Nightscape - Blog Posts

As soon as Neowise comet became visible, so many photos appeared across internet with it! Here is my capture of this magnificent comet. Unfortunately because of pretty bright and cloudy night it wasn't seen so well. I hope to have good weather in next few days to have another chance to photograph this thing! You still can see it, so take your chance! It won't be seen again for another 6800 years!🌠 . . . . . #latvija #latvia #enjoylatvia #thisislatvia #landscapephoto #landscape_photography #nightscape #nightphotography #comet #neowise #cometneowise #roamtheplanet #visualsofearth #visualambassadors #nightphoto #outdoorlife #outdoortones #folkgreen #planetearth #amazing_captures #awesome_earth #awesome_shots #moodygrams #thegreatplanet #nakedplanet #world_shotz #travelers #beautifuldestinations #stayandwander #depthsofearth (at Cenas Tīrelis) https://www.instagram.com/p/CC6Fko_BQ5d/?igshid=1kvjsbs6h7yd0

The Milky Way and Mars over the Tatoosh Range at Mount Rainier National Park. . . . #astrophotography #astrophoto #milkyway #milkywaygalaxy #galaxy #nightscape #mountrainier #mountrainiernps #mrnp #mtrainier #wideangle #longexposure #longexposureshots #teamcanon #canon80d #stargazing #k5summer #king5 #livewashington #explorewashington #thatpnwlife #tatoosh #mars #mountainlife #hiking #pacificnorthwest #visitrainier (at Mount Rainier National Park)

Totem Pole Panorama by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Website, Instagram, Facebook Panorama of the Totem Pole in Monument Valley, Utah. 11 images, 24 mm vertically, f 2.8, 15 sec., ISO 12,800. Thanks for all the kind support over the last year, it is much appreciated! A big thank you to the wonderful Flickr family!

Among the Hoodoos by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Website, Instagram, Facebook This was taken in the badlands in northern New Mexico. There are multiple areas you can visit outside of the better known Bisti Badlands. In this photo I was using Low Level Lighting to try and create a sense of depth to the field of hoodoos in the foreground. If you want a guide to the area consider contacting Kialo Winters at Navajo Tours USA. To all Night Photographers - There will be a large Nightscaper Conference in Moab May 1-3, 2019. There will be multiple speakers over 3 days and nightly excursions. You can find more information here: intothenightphoto.blogspot.com/ Thanks for all the kind support over the last year, it is much appreciated! A big thank you to the wonderful Flickr family!

A Whale of a View by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Website, Instagram, Facebook This is an arch called “Eye of the Whale” in Arches National Park. It is one of the more obscure and less visited arches. You have to take a dirt road for a couple of miles, or several kms, to get to the arch. The road alternates with rocky areas and deep sand, so a high clearance 4WD vehicle is required. It’s a fun spot off the beaten path. This is a panorama of 6 vertical images taken with a Sigma 14 mm f/1.8 lens at f 2.8, 30 sec, and ISO 12,800, with a Nikon 850 camera. The Arch is deeper than most, almost like a short tunnel. My first thought when hearing the name was “why would someone name an arch that”? Anyway, when you approach the arch from the path it really doses look like a giant eye, and even photos from inside the arch look like you are viewing from inside a giant eye. Hope you enjoy! Thanks for all the kind support over the last year, it is much appreciated! A big thank you to the wonderful Flickr family!

Feeling Small in Big Hogan by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Website, Instagram, Facebook This is a vertical panorama in Big Hogan Arch in Monument Valley, Utah. After taking the panorama I photographed myself with the same lens and settings and added it to the panorama in the same position. As you can see, Big Hogan Are is aptly named. It is huge. You feel like you are standing in a cathedral. The hole at the top is actually overhead in reality. The appearance here makes it look like it is in the front wall, but that is the result of trying to fit the inside of a sphere onto a rectangular image. You need a guide to enter Monument Valley at night. If you are interested in a night tour contact Majestic Monument Valley Tours and ask for Quanah. Thanks for all the kind support over the last year, it is much appreciated! A big thank you to the wonderful Flickr family!

