To be clear, while it is difficult to find bortle 1 conditions in the eastern US, all hope is not lost! The great plains states have some pockets, and there are spots of Bortle 1 in Minnesota, Michigan, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, New York, West Virginia, and I believe Florida along with a couple others. Another option is either the shores of the upper Great Lakes (Superior, Huron, Michigan), or the shores of the Atlantic. Given all that, there is most likely some sort of spot within a 6 hour drive of you. And that's for Bortle 1. For Bortle 3, most people have that within a couple hours. Try looking for blue spots or anything darker, there should be something thats alright. Every person in the US likely has Bortle 3 within a 3 hour drive of their home, but usually its closer. Good luck to everyone and clear skies!
So do you think the milky way can be well lit in a bortle 3? I've been trying to search for a spot with low LP because even though I do a lot of stargazing, I've never seen the milky way. I recently tried to go to a bortle 4 zone and I couldn't see the milky way, likely because the moon was quite bright. But Id love to try and find a good bortle 3 area.
I finally got to sit down and watch your reel! It was absolutely wonderful! Your work is exquisite. The detail on all of them is incredible. You articulate very well brother! I subscribe and like your sister….passion driven talent! Sorry it took so long for me to see this. Be well, and I’m looking forward to your next project! Hans Von Hazz.
Hi, quick suggestion when shooting on a beach use old CDs under your tripod legs so that the legs done sink into the sand. I've made some disks out OT aluminium with holes for long spikes to go through into the sand.
Great composition skills man! You're also shooting through the MOST atmosphere being at sea-level. I found the one time I tried sea-level astro, it was extremely noisy and difficult
Great video again! Your production is of very high quality, compliments! Love the images. I think I like the cloudy one the best, after that the 'end of the world' shot and then the blue hour reflection shot. That last one probably has the best milky way but there's something about the reflection on the water that gives away it was not dark when shooting it. But besides that small thing: epic adventure, stunning results. Thanks for sharing! The world needs more astro vloggers 💪.
Beautiful shots! Personally, I really like the balance of photo 1. And wow, 2 is seriously magical. I especially love the clouds on the horizon, and the softness of the light on the foreground rocks.
Photo #1! All of them are amazing but there is something about the milky way transcending off the peak of the rock that is magical. Overall though what a gift to be able to share your journey with others so they can appreciate it and grow within the art form themselves. Excellent work Mike!
I like 1 but all of them are outstanding, I've tried milky way shots without much success even using modified cameras to try & bring out the Ha regions to. As you say photography is expensive & astro photography is another rabbit hole I went down & the hole keeps on getting deeper. Great video!!
I was doing this exact type of shoot last evening in Rhode Island. Your video showed up today as if you were reading my mind. Agree with everything you were showing us. You got some fantastic results. Keep the videos coming.
My doubt is how do you maintain the focus on foreground as well as stars ? You would need a wide aperture for astro but a narrow aperture for keeping both in focus isn’t it ?
Hi Mike (again...). You ask for the preferred one in your video, Left and center (1-2) is a tough choice due to the composition, very dynamic on one and more serene on the other, and last, right (3), for which the sky is a little overexposed, too much tone disparity with the foreground, I would have darkened the whole in post maybe, or lifted the foreground a bit more. On this ground, the center rock one (1) is more nicely balanced. Over time, I would think the (1) is the most pleasing to keep on a wall. By the way, where did you find the Smartlist App? I didn't see it on Android, is it a desktop app ? Thank you for any insight. Best...
Hey, really cool video! Those were some awesome pictures, but my favorite was the third one. I do have one question though: Did you use a star tracker for any of the videos? I'm getting into astrophotography myself, and am trying to figure out what set-up most of the people use.
i decided that the only way to get a Milky Way core near me is to go to a south coast location with the view straight out over the sea and I got the best result I have ever got. Did this just a few weeks ago. Such good timing. I had the lights of the promenade right behind me but they had no effect on the sky. Nice video
This is accurate, but it depends alot on how far away from the lightsouce you are. I tried this last december, and i traveled to a bortle 3 (luckily just 20 minutes from my bortle 5 backyard), but shot TOWARDS the city. Distance does something too, and it might not be neccesarry to go as far as you think, before you see a difference. I got The Pleiades starcluster in 90 minutes with IFN.
