Continuing from my last post... Mitch and I are attempting to do something truly crazy in our "Summer of 2024 Milky Way a Month" project. For September, we are attempting to take a photo of the Milky Way in a vertical position over Amboy Crater, which requires a late summer exposure (August or September). The problem is the extreme heat at Amboy Crater in late summer. Dangerously extreme (114°F when we started our hike). Which makes me wonder: Has anyone ever attempted this before?? A quick Google search turned up a nice image of a diagonal MW over the crater, but no photos of a vertical MW. So you might be seeing something fairly unique here!
It's about 7PM and I'm sitting with my back to the crater. The best time to photograph the Milky Way will be between 9:30pm and 10pm, so we have some time to kill. I sit comfortably in my camp chair enjoying the desert scenery. Those clouds have us worried. Will we even be able to see the Milky Way??
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| Dramatic clouds over the crater. |
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| Pink clouds and rain to the northwest. |
Ta da!! I'm pretty happy with this photo. We were sooooo lucky that the clouds cleared in time for a clear view of the Milky Way. The vertical orientation makes it look like the Milky Way is erupting out of the crater, which is what we were hoping for. I wasn't able to get quite as much of the Milky Way as I was hoping for, so I re-positioned my camera on the tripod for portrait (vertical) orientation.Yes, I like this even better, with more of the Milky Way visible. It really does look like the crater is erupting! Mitch and I don't waste any time hiking back to the car. Even at 10PM, it's still triple digits. We both agree we will never again hike Amboy Crater in the summer!🥵 Thanks for stopping by!!
I'll probably make one final Milky Way outing (early October), and then the Milky Way season (and this project) will be over.
That heat would kill me! Great photos though :-D
ReplyDeleteOne word Awesome says it all
ReplyDeleteWonderful to see
ReplyDeleteVery beautiful
...thanks for recording these beautiful images. I go to bed early and sleep through all of this excitement.
ReplyDeleteWonderful shot, you and Mitch are true intrepid explorers.
ReplyDeleteIt's like they posed for you!
ReplyDeleteAll of the photos are amazing so I can't even imagine how awesome it was in person.
ReplyDeleteDearest Peter,
ReplyDeleteYour determination and perseverance got so richly rewarded with a magical vertical image!
WOW.
Hugs,
Mariette
I love your milky way posts. Great photos.
ReplyDeleteThanks for these edifying photos and the wonderful story that goes with them. The story of your wanderings which we all feel that we share in at this point. Aloha
ReplyDeleteUnbelievable photos of the Milky Way and unbelievable heat as well. That had to be tough!
ReplyDeleteGreat shots.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant photography!
ReplyDeleteWow! Spectacular sky!
ReplyDeleteI just love the Milkyway so much
ReplyDeleteIt does look like a dazzling erupting volcano.
ReplyDeleteI would not venture out into the garden in that heat. Your sacrifice and efforts paid off handsomely.
ReplyDeleteWorth a Thousand Words
Your effort yielded great picture sir. Perhaps you can write a technical blog on capturing milky way
ReplyDeleteThe Mark Twain quote at the bottom of this page seems particularly apt for this week's adventure. That's a truly remarkable photo (or two).
ReplyDeleteAmazing clouds, Great photography, Milky Way pics stunning.
ReplyDeleteGreetings.
Simply stunning photos of the Milky Way. I love all your other photos too but you really do an amazing job of capturing the beauty of the Milky way.
ReplyDeleteFantastic again and your header is also great. In one photo it looks like the crater is actually alive. And the milky way as always fantastic. Pity that we have to much light pollution nationwide to made a good sky shot.
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing results!
ReplyDeleteThese wonderful photos were the heat worth, I suppose.
Beautiful pictures... as always!
ReplyDeleteYour effort was well worth the hot hike. Amazing image!
ReplyDeleteThese have to be some of your best photos, overall. Absolutely amazing.
ReplyDeleteQuite the creative photos of the Milky Way ~ worth the heat ~ ??? Thanks,
ReplyDeleteWishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
clm ~ A ShutterBurg Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
fantastic backgrounds of photos.... great shots.
ReplyDeleteThat last photo is simply stunning with the Milky Way positioned like that.
ReplyDeleteFantastic captures of the Milky Way. The last one is my favourite.
ReplyDeleteΥπέροχο ιστολόγιο γεμάτο μαγικές αντανακλάσεις.
ReplyDeleteAstonishing photographs after such a daring outing in extreme heat! You took the words right out of my mouth when describing it as an eruption. Capturing it in the portrait orientation is great as it emphasizes the Milky Way's presence rather than the crater's. And you centered it perfectly on the crater where the outer limits (of the crater) don't provide that "Wow" factor. Pardon this stupid question, but do you ever seek to get your photographs published?
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, and not a stupid question at all. I've dabbled at publishing and selling photos (I sell some from time to time, mostly on request), but I would rather spend time and energy hiking and taking photos. That's way more fun!
DeleteIt does look like an eruption and I bet no one else was as crazy or .... well, determined to get a shot like that. You've done something incredibly unique and hard to get this shot. Patience, patience...it paid off.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen a more incredible shot.
Your photo is stunning! Absolutely beautiful. You won't need to go back out there in the heat of the summer. You got the best image the first time.
ReplyDeleteYour determination really payed off. The vertical photo is stunning.
ReplyDeleteCuando el calor es fuerte, cuesta mucho andar. Muy buen reportaje fotográfico, es muy atrayente y con buenas fotografías.
ReplyDeleteFeliz domingo de descanso.
Awesome shots! 😍 Braving the heat certainly paid off for you.
ReplyDeleteI knew you'd go back and get those shots and they are spectacular! It does look like the crater is spewing out the Milky Way. Tremendous! You did it!
ReplyDeleteI am by default landscape orientation fun, but admittedly, some scenes scream for portrait orientation. such as the last one. gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteThose magical pictures took real talent and real dedication -- my gosh that heat! Thank you for braving the triple digits and for sharing the amazing results. .... we drove up to the Amboy Crater again the last time we drove Route 66 through the Mojave. I have some (daytime only and not nearly as spectacular) pictures somewhere. That whole area is so interesting so this brought back some fun memories too.
ReplyDeleteOh wow, that's your best!
ReplyDeleteHiking in such heat - you're really the risk-taking person, who I know...
Simply outstanding photography.
ReplyDeleteThe vertical composition is really special.
Absolutely stunning images. You were definitely rewarded for braving the extreme heat.
ReplyDeleteSomething we see very little of here in the east.
ReplyDeleteWonderful pics! Sad the project will be over soon!
ReplyDeleteOh that last picture is incredible.
ReplyDeleteThose are great shots, but you really shouldn’t be hiking in that weather.
ReplyDelete