To Walk a Pale Land by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Website, Instagram, Facebook To Walk A Pale Land. Part of a series from the New Mexico Badlands. This is a panorama of 9 vertical shots taken at 14 mm with a 14-24 mm lens, f/2.8, ISO 12,800. I was about 6-8 feet from the larger hoodoos on the sides, very close. There was considerable distortion in the individual photos from being so close, but the combined photos in the panorama eliminated the distortion remarkably well. People frequently ask me about nodal rails and parallax. The current versions of Lightroom and Photoshop do remarkably well at eliminating parallax error in the photos. I do have a nodal rail and take as many panoramas as I can manage, but I do not bother with the nodal rail. I do not use it, and have never had an issue with parallax preventing stitching or distorting the image. In this image I was trying it o catch the rising MW between the hoodoos. Taken in May 2018. There are no paths in the New Mexico Badlands, and multiple places you can visit. If you want guidance consider contacting Kialo Winters @chacorunner, at Navajo Tours USA, highly recommend! Thanks for all the kind support over the last year, it is much appreciated! A big thank you to the wonderful Flickr family!

Hoodoo Hill by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Website, Instagram, Facebook Hoodoo Hill, New Mexico Badlands. Single exposure with Low Level Lighting. Thanks for all the kind support over the last year, it is much appreciated! A big thank you to the wonderful Flickr family!

Small Canyon in Nevada by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Website, Instagram, Facebook Small Canyon in Nevada. 7 images stacked in Starry Landscape Stacker. 12 mm fisheye lens, f 2.8, ISO 8000, 25 sec. Why 7 images? Who knows, probably lost count, lol. Love that “red” Navajo Sandstone! Thanks for all the kind support over the last year, it is much appreciated! A big thank you to the wonderful Flickr family!

Heart Arch by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Website, Instagram, Facebook Stacked Image Foreground 9 images 17 mm, 30 sec., f 4.0, ISO 12,800 Sky 9 images 17 mm, 15 sec., ISO 12,800 Heart Arch or Window. Once upon a time on a small Mesa far, far away. 😊 I do not know if there is a real name for this small arch (I suspect not), but I’m going to call it Heart Arch. I saw a photo of this small arch on the internet which led me to see out the location, and fortunately I found it on my second day of searching. The Arch is located on the very edge of a cliff with a drop off of an estimated 100-150 feet, 30-50 m. Fortunately it could be lined up with the MW from the safe side of the arch, but unfortunately there was a lot of light pollution in this direction from a city about 100 miles, 160 km away. Still worked out ok though. There is focus stacking with a 9 image stack for the sky and an 9 image stack for the foreground, processed in Starry Landscape Stacker. Low Level Lighting done with a single Goal Zero Micro Lantern. Thanks for all the kind support over the last year, it is much appreciated! A big thank you to the wonderful Flickr family!

The Wizard of Bisti by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Website, Instagram, Facebook Part of a fantasy Series. New Mexico Badlands. Panorama, 11 images, 24 mm, f 2.0, 15 sec., ISO 8000. Low Level Lighting used. There is a light behind the hoodoos (not doing much, lol), and an LED light panel on a tripod behind me and to the left. For more images like this please take a look at Wayne Pinkston Photography . Thanks for all the kind support over the last year, it is much appreciated! A big thank you to the wonderful Flickr family!

Recapture Pocket Panorama by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Website, Instagram, Facebook Recapture Pocket is an area on hoodoos near Bluff, Utah. There are 2 fields of hoodoos here. I call this Hoodoo Arch because it is an arch that is mostly just 2 connected hoodoos. There is Low Level Lighting (LLL) with a Gaol Zero Micro Lantern behind the arch and an LED Light Panel on a tripod about 50 meters behind me and to the right. Panorama: 11 images, 20 mm, f 2.0, 20 sec., ISO 6400, Nikon 810A Hope you enjoy! For more images like this please take a look at Wayne Pinkston Photography . Thanks for all the kind support over the last year, it is much appreciated! A big thank you to the wonderful Flickr family!

