Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Republicans seem to think life begins at the candlelight dinner the night before.

Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

They were going to turn on one another at some point. It was inevitable.

Republicans choose power over democracy, every day.

Stop using mental illness to avoid talking about armed white supremacy.

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

Every reporter and pundit should have to declare if they ever vacationed with a billionaire.

It’s a good piece. click on over. but then come back!!

One of our two political parties is a cult whose leader admires Vladimir Putin.

We won’t go back.

We still have time to mess this up!

I conferred with the team and they all agree – still not tired of winning!

Books are my comfort food!

Oh FFS you might as well trust a 6-year-old with a flamethrower.

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

It’s pointless to bring up problems that can only be solved with a time machine.

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

“The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.”

Many life forms that would benefit from greater intelligence, sadly, do not have it.

Trump’s legal defense is going to be a dumpster fire inside a clown car on a derailing train.

Accountability, motherfuckers.

Biden: Oh no. We’ve upset Big Pharma again.

Republican speaker of the house Mike Johnson is the bland and smiling face of evil.

You are here: Home / Photo Blogging / On The Road / On the Road and In Your Backyard

On the Road and In Your Backyard

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On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.

From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.

Submit Your Photos

Good Morning All,

This weekday feature is for Juicers who are are on the road, traveling, or just want to share a little bit of their world via stories and pictures. So many of us rise each morning, eager for something beautiful, inspiring, amazing, subtle, of note, and our community delivers – a view into their world, whether they’re far away or close to home – pictures with a story, with context, with meaning, sometimes just beauty. By concentrating travel updates and tips here, it’s easier for all of us to keep up or find them later.

So please, speak up and share some of your adventures and travel news here, and submit your pictures using our speedy, secure form. You can submit up to 7 pictures at a time, with an overall description and one for each picture.

You can, of course, send an email with pictures if the form gives you trouble, or if you are trying to submit something special, like a zipped archive or a movie. If your pictures are already hosted online, then please email the links with your descriptions.

For each picture, it’s best to provide your commenter screenname, description, where it was taken, and date. It’s tough to keep everyone’s email address and screenname straight, so don’t assume that I remember it “from last time”. More and more, the first photo before the fold will be from a commenter, so making it easy to locate the screenname when I’ve found a compelling photo is crucial.

Have a wonderful day, and enjoy the pictures!

So, let’s hope this births a new Wednesday tradition: more great stuff from BillinGlendaleCA!

 

And on a personal note, it’s hard to believe it’s been 6 months since that awful, awful morning. I miss you, La Mama.

Today, pictures from valued commenter ?BillinGlendaleCA.

It’s Milky Way Season Again!

Yes, the Milky Way has a season, it’s roughly April through October here in the northern hemisphere that you can see the galactic center of the Milky Way. I’ve fired up the Prius and headed to some familiar places(Lockwood Valley in the mountains) and some new places(on the coast). I attempted to shoot at the coast a few years ago when I had no clue what I was doing and actually managed to get a shot of the galactic center, but also the moon next to the galactic center. This time I avoided the moon by shooting after it had set and since the Milky Way doesn’t really rise until about 1:30-2:00am, this wasn’t overly difficult. One thing I acquired in the off-season(a Christmas present) was a sky tracker that moves the camera to track the stars as the earth moves. This allows for a cleaner picture since I can shoot a really long exposure at a low ISO setting.

Milky Way @ Twin Bush with traditional method.

Taken on 2018-04-14

Twin Bush at Point Mugu State Park, CA

This my first trip out there(at least without cloud cover or fog) and I didn’t take the sky tracker. This was shot with a short exposure and a high ISO(10 seconds at ISO 800). I’ve been looking at Google Maps for locations along Pacific Coast Highway with a turnout that I could park at and have a good location to shoot that would be somewhat shielded from the light pollution from LA. This seemed to be a good location, but you can still see quite a bit of light from LA at the left of the picture.