For sure. Also depends on how visible the lights are. If you are at a higher elevation when the lights are unobstructed it usually causes an issue in my experience.
Come to New Mexico and I'll take you to Bortle 2 next to Bortle one in WSMR 30 minutes from Las Cruces where I live. I'm 90 minutes from Bortle one and to be honest I cannot tell the difference from my 2 spot to my one spot. Aiming to the East into Bortle one is especially good for galaxies. I also seek out binary multiple star systems. The Lyrae Double Double, next to Vega is actually a triple triple. Wide angle EPs are useful for the double double, but the triples are too far apart for any eyepiece. I use Fujiyama and Baader Zeiss Orthoscopics as well. A zoom is essential to watch the second star emerge for an outreach. I like pic one with the rock pinnacle, it is near perfect, not too busy, but has a lot going on. Hard to do that.
Thanks for watching! I'd love to come out there. I can't tell the difference between bortle 1 or 2 either most times. Bortle 2 or 3 can look amazing if the atmosphere is correct. I feel like higher elevation, cooler weather even in a bortle 3, sometimes looks as good as a Bortle 1.
Another well done video Mike! I like the way your videos flow and how you present the results. Been considering the Malibu area for nightscape work (escape the desert heat 😂), appreciate the tips. Looking forward to the adventure of getting this done.
All 3 look awesome! 1 is the best MW but I like the comp of 2 best. For 1 and 3, is the white haze on the horizon just marine layer, or do you think it's connected to the "bortle you're in vs. bortle you're pointing at" question?
Living on an small island this is something I have experienced quite a bit, our skies here range from a b4 right down to bordering on b1, it really depends where you are at what time. My house is in a b3/4, look overhead or to the north and it’s amazing, but look to the south and the MW looks a bit sad in the 2 smallish LP domes I have, especially since I’m at 49 north. But as soon as I take the 15min drive to the southwest of the island looking over the ocean it’s amazing, the area is a b2, maybe even a b1 depending on the night, but there is nothing in the direction of the MW but ocean for a good 60 or 70 miles. Same thing again with the nearby “dark sky island” bortle 1 overhead, no streetlights on the island, but b5 light dome of a nearby island to the south east, so ruins the view In earlier parts of MW season
I desire for my location to have skies as dark as a Bortle 5, but unfortunately, I must contend with Bortle 8 skies. When I arrange my telescope, I don't require additional lighting since there is consistently sufficient illumination. Nonetheless, despite these circumstances, I am consistently astonished by the quality of the images I capture.
I have to do the same, shooting in a Bortle 5 at best maybe a 4, I always try to look into a darker bit of sky. That usually means shooting out to sea. `Can be a constant battle to get new and interesting compositions though. love the Milky Way with the clouds.
interesting concept, about shooting towards the sea. I did something similar when neowise was around. Still it wasn't the same as when I went toa bortle 2 location, but it was something..
I live in a bortle 3-4 zone. Looking north is bortle 5-6 and tricky. But south where all the action is for us Aussies, it's 2-3. 😊 What lens do you have that is 14mm at f1.8?
Hey there! Great job with these shots. I'm super impressed with what you were able to do with a bortle 5. I live in a spot with a bortle of 4-5 and I'd really love to try this for myself. So, I have a question. What camera do you use? I'm new to astrophotography and I'm trying to pick out a good camera to use that isn't 1,000s of dollars. I'd really love to shoot all kinds of targets in the sky.
#2 is definitely one of the more unique MW images. Not many people are even going to try to capture the night sky with clouds that prevalent. Ultimately, though, I have to say that #1 is my favorite, but #2 is close. It would be great if you could put out a video on your editing workflow for #2. I have a few sets of images with clouds, and I'd like to know the best way to handle them so that they don't streak and don't look unnatural. I have some familiarity with layer masks, but not enough to get the kind of results you did. Great images. Thank you!
