On the Road and In Your Backyard

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.

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Have a wonderful day, and enjoy the pictures!

 

Today, pictures from valued commenter ?BillinGlendaleCA.

The Milky Way…

It’s June and it’s prime Milky Way season. The Milky Way raises about sunset and by about 2am the galactic center is vertical in the southern sky. While the Milky Way is there every night, it’s highly susceptible to light pollution with the Moon being the 2nd greatest offender(the Sun being the first). I only made 4 trips out to shoot being somewhat limited by coastal Southern California’s “June Gloom”, and for two of my trips I had a photographic assistant(Madame). Two of these excursions were to familiar locations(Boy Scout Camp Road in Lockwood Valley and Twin Bush on PCH) and two were to new locations(Mt. Pinos’ Nordic Base and a location in the southern portion of Lockwood Valley).

Milky rising at Twin Bush

Taken on 2018-06-09

Twin Bush, Point Mugu, CA

I had not planned on shooting at Twin Bush. Madame had wanted to see the Milky Way and we were going to drive up to the Boy Scout Camp Road in Lockwood Valley, but there was a fire on the route there and any smoke from the fire would be in the viewing direction of the Milky Way from Lockwood Valley. So we headed to Twin Bush instead. The Milky Way was pretty faint due to haze(and smoke) that made the light pollution a bit worse.

Milky Way rising at Boy Scout Camp Road

Taken on 2018-06-16

Lockwood Valley, CA

A week later(and the fire out), Madame and I made the trip up to the Boy Scout Camp Road in Lockwood Valley. The moon was still in the sky when we arrived, so I did some background shots until the Moon set. I also did some pretty extensive light painting for the foreground shots. Madame was quite impressed with the Milky Way, but was also quite bored with how long it takes to take photographs of the Milky Way(each shot is an 8 minute exposure).

Milky Way at the Boy Scout Camp Road(fisheye)

Taken on 2018-06-16

Lockwood Valley, CA

After taking a few shots with my Milky Way lens(a 12mm, f/2), I broke out the fisheye lens(10mm, f/3.5). After completing these fisheye shots, I decided to drive to the end of the Boy Scout Camp Road and show Madame the Boy Scout Camp that I went to when I was a young photographer. I had told her about the suicidal rabbits of Lockwood Valley, but she had not believed me until she saw a couple of rabbits run into the road as soon as they saw my car headlights.

Milky Way from Mt. Pinos

Taken on 2018-06-20

Mt. Pinos, CA

Mt. Pinos is just north of Lockwood Valley and about 3,000 feet higher(the Nordic Base is about 8,500 feet above sea level). While the added elevation does make for some nice viewing, the trees around the parking lot at the Nordic Base obscure the Milky Way a bit too much.

Milky Way in Lockwood Valley

Taken on 2018-06-23

Lockwood Valley, CA

This time I drove past the Boy Scout Camp Road and headed to the southern reaches of Lockwood Valley to a place that looked promising on the Google Maps. It’s a little road that heads south as the Lockwood Valley Road bends to the west. I really liked this location. I shot the foreground while the Moon was still up(and quite bright) and then shot the sky portion after the Moon set.

Milky Way in Lockwood Valley(fisheye)

Taken on 2018-06-23

Lockwood Valley, CA

I almost didn’t take this shot and the foreground(what little there is) is from a framing shot. Since I can’t see anything but the brightest planets on the camera’s screen, I shoot framing shots at a higher ISO and short shutter speed(about 20 seconds) to frame the shot.

The Milky Way in the daytime(Moon lit)

Taken on 2018-06-23

Lockwood Valley, CA

This is from the foreground shots, I shot 8 shots at ISO 800, lightened them in Lightroom and combined them(sky and foreground separately) in Photoshop to reduce noise(median stacking). I just thought I’d try something a bit different.

 

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.

 

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