower (also known as Rokinon) 24 mm f/1.4 lens. Thanks for taking the time to look. Hope you enjoy! Big thanks to the wonderful Flickr family out there. Please join me at: Website Facebook Instagram Blog

The Bisti Seal by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Many times I have seen formations called names such as The Eagle Rock, or The Lion Rock, or The Old Man, or other names, and usually they look mostly like a big rock. Well, this is called the Seal Rock, and it really looks like a Seal! 24 mm, 20 sec., ISO 6400, f/2.8. The small blue-green fuzzy object just above the right side of the Milky Way is the comet 252P/LINEAR. Thanks for taking the time to look. Hope you enjoy! Big thanks to the wonderful Flickr family out there. Please join me at: Website Facebook Instagram Blog

The Alien Throne with Comet 252P/Linear by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: No Aliens, just the Alien Throne. The unique Hoodoo is in the New Mexico Badlands, north of Chaco Canyon. I have been fascinated by the appearance since I first saw it's photo, and finally got to photograph it at night. The atmosphere is surreal. I love the melted wax appearance of the rocks in the region. 14-24 mm lens at 24 mm, 20 sec., f/2.8, ISO 6400. The small blue-green fuzzy object just above the right side of the large hoodoo is the comet 252P/LINEAR. Thanks for taking the time to look. Hope you enjoy! Big thanks to the wonderful Flickr family out there. Please join me at: Website Facebook Instagram Blog

Questions and Answers

About lighting: Which lights and Equipment to take with you

Question: 

From the picture you posted recently, you already went to Bisti Badlands area.  My friends and I are going to go there in May and we start to prepare lights for night photography. From the links you sent to me while ago, we can see what lights you used for your night shooting. However, we tried it recently when we went to Death Valley and we were not sure how many lights we need and how to setup the lights. Would you mind to share your experience with us? Do you use stands, how tall do you normally use? I bought total four CI-160 lights with two tall stands and two low stands. Since we have a weight limit when we do backpacking, I'd like to know whether I need to bring all the stands or four is not enough.

Answer:  

Abouts lights of night photos - Remember, you are exposing for starlight, and you do not need much light. You only need to match the intensity of starlight. I have used the Chromo CI 160, the Neewer CN 160, and the F&V Z96, among others. I have these and use them, BUT most of the time they too bright even on the lowest setting, especially if you are close to the area of interest. So, to make them dimmer, I cover them or drape them with a white handkerchief or white napkin, cloth or paper. Both work, I use white cloth. Many times I fold it in two or double it up to dampen down the light even more. I always use the warming filter. I have found that there is some blue light leak around the edges of the filter. This looks bad if you have the light in an arch for example. You can get a combination of blue and yellow light. To fix this I tape around the edges with black gaffers tape. $4 on Amazon.

www.amazon.com/Adorama-Gaffer-Tape-Yards-Black/dp/B00370WU2G?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00

I have found that smaller lights are very useful. I now carry two F&V Z 96 and two smaller lights that have 36 LEDs. They are smaller and lighter and very good. They are dimmable and come with a warming filter. $19.50 on Amazon:

www.amazon.com/Neewer-CN-LUX360-Dimmable-Camera-Camcorder/dp/B0098G9LHU?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00

I tape the edges on this also. If you want to convert any blue LED to a warmer temperature light color you can make your own warming filter. I use Roscoe theatrical gel. It comes in various colors and you can mix and match to get the color you want. It comes in sheets of 20 X 24 inches, and costs about $6-8 on Amazon or B&H. Just cut out a piece and cove your light with it. Here are some that I use:

www.amazon.com/Rosco-Roscolux-Effects-Lighting-Filter/dp/B000N7Y9ZW?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00

www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/163130-REG/Rosco_102302042124_E_Colour_204_Full_CT.html

www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/163132-REG/Rosco_102302052124_E_Colour_205_1_2_CT.html

For small areas I use use reflected light from a halogen xenon hand held spotlight. I reflect it off of sometime off to the side at 45-60 degrees. Halogen lights have a nice warm color. Reflecting the light diffuses the light, and if you can make the light come from the side, then you will create shadows and depth and a more 3D effect. If you shine the light on the foreground from the camera position the scene will look flat and less interesting. Get all of your lights off to the side somehow. This can be difficult in rough terrain, but at least try, This is the Li-ion halogen light I use. $24 on Amazon:

www.amazon.com/Performance-Tool-W2435-Li-Ion-Light/dp/B00EDE7X7W?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00

It is rechargeable. On continuous use it only lasts about 12 minutes, but I only use it for about 6-8 seconds a photo, so it lasts for many photos. It usually lasts the whole night. Occasionally it runs out. Use a snoot on the light. This prevents side scatter and makes the light more controllable. A snoot is a dark tube around the barrel and source of the light. Examples:

www.google.com/search?q=snoot&client=safari&rls=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj-8cOJk6DMAhWDWz4KHQzZDsQQ_AUIBygB&biw=1498&bih=1231

Just make your own. I have used empty cereal boxes, rolled up plastic dinner place mats, etc. It is better if the snoot is black or a neutral color. Some people like a more neutral light. 