Milky Way @ Twin Bush with the sky tracker.

Taken on 2018-04-18

Twin Bush at Point Mugu State Park, CA

A few days after my first trip to the coast, the conditions looked right(no fog), so I headed back to Twin Bush and took the sky tracker with me. One of the things the sky tracker requires is a clear view of the Polaris so that you can calibrate it. The sky tracker takes sharp pictures of the stars, but the ground turns out blurry(the camera is moving relative to the gound), so you have to take a separate shot of the ground a put them together in Photoshop in post. This is a 4 minute exposure at f/3.5 and ISO 100 taken with the 10mm fisheye.

Milky Way @ Twin Bush with the sky tracker.

Taken on 2018-04-18

Twin Bush at Point Mugu State Park, CA

This was shot with my regular wide angle lens(12mm and f/2), but it’s got something special in it. If you look towards the lights of LA you can see a line of light that fades in and fades out. That’s the sun reflecting off the Hubble Space Telescope.

Milky Way @ Point Mugu

Taken on 2018-04-20

Point Mugu, CA

On this outing I moved a few miles further up the coast to attempt to avoid the LA light pollution, I’m not sure it was overly effective and I actually liked the coastline at Twin Bush better. I did a little light painting for this one, illuminating the rocks at the edge of the parking area(to keep folk from driving into the ocean).

Milky Way @ Lockwood Valley

Taken on 2018-04-21

Lockwood Valley, CA

I shot at Lockwood Valley in the shadow of Mt. Pinos(near Frazier Park) last year and thought I’d try again this year. This is composed of two exposures shot at 6 minutes with the 10mm fisheye f/3.5 and ISO 100.

Milky Way @ Lockwood Valley

Taken on 2018-04-21

Lockwood Valley, CA

I shot this(foreground and stars) at the maximum exposure length the remote camera app on my phone will allow(8 minutes), 12mm f/2 lens at ISO 100.

 

Thank you so much ?BillinGlendaleCA, do send us more when you can.

 

Travel safely everybody, and do share some stories in the comments, even if you’re joining the conversation late. Many folks confide that they go back and read old threads, one reason these are available on the Quick Links menu.

 

One again, to submit pictures: Use the Form or Send an Email

Reader Interactions

54Comments

  3. 3.

    Viva BrisVegas

    @?BillinGlendaleCA:

    I hope you realise those are pictures are good enough for APOD. You should consider submitting some.

    I particularly like the one with the rocks. The city shine reflected in the water is a nice contrast to the Milky Way.

  5. 5.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @Viva BrisVegas: The one the HSS might be a candidate.

    ETA: Actually, I like that one the least.

    @HeartlandLiberal:

    Taking photos like this is NOT easy or trivial, and these are magnificent.

    Thanks, what I didn’t mention…when I went up the Lockwood Valley, I knew it would be a bit chilly. The weather site near to where I’d be shooting said it was 45 degrees, they lied. When I set up my tripod to shoot, the outside thermometer in the Prius said it was 32, when I left it was 28. While I was taking the shots(and these are multi-minute shots), I stayed in the car to keep warm.

  7. 7.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @Waratah: Thanks, I really like the last shot taken with an 8 minute exposure. Next time I shoot(probably at the coast), I’ll shoot 8 minute exposures. Even though I can only shoot only a few finished exposures(two exposures need to be taken: one for the Milky Way and one for the foreground), it really does make a difference.

  12. 12.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @rikyrah: Thanks, we’ll see what I can come up with in the next few weeks. The kid was over on Sunday for dinner, and we discussed going to Death Valley, the problem is the girls, aka dogs.

  14. 14.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @arrieve: I’ll probably submit the one with the Hubble, I was looking over their submission requirements.

    ETA: Since I’m selling out(aka, selling my pics), I have to remain mindful of any copyright issues.

  15. 15.

    Robyn

    Wow, these are stunning! I love the one with the reflection off the Hubble. Beautiful work.

