Not a bad start!
I’m happy to be off and shooting for the 2019 Milky Way core season. The Milky Way is visible all year round, of course, but right now is the time of year when the dense central hub of our galaxy, the “core”, reappears in the early morning skies. Late last night (Sat 9th Feb) I drove south for about 100 km to a spot that I’ve heard so much about but never visited, Cathedral Rocks, near the coastal town of Kiama, Australia.
It’s a gross understatement to say that I struck gold by choosing this location. Not only did I have the famous rock formations to feature in my foreground, with the majesty of the galactic core rising in the southeast to dominate the frame, but I was treated to the presence of the planets Jupiter and Venus as they rose over the Tasman Sea. The intensity of Venus’ light is unmissable in the photo, shining both low in the sky and reflected off the waves breaking on the beach. The unexpected bonus for the night was the light from bioluminescent organisms in the water turning the waves a glowing blue colour. I’m ridiculously tired from staying out late and only getting a few hours of sleep, but it was so worth it!
I shot this single-frame photograph with a Canon EOS 6D Mk II camera, a Canon 40mm f/2.8 STM lens @ f/2.8, using a 10-second exposure @ ISO 6400.
Not a bad start!
I’m happy to be off and shooting for the 2019 Milky Way core season. The Milky Way is visible all year round, of course, but right now is the time of year when the dense central hub of our galaxy, the “core”, reappears in the early morning skies. Late last night (Sat 9th Feb) I drove south for about 100 km to a spot that I’ve heard so much about but never visited, Cathedral Rocks, near the coastal town of Kiama, Australia.
It’s a gross understatement to say that I struck gold by choosing this location. Not only did I have the famous rock formations to feature in my foreground, with the majesty of the galactic core rising in the southeast to dominate the frame, but I was treated to the presence of the planets Jupiter and Venus as they rose over the Tasman Sea. The intensity of Venus’ light is unmissable in the photo, shining both low in the sky and reflected off the waves breaking on the beach. The unexpected bonus for the night was the light from bioluminescent organisms in the water turning the waves a glowing blue colour. I’m ridiculously tired from staying out late and only getting a few hours of sleep, but it was so worth it!
I shot this single-frame photograph with a Canon EOS 6D Mk II camera, a Canon 40mm f/2.8 STM lens @ f/2.8, using a 10-second exposure @ ISO 6400.