The hours for Milky Way photography pretty much stink. You need to hike to your chosen location and get set up at least an hour or so before sunset. Then you have to wait around, often until 2AM or 3AM, for the Milky way to be in position. Then either hike back to your car in the dark (difficult and dangerous) or try to go back to sleep until sunrise (difficult but not too dangerous😴). But if you camp overnight and get lucky with pretty skies, you are rewarded with both a sunset and sunrise, not to mention starry skies and the Milky Way. I was very lucky to have had that experience recently.
This photo was taken just before sunset. My tent was set up and I was just killing time. The far mountains were still getting some golden light and it was a classically beautiful desert scene. Nice sky, too, with those cloud claws! I shared this photo with my friend Mitch, who is a professional photographer. His feedback was there is too much sky. I'm not sure all us sky watchers would agree with him (can you ever have too much sky??), but after reflecting, I think he's right. The sky draws your eye away from that beautiful desert landscape. Below is a "pano crop", and it does help you focus on the pretty light, rocks, flowers, and mountains.
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| Amazing how the yellow flowers were picking up the last light of the day! |
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| Desert bouquet. |
I finished taking photos of the Milky Way sometime around 3:30am or 4am, and decided to wait for first light to hike back to my car. That would turn out to be a good decision.
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I'm up by 5:30am, tired and groggy, but thankful that I didn't try to make the hike back to the car in the dark. Stumbling along, I come across this beautiful scene, with the sun rising over the boulders and providing back-lighting on a smoke tree. A wonderful treat!
Hope you enjoyed these desert landscapes, and thanks for stopping by!!
Linking with Skywatch Friday.
...it isn't lush and verdant, but it has a stark beauty. Thank for taking me along to all of this beauty.
ReplyDeleteI like all your photos as usual. Guess I'm not a "professional" for sure. Sometimes I take photos of nearly all sky. Sometimes the clouds demand it.
ReplyDeleteWow, you got some glorious photos! I can't decide which I like better, the sky cropped low or full sky. I think the big sky creates a sense of the huge vast not only desert but of the entire area. Adds to it, I think but then I'm no artist or know anything about anything.
ReplyDeleteYou are a true adventurer, sleeping with the rattlesnakes. I love your determination to get the shot you want.
ReplyDeleteAlso, one of the great things about digital photography and editing is that one can crop and edit away to get different looks. Sometimes I look at a photo of mine ten or more years old and wonder why I didn't edit it differently.
Your photos are awesome ~ particularly like the flowers merging with the light ~ and the desert and desert sky are always wonderful ~ great photos as usual ~ thanks, ~
ReplyDeleteWishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
A wonderful nature
ReplyDeleteThose are some great sunset and sunrise photos. You definitely wouldn't see them if you were just doing a day hike. Do you go home and sleep after these all nighters?
ReplyDeleteYes, usually I'm pretty exhausted, so a nap is in order!
DeleteBeautiful pictures. I do like the sky pictures. Although the mountains are certainly gorgeous as well.
ReplyDeleteI picked the desert bouquet as my favorite You grab some beauties... tonight, but one cannot ignore the beautiful color on the mts... You sure grab some beauties. You are inspiring me for more over night hikes, maybe next year, I plan a long one.....
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pops of yellow in the desert!
ReplyDeleteI don't mind either the original or the crop, but I think your best photos are the first two yellow flowers and the last photo. The light on that tree is quite wonderful.
ReplyDeleteAs a sky watcher for the past 55-60 yrs, never too much sky if that is what you are going for. I seriously think in that first photo that the mountain is more noticeable with all that sky. But that is me. But I do love all the shots you shared.
ReplyDeleteWonderful photos! Your patience was rewarded.
ReplyDeleteDearest Peter,
ReplyDeleteWell, Mitch was right about that photo—proportionally way too much sky captured. Your pano cropped version is so much better for those incredible rocks and mountains.
You came away with far more than the Milky Way photos.
Hugs,
Mariette
That's a beautiful locale, truly.
ReplyDeleteWorth a Thousand Words
Amazing sly views, Fantastic clicks .
ReplyDeleteWow on the first pic and I would say you are a professional photographer, too!
ReplyDeleteI cannot decide which I like more, too much sky, less sky, both!
Beautiful colors and... to a new day!