  17. 17.

    debbie

    Nice! I like them all, especially that last one, where the Milky Way stretches over those insignificant (what I assume) human habitations.

  18. 18.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @Robyn: Thanks. I like that one because is really interesting and the last one because it’s probably the best exposure(long enough). When I showed the kid the pic on Sunday, she asked how I knew it was the Hubble. I knew it was a satellite and I knew what time range the pic was taken, I just checked one of the star maps on my phone and there was the Hubble crossing in exactly that location during the exposure. The long exposure should also help in capturing meteors as well, I hope.

    @satby: I’m pretty happy with how the star tracker worked out, well worth the price.

  20. 20.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @debbie: Thanks, one of them may be Steve Martin’s(not the comedian, actor, banjo player…) Working Wildlife. One of the things about shooting at that location is you hear some strange sounds.

  22. 22.

    MelissaM

    These are way cool and lovely! My rube of an eye likes the first one – the LA light looks like a rising sun or something.

  26. 26.

    Jerzy Russian

    @?BillinGlendaleCA:

    Death Valley is dark, but below sea level. There are campgrounds, but I imagine those will not be habitable during the Milky Way season (aka Northern hemisphere summer). Have you thought about Joshua Tree National Park? A shot with some Joshua trees in the foreground would be cool. Finally, if you ever make it south of the equator, take your camera and get shots of the Magellanic Clouds. That would be double plus good.

  27. 27.

    Cheryl from Maryland

    Lovely work, and thanks for sharing. I especially like the 2nd one as it shows so clearly how the Milky Way got its name.

  28. 28.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @Jerzy Russian:

    Have you thought about Joshua Tree National Park?

    Yes, look at my earlier submissions to “On the Road”. I’ve shot at Joshua Tree twice. I’d like to shoot there again; as well as Amboy Crater, the Alabama Hills and maybe the Trona pinnacles. I’ve been south of the equator a few times, but didn’t have the correct equipment to do any astro-photography(and there was drinking involved). While I’d like to go to the southern hemisphere again, I don’t see it in the cards.

  30. 30.

    Manyakitty

    @?BillinGlendaleCA: Amazing! I’ll be in West Hollywood and Palm Springs in two weeks. Maybe I can see the Milky Way IRL! Do you think there’s a chance I can get a hint of it with my phone (Samsung Galaxy S8)?

  31. 31.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @Manyakitty: Probably not, due to the small sensor, you can’t get a long enough exposure. West Hollywood & Palm Springs? Unless you get pretty far from city lights, it’s really difficult even with a camera with a larger sensor. I’ve captured the Milky Way from the hills above Glendale, but it’s very faint and that was after alot of work in Lightroom.

    There’s the rule of 500: 500/focal length/crop factor on the sensor. So in my case 500/12/1.53=27 seconds. 12mm lens and a crop factor on my NX500 of 1.53. I found from testing that I can only shoot 20 seconds before I see star trails.

    ETA: Except for the first photo, I’m using a star tracker to get longer exposures and capturing the foreground in a separate shot at the same exposure length.

  34. 34.

    Aleta

    Alain, thanks. If I try to imagine this site without you, all I come up with is an emptier world.

  36. 36.

    MomSense

    I love these photos. A good lesson in perspective and wonder. We are so small and the universe is so vast and amazing.

  37. 37.

    laura

    These shots are flat out beautiful -and I was playing Don McLean’s Starry Starry Night in my head while looking.
    Alain, I buried my dad Saturday and am totally feeling you. At some point, the love outweighs the loss, even if it’s not today…

  38. 38.

    Manyakitty

    @?BillinGlendaleCA: Hmm…I went to Joshua Tree last time I visited Palm Springs. Maybe I can ask my friends to plan a Milky Way expedition.

