The Edge Of Dawn At The Gates
Ever since my buddy Gregg Cooper posted his shot of the Milky Way at the Gates of the Valley several years ago, I've been trying to get something comparable from this spot. The challenges to actually shooting the Milky Way from the Gates Of The Valley are myriad, which explains why it takes awhile to get a decent shot, especially during the month of February. First of all, even if you show up at 4:30 AM, all of those pesky photographers that are in the valley to shoot the Firefall are also up at 4:30 and the vast majority of them are on their way to the tunnel to shoot the sunrise. And to get to the tunnel, they need need to drive past where you are shooting...with their high beams on. (Not unlike what I did to Gregg in 2013.)
Then there are those who actually show up to shoot the Milky Way, just after you have your settings dialed in, and proceed to set up directly in front of you because you, like an idiot, decided you liked the wider view giving the entire suburban full of photographers ample opportunity to politely move in front of you, along with their headlamps and very bright LCD screens. (I knew this was probably going to happen, but still...arg. If you want to ensure that no one sets up in front of you, it's always best to set up right next to the river, but I wanted the extra elevation to bring Bridal Veil into the shot.)
Add to that the fact that the Milky Way moves pretty quickly across the sky. If you time it wrong, even by 15 minutes, it could be too far from El Cap and the surrounding granite walls by the time you arrive. Even if it is in the right position when you arrive, at most you have 30 minutes before it moves directly overhead and out of your shot.
Then there's the issue of....it's just so darn DARK in Yosemite without the moon, necessitating a very long exposure blended with the 25 second max you get before the stars begin to blur. Good luck finding a 90 second window without the high beams...and headlamps....and lcd screens...and irate time-lapse photographers looking for missing pieces of gear...and...
So I kept moving around...and waiting and re-shooting...until the suburban full of photographers took off for the tunnel. As soon as they were gone, I ran back and quickly grabbed a few shots as the first hint of blue crept into the horizon. This was literally the last frame I was able to grab before the Milky Way faded and moved out of position.
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Thank you so much for your views and comments! If you have specific questions please be sure to send me a message via flickr mail, or feel free to contact me via one of the following:
Blog | Website | Facebook | Instagram | 500px | Twitter | Google +
The Edge Of Dawn At The Gates
Ever since my buddy Gregg Cooper posted his shot of the Milky Way at the Gates of the Valley several years ago, I've been trying to get something comparable from this spot. The challenges to actually shooting the Milky Way from the Gates Of The Valley are myriad, which explains why it takes awhile to get a decent shot, especially during the month of February. First of all, even if you show up at 4:30 AM, all of those pesky photographers that are in the valley to shoot the Firefall are also up at 4:30 and the vast majority of them are on their way to the tunnel to shoot the sunrise. And to get to the tunnel, they need need to drive past where you are shooting...with their high beams on. (Not unlike what I did to Gregg in 2013.)
Then there are those who actually show up to shoot the Milky Way, just after you have your settings dialed in, and proceed to set up directly in front of you because you, like an idiot, decided you liked the wider view giving the entire suburban full of photographers ample opportunity to politely move in front of you, along with their headlamps and very bright LCD screens. (I knew this was probably going to happen, but still...arg. If you want to ensure that no one sets up in front of you, it's always best to set up right next to the river, but I wanted the extra elevation to bring Bridal Veil into the shot.)
Add to that the fact that the Milky Way moves pretty quickly across the sky. If you time it wrong, even by 15 minutes, it could be too far from El Cap and the surrounding granite walls by the time you arrive. Even if it is in the right position when you arrive, at most you have 30 minutes before it moves directly overhead and out of your shot.
Then there's the issue of....it's just so darn DARK in Yosemite without the moon, necessitating a very long exposure blended with the 25 second max you get before the stars begin to blur. Good luck finding a 90 second window without the high beams...and headlamps....and lcd screens...and irate time-lapse photographers looking for missing pieces of gear...and...
So I kept moving around...and waiting and re-shooting...until the suburban full of photographers took off for the tunnel. As soon as they were gone, I ran back and quickly grabbed a few shots as the first hint of blue crept into the horizon. This was literally the last frame I was able to grab before the Milky Way faded and moved out of position.
--------------
Thank you so much for your views and comments! If you have specific questions please be sure to send me a message via flickr mail, or feel free to contact me via one of the following:
Blog | Website | Facebook | Instagram | 500px | Twitter | Google +