Homestead National Historical Park
Gage County, Nebraska
The Milky Way rises over the Monument around midnight. The yellow-green glow on the horizon on the right is from the Moon lying just below the horizon.
The foreground was shot with an Olympus 45mm lens at f1.8 using 5 shots for an HDR composite. The longest exposure was 50 seconds and shortest was 1 second. ISO was 500. The 45 mm lens was used because I couldn't get close since the Monument was closed. This was shot from the nearby roadway. The sky is 8 photos shot with an Olympus 12mm at f2, 15 second exposures at ISO 3200. The sky shots were composited in Photoshop for noise reduction and the HDR was done in Lightroom. The overall composite was done in Photoshop.
"The Homestead Act of 1862 was one of the most significant and enduring events in the westward expansion of the United States. By granting 160 acres of free land to claimants, it allowed nearly any man or woman a "fair chance."
Millions of Americans including immigrants, women, and formerly enslaved men and women would make the dream of westward expansion a reality for this country. For over a century these settlers would test their grit and endurance in the untamed wilderness and remote frontiers. Homestead National Monument of America, located in Southeast Nebraska, commemorates this Act and the far-reaching effects it had upon the landscape and people.
"It is the purpose of our government to elevate the condition of men, to lift artificial burdens from all shoulders and to give everyone an unfettered start and a fair chance in the race of life."
- President Abraham Lincoln, July 4, 1861" (National Park Service)
"One of the first people to file a claim under the Homestead Act of 1862 was Daniel Freeman. The site of his claim is now the site of Homestead National Monument of America. This site commemorates the lives and accomplishments of all pioneers and the changes brought about by the Homestead Act. Legend has it that Daniel Freeman filed his claim 10 minutes after midnight at the Land Office in Brownville, NE on January 1, 1863, the first day the Homestead Act went into effect." (National Park Service)
Homestead National Historical Park
Gage County, Nebraska
The Milky Way rises over the Monument around midnight. The yellow-green glow on the horizon on the right is from the Moon lying just below the horizon.
The foreground was shot with an Olympus 45mm lens at f1.8 using 5 shots for an HDR composite. The longest exposure was 50 seconds and shortest was 1 second. ISO was 500. The 45 mm lens was used because I couldn't get close since the Monument was closed. This was shot from the nearby roadway. The sky is 8 photos shot with an Olympus 12mm at f2, 15 second exposures at ISO 3200. The sky shots were composited in Photoshop for noise reduction and the HDR was done in Lightroom. The overall composite was done in Photoshop.
"The Homestead Act of 1862 was one of the most significant and enduring events in the westward expansion of the United States. By granting 160 acres of free land to claimants, it allowed nearly any man or woman a "fair chance."
Millions of Americans including immigrants, women, and formerly enslaved men and women would make the dream of westward expansion a reality for this country. For over a century these settlers would test their grit and endurance in the untamed wilderness and remote frontiers. Homestead National Monument of America, located in Southeast Nebraska, commemorates this Act and the far-reaching effects it had upon the landscape and people.
"It is the purpose of our government to elevate the condition of men, to lift artificial burdens from all shoulders and to give everyone an unfettered start and a fair chance in the race of life."
- President Abraham Lincoln, July 4, 1861" (National Park Service)
"One of the first people to file a claim under the Homestead Act of 1862 was Daniel Freeman. The site of his claim is now the site of Homestead National Monument of America. This site commemorates the lives and accomplishments of all pioneers and the changes brought about by the Homestead Act. Legend has it that Daniel Freeman filed his claim 10 minutes after midnight at the Land Office in Brownville, NE on January 1, 1863, the first day the Homestead Act went into effect." (National Park Service)