To Walk a Pale Land, Part 3 by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Website, Instagram, Facebook Part 3 of a series, "To Walk a Pale Land". New Mexico Badlands. Single Exposure. Low Level Lighting (LLL) with one small Goal Zero Micro Lantern turned down low and about 40 meters away to the left. For more images like this please take a look at Wayne Pinkston Photography . Thanks for all the kind support over the last year, it is much appreciated! A big thank you to the wonderful Flickr family!

Arches Within Arches by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Website, Instagram, Facebook Arch in Northern New Mexico For more images like this please take a look at Wayne Pinkston Photography . Thanks for all the kind support over the last year, it is much appreciated! A big thank you to the wonderful Flickr family!

Sunset Arch, Escalante by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Website, Instagram, Facebook Sunset Arch, Escalante. Low Level Lighting, LLL, used under the Arch, and dim LLL used on the outside of the arch. The Escalante Grand Staircase National Monument is a terrific dark sky location, recently drastically reduced in size by the government. This was taken while assisting during a workshop by Royce Bair, a terrific teacher. Check out his ebook! For more images like this please take a look at Wayne Pinkston Photography . Thanks for all the kind support over the last year, it is much appreciated! I would have never believed that my photos could ever receive 22 million views. A big thank you for making this possible!

The Light of a Thousand Suns by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: I was honored to be on the Podcast "F-Stop Collaborate and Listen" with host Matt Payne. He interviews Landscape and Nightscape Photographers about a variety of topics. His relaxed style makes the podcasts enjoyable and interesting. He helps you see the people behind the photos. You can listen to my interview here: fstopandlisten.podbean.com This photo: "The Light of a Thousand Suns". This was a bit of a surprise. This is an Overlook of the Little Colorado River in the Grand Canyon before it joins the Colorado River. I had a good night shooting other sites along the Colorado River, and timed the Milky Way to be over this part of the canyon in the early a.m. When I got there the clouds had rolled in and I was about to pack it in for the night, but decided to give it a try anyway. I was surprised. The clouds were uniformly thin, thin enough for the light of the Milky Way to shine through and illuminate the clouds. The effect turned out to be pleasing, at least to me. This is a blend of a foreground image and a sky image. Foreground is a stack of 10 images taken at 14 mm, f 2.0, 30 sec., and ISO 3200. Sky image is from same spot at 14 mm, f 2.0, 20 sec., and ISO 12,800. For more images like this please take a look at Wayne Pinkston Photography . Thanks for all the kind support! Hope you enjoy! A big thank you to the wonderful Flickr family. It's a pleasure to post here. Website Instagram Facebook

Tower of Silence by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Website Instagram Facebook Tower of Silence - Beautiful white hoodoo in southern Utah I was honored to be on the Podcast "F-Stop Collaborate and Listen" with host @mattpaynephoto. He interviews Landscape and Nightscape Photographers about a variety of topics. His relaxed style makes the podcasts enjoyable and interesting. He helps you see the people behind the photos. You can listen to my interview here: fstopandlisten.podbean.com/ Teaching point: There are now LED light panels with adjustable color temperatures. The standard Light Panels with warming filters (which make the color temp around 2700K) are wonderful for warm structures like the red rock throughout much of Utah and northern Arizona, but are not realistic for structures like these white Hoodoos. With adjustable color temperatures you can adjust the light to the foreground structures. Regular LED lights are too blue to be realistic, and can have a color temperatures up to 6500K. For this scene I wanted a more neutral color temperature that would show the white color of the hoodoos accurately and used a color temperature of 4000K to 4200K for these photos, which worked well.