Thanks for watching. I love when the clouds roll through. So often we are all taking pictures of the most well known places. When the clouds come through it gives you an opportunity for a unique shot. I'm gonna put together some more tutorial style videos in the future for sure.
Well, thank you for the video Mike... But I stop you right there (at 1.38). No one could be on Matador Beach for Astro, or even anywhere nearby, for the Beach, and long alley that leads to it are closed by a gate on PCH at Sunset, and one could end up in jail for trespassing after hours. So... where did you put yourself then ?.. Or did you just braved the gate and went anyway ? Curious... Did you get some specific authorization ? (You must have had for the drone...) Anyway, if you go again , please let me know if I could join, I'm in Santa Monica and always wanted to do M.Way at this location. I did some in Joshua Tree, but it's a long way... I wish I could go there at night to do milky way. A good spot in the area with relatively dark skies (especially looking south for M.Way), and some astro guys from clubs in the valley are said to go there when they don't want to go for the darker skies of Joshua Tree or Mt Pinos, is Circle X Ranch or Sandstone Peak trailhead parking, above Matador Beach area, in Santa Monica Mountains.
Thanks for watching. I definitely walked past the gate and was not worried about going to jail! I'm pretty sure a cop would just ask me to leave if they saw me down there taking pictures.
@@mikesepicphotos Thanks for your reply, Mike, I guess you were lucky and haven't had any problem with that before. I was less lucky, about 2 years ago, I just passed the little entry booth from Boddie's park entrance after hours (like, half hours after closure and I was literally 5 yard passed that booth to capture a wide-angle sunset over the park without that booth obstructing) but I must have been out of luck, because a few minutes later, when I was just picturing the hills out of the park, the park ranger came out and borderline arrested me but ended up giving me a court citation that cost me hundreds later at the time. The guy perfectly knew, seeing my equipment, and me just picture stuff, that I had just trespassed few yards from that entry booth for a picture and nothing else, but I guess, living there and having to dress to come out and check after hours just pissed him off. Still, after this adventure, I do not feel that confident anymore to trespass this kind of location after hours, as, maybe as you say, most officers would not fuss about it too much, but if it's an angry one, then I'd be out of luck, knowing on top that aside, in case of check, he might have something on his computer that could say I already trespassed a park by the past. So, with all this in consideration, I would not hesitate to go, but would feel more confident with another photographer. Again, if you ever go back, let me know. I'll happily join. Awesome video otherwise... Best.
I think that Antarctica must be the only continent which is almost totally Bortle 1 obviously not in late Spring and Summer.Seaside places are a bit difficult to categorize Bortle wise as the view inland is different from seaward.I live in a Bortle 6 area but it's by the sea and much darker in the sea direction.
Well done!! I love Death Valley - I still remember the Milky Way casting diffuse shadows... By the way how did you get permission to fly a drone there?? It's super forbidden normally...
I'm learning in the comments that flying drones is not allowed there. I will continue to use my drone footage that I shot over a year ago in future videos and people will keep telling me that it is not allowed I'm sure! lol. Thanks for watching though.
This was an incredible vlog and highly engaging! Indeed, as someone who lives in Hong Kong, decent Milky Way shots facing to darker skies is the key 😂 really enjoyed all shots #2 and 3 works for me! 1 was great too, but somehow wanted the MW core not blocked out by the spire. Might be personal preference at this point tho!
I like all three for different reasons. But I think #2 is my favorite just for the beautiful composition and the “dreamlike” quality you were striving for. You nailed it. That being said I will be a little nit picky and say the inclusion of clouds in a Milky Way composition kind of defeats the purpose. For an uninformed observer the brightest parts of the Milky Way core just look like more clouds.
Thanks for watching. I could see that. I'm honestly so surprised that there is so much interest in astrophotography videos from a brand new creator like me. More people are informed than I thought!