If you want a neutral light you can use the Hi CR LED lights. It has a much more neutral light than a typical blue light LED. I use this one:

www.amazon.com/EagleTac-D25LC2-Clicky-Nichia-Flashlight/dp/B00IK9HID0?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00

It is about $62 on Amazon. It is rechargeable, lasts a long the, and is incredibly bright. Also use a snoot. Other examples:

www.amazon.com/Bundle-Nitecore-Flashlight-Searchlight-EASTSHINE/dp/B017KHTJ98?ie=UTF8&keywords=LED%20hi%20CR%20LED&qid=1461256808&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2

www.amazon.com/Tactical-Flashlight-EdisonBright-Lithium-Batteries/dp/B00AIBFZME?ie=UTF8&keywords=LED%20hi%20CR%20LED&qid=1461256808&ref_=sr_1_8&sr=8-8

These are also called CREE LEDs. 

www.amazon.com/Mikafen-Flashlight-Torch-Adjustable-Zoomable/dp/B0183JMQ9C/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1461257049&sr=8-8&keywords=CREE+LED

www.amazon.com/Rechargeable-Brightest-Flashlight-External-Waterproof/dp/B0166NXRCM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461257049&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=CREE+LED&psc=1

If I do not have to hike very far I use a 10 foot or 3 meter tripod stand for lighting. It is very light and it gets the lights well off the ground and creates less shadows from rocks and bushes on the ground. $57 USD on amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004Q7B0WA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I also use very small and lightweight tripods for lights. I carry 2. I use small cheap tripods for the lights. Here are some I use:

Cheap, light 50 inch tripod from Amazon,  $16 on Amazon:

www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-50-Inch-Lightweight-Tripod-Bag/dp/B00XI87KV8?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s01

Here is a 42" tripod that works better in my opinion. It is a little more sturdy, and still pretty light and compact. $20 on Amazon:

www.amazon.com/Polaroid-Carrying-Digital-Cameras-Camcorders/dp/B004W4BAUO?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00

These are very light, and can blow over in the wind. I have never lost a light to breakage though, but maybe I have been lucky. They do blow over, but that is the result of them being lightweight.

These are 42 to 50 inches high. The higher the better. You need to get the lights off the ground or they will create many ground shadows. I try to find a big rock to place the tripod on if possible. I also try to avoid any large rocks that may cast shadows on the area of interest.

I usually carry 2 F&V Z96 lights, 2 of the smaller 36 LED lights, the high CR LED, my Halogen hand held spotlight, and a couple of headlights. I carry my camera tripod and head, with a leveling head. I carry 2 small tripods for the lights. I carry a remote shutter release device. Extra batteries for the headlights. I have never had the LED light panels run out down the batteries in one night. If I know I am going to photograph something big, then I take the larger 160 LED light panel. I carry a number of white handkerchiefs to cover the front of the lights if necessary. (Sometimes I double up or triple up the handkerchiefs).

I also carry a small canister of Mace or Pepper Spray, and a gas powered Boat Horn. These look like a spray can with a cone on top. It is a gas powered horn that is incredible loud, and I hope it will scare off any wildlife that might be dangerous. Examples on Amazon, $5-20 :

www.amazon.com/Falcon-Safety-Super-Sound-Horn/dp/B0000AXTVF/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1461261495&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=boat+horn

www.amazon.com/Shoreline-Marine-Horn-Mini-Ounce/dp/B004UOVAO2/ref=sr_1_cc_9?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1461261495&sr=1-9-catcorr&keywords=boat+horn

I wear tall boots, 8" above the ankle, and watch for snakes.

I use either Canon or Nikon. I carry 3 lens. 1) Nikon 14-24 mm f/2.8 2) Rokinon (same as Samyang or Bower) 24 mm f/1.4 3) Fisheye lens Sigma 15 mm f/2.8 or Rokinon 12 mm f/2.8

That is what I carry. It's a lot but it is manageable.

Cheers,Wayne

2016