White Pocket Panorama by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Website, Instagram, Facebook Panorama at White Pocket, Arizona. 10 images, 14 mm, f 2.0, 25 sec., ISO 12,800. I think this might be my first pano of the MW Arch in August. Typically I find the MW is too high to get onto a single row Pano by that time of year. Somehow I was able to fit the whole sweep of the MW onto a vertical 14 mm Pano. You can tell it is getting late in the MW season because the core has set relatively quickly during the night. There is still plenty on MW to see though! Note the Andromada Galaxy near the top of the frame, above the Milky Way, to the right. For more images like this please take a look at Wayne Pinkston Photography . Thanks for all the kind support! Hope you enjoy! A big thank you to the wonderful Flickr family. It's a pleasure to post here.

Forged by Ancient Earth by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Website, Instagram, Facebook This is a Butte in Arizona near Monument Valley, the inner plug of an ancient volcano, similar to Shiprock. This is on Navajo land and was taken from the road, so as to not trespass. 50 mm lens, f 2.0, 15 seconds, ISO 6400, Nikon D810A camera. No added lighting. Panorama of 7 vertical images. If you are interested in night tours in and around Monument Valley, google "Majestic Monument Valley Tours", call then and ask for a night tour with Quanah Parker. For more images like this please take a look at Wayne Pinkston Photography . Thanks for all the kind support! Hope you enjoy! A big thank you to the wonderful Flickr family. It's a pleasure to post here.

The Druid by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Website, Instagram, Facebook Just a fun shot from the New Mexico Badlands with some props, an enjoyable session trying to create a "magical" feel, shot with with Ryan Wykoff and Jessica Mahoney. Thanks! Single exposure, 24 mm, f 2.0, 15 sec., ISO 8000. For more images like this please take a look at Wayne Pinkston Photography . Thanks for all the kind support! Hope you enjoy! A big thank you to the wonderful Flickr family. It's a pleasure to post here.

Monument Valley Panorama by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Panorama of The Mittens in Monument Valley at night. 12 images, 24 mm, f 1.6, 13 seconds, ISO 10,000. Monument Valley Landscape Astrophotography Workshop! There are 3 remaining spots open in the workshop I will be leading in MV June 6 to 9, 2018. Details can be found here: waynepinkstonphoto.com/Workshops If you are interested please contact me here or through my website, waynepinkstonphoto.com This is a 4 day workshop with an extra "optional" 5th day on June 10 if anyone wants to stick around and shoot nightcapes with me in the area. This day can also be used as a make-up day if needed. Three days will be scheduled shooting in Monument Valley and one day outside of Monument Valley. That day will be used to practice and learn Low Level Lighting while shooting hoodoos in the area. Landscape Astrophotography will be the focus of the workshop. There will be lectures on 3 days, and a group dinner on one day. I have also been asked frequently about guiding and workshops in the New Mexico Badlands. So here is a general question - Is anyone out there interested in attending a Landscape Astrophotography Workshop in the New Mexico Badlands May 14 - 17, 2018? There is no obligation, I'm just trying to judge interest. For more images like this please take a look at Wayne Pinkston Photography . Thanks for all the kind support! Hope you enjoy! A big thank you to the wonderful Flickr family. It's a pleasure to post here.

The Elephant Walks at Night by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Thank You Flickr!!! This is my photo from earlier this year that was included in the recently announced Top 25 Photos on Flickr Award for the year 2017. blog.flickr.net/en/2017/12/07/top-25-photos-on-flickr-in-... So what does this mean? I do not delude myself into thinking that this is one of the best 25 photos on Flickr, It is not. I see many photos that I consider much better than my own. I am humbled by many of the high quality photos I see on Flickr, and those are what drive me to try and improve. This award, to the best of my knowledge, is based on how many views, likes, and comments a photo receives. What this award means is that many, many people on Flickr have been very, very kind to me, This is award is a reflection of the wonderful Flickr Community. It means that many of you have taken the time to look at my photos and comment and maybe "like" them. This award is simply a reflection of how kind people have been to me, much more than anything I have done myself. So I get it that you all have made this possible. So this is my sincere THANK YOU to all the wonderful Flickr people that made this happen. This is your award, much more than mine. Cheers, and Happy Shooting to all in 2018! Wayne Pinkston