    West Hollywood is so light polluted I didn’t think there was a chance. Then again, I got to see storms moving in Jupiter’s spot last time I went to the Griffith Park Observatory, so that’s a thing. I wanted to take a tour of JPL, but they’re totally booked during my whole 10-day trip and we don’t know anyone who works there any more.

    Thank you for the insight!

  39. 39.

    Yarrow

    Bill, your photos are gorgeous.

    Alain, condolences again on the loss of your lovely mother. The first year is tough with all the milestones. Take good care of yourself.

  40. 40.

    Elizabelle

    Bookmarking this. I love these photos. Thanks, Bill.

    @laura: My condolences on your father. It’s so hard.

    @ Alain: did you ever do the post you were planning on your wonderful mom? I’m all ears. Lovely and elegant woman.

  41. 41.

    Alain the site fixer

    Thanks to all for the good wishes. Grief is weird. I had a lot of scabbed over wounds that were ripped open three weeks ago when the elder of my mom’s cats was diagnosed with terminal cancer. So now I’m running a kitty hospice which is rewarding but too close to my mom’s ordeal not to hurt extra-hard. I remind myself that, for a month or so before the cat’s diagnosis, I was finally looking forward and not stuck looking back. Each day is a roller-coaster, but it IS better, and I feel warmth where I felt absolute despair, so I know it’s getting better.

  43. 43.

    SiubhanDuinne

    And on a personal note, it’s hard to believe it’s been 6 months since that awful, awful morning. I miss you, La Mama.

    Hugs, Alain. I hope one of these days you’ll put up a photo gallery of your beautiful mother, and some additional reminiscences about her remarkable life.

    @?BillinGlendaleCA: Those photos are gasp-inducingly spectacular. Just stunning.

  44. 44.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @laura:

    I’m so sorry about your dad. That’s recent and raw, but I hope your good memories bring you comfort and smiles.

  47. 47.

    J R in WV

    @laura:

    Sorry to hear about your dad. I know that burns.

    Both my parents opted for cremation, and the next summer of 2005 we poured their ashes together into a waterfall they loved and asked about. Cremains don’t sprinkle very well, they clump up a lot, so while we tried to sprinkle, it was more of a dump there at the end. The river took care of it after that. Tears for sure, tho it wasn’t a funeral, neither wanted one, so we had a BBQ picnic at a local state park that was important to all of us as kids, Grandview State Park, now a unit of the New River National River Park.

    @Alain the site fixer:

    So sorry for your great loss of your mom, and of course the mom’s cat now ill is a very real hurt on top of that older pain. I still miss my folks, who were wonderful people. But after lo these many years, the pain is pretty much gone, and I’m left with the many great memories. They were both very ready to go when their time came, both with COPD, mom from Pall Malls and Dad from that harsh chemo.

  48. 48.

    J R in WV

    Bill,

    Great photos, looking forward to more with newer darker skies and interesting foregrounds in Joshua Tree and Death Valley, two wonderful places I want to see but have not so far.

    Your sales site is going to be great. Is already great, really. I hope you sell enough to support traveling around to expand your photographic horizons! Best of luck with that.

    I forget what kind of dogs you have, any chance they would chill in the back seat while you took photos? I guess you might want to hike around looking for the best spot to shoot from, though.

  51. 51.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @Manyakitty: You’ll be a be able to visually see the Milky Way in Joshua Tree. Shooting with a cell phone camera would require a tripod and a few second exposure at a high ISO and most importantly shooting RAW(Pro mode). I have a Note 8 and the main camera is similar, they don’t do well with underexposure(you get a circular pattern when you try to lighten them). But it doesn’t hurt to try.

  54. 54.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @West of the Rockies: Thanks.

    @J R in WV: Thanks, I should be ready to go live with the site later this week or early next week. For some reason the choice to download isn’t available in my shopping cart and I need to do some tweaking on a couple of shots. I have a YorkiePom and a cocker. The cocker like to bark when I leave.

    @daverave: Thanks.

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