First, thanks for your nice words on my blog! As for too much sky, I submit that the subject of your photo is the determining factor, right. A beautiful sky should be featured. The Cropped version is the "better picture", worthy of framing, a true beauty. But is it what you were trying to tell us? Your pictures are so full of richness, I can easily spend time with separate parts. Nonetheless, I understand "the rule". Again, thanks, and thanks for your amazing work.
ReplyDeleteLove the desert bouquet.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my blog. Happy weekend!
Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteHi S P & P – Wow, I love your header photo. And all the amazing images in this post too! Not to mention I just now viewed your Milky Way photos. Wonderful stuff! Thank you so much for sharing. Thinking back over the years, your blog is truly one of the best I’ve found. Best regards to you from Seattle. John
ReplyDeleteGreat shots of your MW adventures. That last one is a keeper.
ReplyDeleteHard work pays off! The twilight colors on mountain is mind blowing. You have implied tutorial by showing us how pano crop is delightful! Hats off sir. Such great depth of field in "Desert bouquet"
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful place and captured perfectly with your camera!
ReplyDeleteNice post again, Peter, espaecially the photo of the mountains in the last sunlight is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteThe tent makes both a cozy and lonely scene ... the terrain in the dark is as mysterious as the moon.
ReplyDeleteI can't tell you how much I enjoy your landscapes and sky photos. There's nothing like that here, and I always feel like I've been treated to a virtual field trip. Thanks!
ReplyDelete3:00 AM!!! No way! :-)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos! I especially like the desert bouquet.
ReplyDeleteI can agree with the "too much sky" as far as the picture as a whole, but this is Skywatch, so why not lots of sky? Having said that, i love all of your photos. And I love all the work you put into them, too.
ReplyDeleteThose yellow flowers are really pretty, good thing about daisy varieties is they don't mind the dry heat. Do you ever get snakes trying to get into your tent?
ReplyDeleteMitch is right, of course...but for me there can never be to much sky.
ReplyDeleteWonderful results from your hike, but the last is my absolute favorite.
Have a great weekend
All totally wondrous! You make the desert come alive!
ReplyDeleteYour photos are out-of-this-world! At least from my perspective - we don't have desert in Cambodia. My favourite of all is the sunset shot - when the mountains are turning purple.
ReplyDeleteWow! So very beautiful.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous captures!
ReplyDeleteAmazing photos, as always. Love the yellow flowers! Staying overnight is the way to go to capture both sunset and sunrise. Is it pretty safe? No snake, bear, what have you?
ReplyDeletewonderful photos. Love coming here to see the lovely desert views. I love the tiny yellow flowers and had to look them up. I think they are desert Marigolds?
ReplyDeleteFabulous photo essay! 😍 I went back to view the Milky Way pics as well. Fantastic! 👏👏👏
ReplyDeleteStunning photos!
ReplyDeleteThe golden light on the mountains and vibrant yellow flowers are breathtaking.
Both the original and cropped versions have their own charm.
Your dedication to capturing these moments, even at odd hours, truly pays off.
Thanks for sharing and inspiring!
both sunset and sunrise views are wonderful.....
ReplyDeletefantastic shots
Marvelous photography!
ReplyDeleteExtraordinary color and light! The desert is in bloom. It's unbelievable how much color lingers dormant.
ReplyDeleteSunset. Milky Way. Sunrise.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a perfect trip to me.
The photographic evidence indicates it was pretty darned good for you, too.
"Too much sky." Depends on your goal I reckon. I know the professional landscape folks would like to see only a sliver of blue, but sometimes the sky IS the subject. I didn't think your image with all that sky detracted from the beauty of the mountains. The cropped image does highlight the hills more. So - both are good photographs and only you know which you like better - and for what reasons.
All of the colors of the rocks, sky, and flowers show up so well in your photos! Each photo is so pretty! The desert area is so lovely.
ReplyDeleteThat was fascinating following your whole day and night (especially with the older Milky Way Post included). And how beautifully your photos show us the desert is at all hours. Very interesting "listening" to your friend who is a professional photographer. He , and you, are of course right that the cropped one shows the beauty of the Mountain and make it the focus. But as you also say many of us photo bloggers live for good sky pictures and can't get too much of it. Thank you for sharing all the beauty (and for yet another reason I am glad you didn't take a chance on hiking back after dark).
ReplyDeleteOne word sums it all up, stunning
ReplyDelete