Matate Arch in Devils Garden, Escalante by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Website, Instagram, Facebook This is Metate Arch in Escalante, Utah. Royce Bair masterminded this composition. Thanks Royce! There is Low Level Lighting (LLL) behind the arch with an LED light panel turned down very low. See www.lowlevellighting.org This is a single exposure tanken at 20 mm, f 2.0, 8 sec., and ISO 10,000. For more images like this please take a look at Wayne Pinkston Photography . Thanks for all the kind support! Hope you enjoy! A big thank you to the wonderful Flickr family. It's a pleasure to post here.

Honeymoon Arch by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Website Instagram Facebook Honeymoon Arch in Monument Valley. This is taken from "inside" the arch. There is a large opening in the front, and a large opening skyward. This is a vertical panorama taken with a 14 mm lens. The Arch has a much more standard appearance from the front which I will post later. There is lighting using Low Level Lighting (lowlevellighting.org), in this case with 2 small Goal Zero Micro lights used on lowest power. This arch, and many of the other arches in Monument Valley are off the usual tourist routes. If you are interested in night tours google "Majestic Monument Valley Tours", call them and ask for a night tour with Quanah Parker. For more images like this please take a look at Wayne Pinkston Photography . Thanks for all the kind support! Hope you enjoy! A big thank you to the wonderful Flickr family. It's a pleasure to post here.

Teardrop Arch, Monument Valley by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Website Instagram Faceb ook Teardrop Arch in Monument Valley. Funny story showing how blind I can be. My guide in Monument Valley was Quanah Parker, and he suggested going to Teardrop Arch. I had 'never' seen or heard of it, but his suggestions were always good, so I agreed, and we had a fabulous night shooting this Arch, and some adjacent sites. I got back to the motel in the early morning, and there was a 36 inch, 1 meter photo of this same arch over the bed. I had been looking at it the better part of a week and had no clue what I was looking at. Wonder what I'm missing out in the open, lol. Shot at 14 mm, f 2.8, 25 sec., ISO 8000. Lighting with Low Level Lighting, www.lowlevellighting.org You need a local guide to take might tours in MV. If you want an excellent guide for night photography in Monument Valley, google Majestic Monument Valley Tours, contact them, and schedule a night tour with Quanah Parker. For more images like this please take a look at Wayne Pinkston Photography . Thanks for all the kind support! Hope you enjoy! A big thank you to the wonderful Flickr family. It's a pleasure to post here.

Just a Big Rock that Ought to Fall Over by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Website Instagram Faceb ook Just a really big rock that should probably fall over, . It looks so asymmetric that it is hard to imagine that it can remain this way. I came upon this 'balanced rock' on a scouting trip looking for good spots to shoot the Colorado River in Canyonlands National Park. It lies just out of the park near Moab, and the light is from an small utility building about 400 m away that is part of the Potash Plant in the area. This rock looks so precarious that it was a little creepy getting down under it to shoot upwards. Single exposure, 14 mm, f2.8, 15 sec., ISO 8000. For more images like this please take a look at Wayne Pinkston Photography . Thanks for all the kind support! Hope you enjoy! A big thank you to the wonderful Flickr family. It's a pleasure to post here.