It’s not fair to makes us pick just one. I like it as a triptych. I hope in a future video you talk about your editing process. I am an opportunistic astrophotographer with a handful of images that have potential but I am just not happy with my editing
I'll definitely do some tutorial type videos in the future. I'm afraid my editing style is a bit unorthodox though. May not be something others should copy! In my opinion, as long as you like the result, it doesn't matter how you get there. Thanks for watching!
I have the move shoot move. I like it. It is really effective for 14 and 24mm shots. I haven't tried longer lenses yet. I think the other trackers are better for that right?
@@mikesepicphotoslook up the Ioptron sky guider pro with the Ipolar camera for polar alignment. I get 3minutes exposures unguided with a astro modded Canon 77D and a 70-300 mm L lens.
Like all 3 images, not a fan of 2 exposure( sky & foreground ) single shot. Having said that, your images are one if the best I have seen using 2 exposure.
Thanks for the feedback. It took me quite a while to get #2 to even look presentable with the colors being so different from blue hour to Milky Way. Definitely something I can improve on.
I had that experience in Big Sur. Drove 7 hours up the coast. The forecast was clear but the fog still came in and I wasn't able to get anything. Thanks for watching!
Appreciate you watching. I could have backed away from the water. But whenever possible I like to shoot the foreground and the stars with the tripod in the same position. That is what I was after there.
I love number three, number one looks a bit unbalanced, the sea stack competes too much with the milky way. Number 2 is too much foreground with no real 'subject' in the background. But all in all, I would be happy with such shots.
To be clear, while it is difficult to find bortle 1 conditions in the eastern US, all hope is not lost! The great plains states have some pockets, and there are spots of Bortle 1 in Minnesota, Michigan, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, New York, West Virginia, and I believe Florida along with a couple others. Another option is either the shores of the upper Great Lakes (Superior, Huron, Michigan), or the shores of the Atlantic. Given all that, there is most likely some sort of spot within a 6 hour drive of you. And that's for Bortle 1. For Bortle 3, most people have that within a couple hours. Try looking for blue spots or anything darker, there should be something thats alright. Every person in the US likely has Bortle 3 within a 3 hour drive of their home, but usually its closer. Good luck to everyone and clear skies!
So do you think the milky way can be well lit in a bortle 3? I've been trying to search for a spot with low LP because even though I do a lot of stargazing, I've never seen the milky way. I recently tried to go to a bortle 4 zone and I couldn't see the milky way, likely because the moon was quite bright. But Id love to try and find a good bortle 3 area.
Photo number one is my favorite for its elegant simplicity, but to echo everyone else, they’re all gorgeous!
Thanks for watching! And for the feedback.
I finally got to sit down and watch your reel! It was absolutely wonderful! Your work is exquisite. The detail on all of them is incredible. You articulate very well brother! I subscribe and like your sister….passion driven talent! Sorry it took so long for me to see this. Be well, and I’m looking forward to your next project! Hans Von Hazz.
Hi, quick suggestion when shooting on a beach use old CDs under your tripod legs so that the legs done sink into the sand. I've made some disks out OT aluminium with holes for long spikes to go through into the sand.
Awesome, thanks for watching and for the advice!
Awesome
Great composition skills man! You're also shooting through the MOST atmosphere being at sea-level. I found the one time I tried sea-level astro, it was extremely noisy and difficult
Great photo ty for this video
Photo 2. Fantastic foreground leading you into the picture.
Great video again! Your production is of very high quality, compliments! Love the images. I think I like the cloudy one the best, after that the 'end of the world' shot and then the blue hour reflection shot. That last one probably has the best milky way but there's something about the reflection on the water that gives away it was not dark when shooting it. But besides that small thing: epic adventure, stunning results. Thanks for sharing! The world needs more astro vloggers 💪.
Dude thanks for watching and commenting! I appreciate it.
Beautiful shots! Personally, I really like the balance of photo 1. And wow, 2 is seriously magical. I especially love the clouds on the horizon, and the softness of the light on the foreground rocks.
Great video and a convincing pitch to subscribe 🙂. They are all beautiful compositions but number 1 is the most impactful for me.
I've done this experiment myself and found shooting into a dark area works well if the light is behind me.
