melillojh
✨️ Time Circles Above Ancient Nitzana 🌌
One of the most magical things about photographing ancient places is being able to capture the passage of time—not just in stone, but in the sky above. This photo was taken at the same Byzantine church ruins in Ancient Nitzana (Nessana), Israel, where the silence of the desert night is broken only by the slow dance of the stars overhead.
For this image, I set out to reveal the rotation of the Earth itself. Using my trusty Sony Alpha 6400 (unmodified) and the Sony E 11mm F1.8 APS-C ultra-wide-angle prime lens, I took 121 photos, each with a 30-second exposure. Stacking them in Sequator brought out these incredible star trails—concentric circles that show hours passing in a single frame. The editing magic happened in Lightroom to bring balance and warmth to the ancient columns and highlight the crisp patterns in the sky. 🌀
Standing among these columns, under a sky turning slowly above the ruins, really puts time into perspective. These stones have stood for centuries, watching countless nights just like this one. Now, with the help of modern technology, we can see the movement of the cosmos in a way the ancients never could—star trails spinning around the North Celestial Pole, telling the story of Earth’s rotation with every streak of light.
It’s moments like these that make me fall in love with astrophotography all over again. Capturing not just the beauty of the night, but also the deep connection between earth, history, and sky. 🌍⏳
Gear & Process:
📷 Sony Alpha 6400 (unmodified)
🔭 Sony E 11mm F1.8 APS-C Ultra-wide-angle Prime Lens
🌀 121 images × 30 sec each, stacked in Sequator
️ Edited in Lightroom
If you ever get the chance to spend a night at a site like Ancient Nitzana, I can’t recommend it enough—the combination of history and the cosmos is truly unforgettable. 🌙✨
✨️ Time Circles Above Ancient Nitzana 🌌
One of the most magical things about photographing ancient places is being able to capture the passage of time—not just in stone, but in the sky above. This photo was taken at the same Byzantine church ruins in Ancient Nitzana (Nessana), Israel, where the silence of the desert night is broken only by the slow dance of the stars overhead.
For this image, I set out to reveal the rotation of the Earth itself. Using my trusty Sony Alpha 6400 (unmodified) and the Sony E 11mm F1.8 APS-C ultra-wide-angle prime lens, I took 121 photos, each with a 30-second exposure. Stacking them in Sequator brought out these incredible star trails—concentric circles that show hours passing in a single frame. The editing magic happened in Lightroom to bring balance and warmth to the ancient columns and highlight the crisp patterns in the sky. 🌀
Standing among these columns, under a sky turning slowly above the ruins, really puts time into perspective. These stones have stood for centuries, watching countless nights just like this one. Now, with the help of modern technology, we can see the movement of the cosmos in a way the ancients never could—star trails spinning around the North Celestial Pole, telling the story of Earth’s rotation with every streak of light.
It’s moments like these that make me fall in love with astrophotography all over again. Capturing not just the beauty of the night, but also the deep connection between earth, history, and sky. 🌍⏳
Gear & Process:
📷 Sony Alpha 6400 (unmodified)
🔭 Sony E 11mm F1.8 APS-C Ultra-wide-angle Prime Lens
🌀 121 images × 30 sec each, stacked in Sequator
️ Edited in Lightroom
If you ever get the chance to spend a night at a site like Ancient Nitzana, I can’t recommend it enough—the combination of history and the cosmos is truly unforgettable. 🌙✨