Nankoweap Overlook, East Rim of the Grand Canyon by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Website Instagram Faceb ook Nankoweap Overlook on the East Rim of the Grand Canyon. This is an remote undeveloped area along the western margin of the Navajo Nation and along the East Rim of the Grand Canyon. There are many miles/km of dirt roads and tracks to reach this site, but most of them are flat and in good condition. In 3 days of scouting and 3 nights of shooting I encountered 0 people. You do need a Navajo permit to travel in this area. This is a blend of 2 images taken back to back from the same spot, a 240 sec. image of the foreground at 14 mm, f 2.0, and ISO 2500 with long exposure noise reduction (LENR), and a sky image taken at 20 sec., 14mm, f 2.0, and ISO 12,800 and blended in PS. In my opinion the river views along this part of the canyon are much better than on the South or North Rims. The light pollution is from the South Rim and tourist area many miles away. One perplexing note - the area is on the edge of the Navajo Nation which uses Daylight Savings Time, and Arizona which does not use DST. If you are using your smartphone for planning Milky Way shots (example TPE, Photopillls, PlanIt) and you leave your phone on "Auto Time Zone", strange things will happen. You can walk 10 ft., 3 m, and your time zone will change, and sometimes the time and time zone will change back in forth standing in one place. You start wondering "what time is it really?", and "just what time zone did I plan for?". I marked times to be in certain spots and then had no idea what time it really was, lol. Advice: pick a time zone and take your phone off auto before you ever get there! Cheers, Wayne For more images like this please take a look at Wayne Pinkston Photography . Thanks for all the kind support! Hope you enjoy! A big thank you to the wonderful Flickr family. It's a pleasure to post here.

Canyon de Chelly Panorama by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Website Instagram Faceb ook Panorama of Canyon de Chelly in Chinle, Arizona, taken from one of the viewpoints on the Southern Rim. I had never seen a night photo from the rim of the canyon so I wanted to give it a try. There was so much light pollution that I did not expect this to be successful, and left disappointed after trying panoramas from several viewpoints. When I processed it, the image was more successful than expected, and the light pollution actually adds more color to the photo. For more images like this please take a look at Wayne Pinkston Photography . Thanks for all the kind support! Hope you enjoy! A big thank you to the wonderful Flickr family. It's a pleasure to post here.

Colorado River Confluence by Wayne Pinkston Via Flickr: Website Instagram Facebook This is a photo on the East Rim of the Grand Canyon near the confluence of the Colorado and the Little Colorado Rivers. This lies in the Navajo Nation and you need a permit to go here. Permits can be purchased in nearby Cameron, Az. This is the site that is involved in the "Grand Canyon Escalade" bill, a bill that proposes to built tourist resort and a tram gondola down into the canyon, at the confluence of the 2 rivers. In this photo the Little Colorado is hidden behind the rock to the left. As you might expect, there has been a great deal of disagreement and discussion about the bill in the Navajo Nation. Many of the council members oppose the bill. The bill was defeated but there are signs it make reemerge with some changes. The project would include a hotel, visitors center, and a parking lot on the rim. There would be a tram gondola down to the canyon floor at the rivers confluence, a cafe near the rivers, and a river walk. The area currently is deserted pristine land. You have to drive 20-30 miles (30-50 km) down dirt roads to reach the site. There literally hundreds of miles of dirt roads around the East Rim covering a vast area. There are multiple spectacular viewpoints looking over the Colorado and Little Colorado Rivers, and the river views, in my opinion, are better than from the North or South Rims. In 3 full days of scouting and 3 full nights of shooting I did not encounter a single human. There are quite a few free ranging horses and a few cattle. I also encountered a few coyote. Note - If you go there you will be a long way from help, so take plenty of water and gas. This is the site of the proposed Escalade, but there are actually better views of the 2 rivers, which I will post soon. By the way, this is a single exposure taken with the new Sigma 14 mm f/1.8 lens, taken at f 1.8, 25 seconds, and ISO 12,800. I would now have been able to get this detail within the dark canyon without the wide aperture, at least not in a single exposure. For more images like this please take a look at Wayne Pinkston Photography . Thanks for all the kind support! Hope you enjoy! A big thank you to the wonderful Flickr family. It's a pleasure to post here.