Photo #1! All of them are amazing but there is something about the milky way transcending off the peak of the rock that is magical. Overall though what a gift to be able to share your journey with others so they can appreciate it and grow within the art form themselves. Excellent work Mike!
I like 1 but all of them are outstanding, I've tried milky way shots without much success even using modified cameras to try & bring out the Ha regions to. As you say photography is expensive & astro photography is another rabbit hole I went down & the hole keeps on getting deeper.
Great video!!
Thanks for watching! Yeah it is certainly a dangerous rabbit hole...
This video and picture you have taken is absolutely amazing! I'm definitely subscribing! :)
Awesome. I appreciate it!
Love all of this. Great content. Great intro. And very inspiring for my own photos...
Thanks for watching! Glad you liked it.
New subscriber. Well put together video!
I was doing this exact type of shoot last evening in Rhode Island. Your video showed up today as if you were reading my mind. Agree with everything you were showing us. You got some fantastic results. Keep the videos coming.
dude your production quality is insane! extremely underrated and just subscribed
Thanks for watching! I appreciate that!
I've liked and subscribed.
Photo #2 is my choice. The Awesome foreground is the star, and the Milky Way and the clouds are the supporting cast.
I like your analysis! Thanks for watching and commenting!
My doubt is how do you maintain the focus on foreground as well as stars ? You would need a wide aperture for astro but a narrow aperture for keeping both in focus isn’t it ?
I can't believe the work you put into your videos. Can you please make a video of your workflow on focus stacking and editing the Milky Way?
Thanks for watching. I will eventually put out some tutorial videos. I still have to perfect my style and technique lol.
Hi Mike (again...). You ask for the preferred one in your video, Left and center (1-2) is a tough choice due to the composition, very dynamic on one and more serene on the other, and last, right (3), for which the sky is a little overexposed, too much tone disparity with the foreground, I would have darkened the whole in post maybe, or lifted the foreground a bit more. On this ground, the center rock one (1) is more nicely balanced. Over time, I would think the (1) is the most pleasing to keep on a wall. By the way, where did you find the Smartlist App? I didn't see it on Android, is it a desktop app ? Thank you for any insight. Best...
Hey, really cool video! Those were some awesome pictures, but my favorite was the third one. I do have one question though: Did you use a star tracker for any of the videos? I'm getting into astrophotography myself, and am trying to figure out what set-up most of the people use.
I'm favoring number two, although I like them all. Nicely done.
I haven't tallied the results, but I feel like #2 is most people's favorite so far. Thanks for watching!
i decided that the only way to get a Milky Way core near me is to go to a south coast location with the view straight out over the sea and I got the best result I have ever got. Did this just a few weeks ago. Such good timing. I had the lights of the promenade right behind me but they had no effect on the sky. Nice video
They’re all good but I preferred #3 for it’s simplicity. 👏
I think 3 is my favorite as well. Thanks for watching!
This is accurate, but it depends alot on how far away from the lightsouce you are. I tried this last december, and i traveled to a bortle 3 (luckily just 20 minutes from my bortle 5 backyard), but shot TOWARDS the city. Distance does something too, and it might not be neccesarry to go as far as you think, before you see a difference. I got The Pleiades starcluster in 90 minutes with IFN.
For sure. Also depends on how visible the lights are. If you are at a higher elevation when the lights are unobstructed it usually causes an issue in my experience.
@@mikesepicphotos 100%
Amazing vlog and amazing entertaining skills! Could you see the Milky Way even with the naked eye down at the beach?
Thank you! You can see a faint dust trail with the naked eye. I could tell exactly where it was enough to point the camera in the right direction.
@@mikesepicphotos Thanks for replying!
Come to New Mexico and I'll take you to Bortle 2 next to Bortle one in WSMR 30 minutes from Las Cruces where I live.
I'm 90 minutes from Bortle one and to be honest I cannot tell the difference from my 2 spot to my one spot. Aiming to the East into Bortle one is especially good for galaxies.
I also seek out binary multiple star systems. The Lyrae Double Double, next to Vega is actually a triple triple. Wide angle EPs are useful for the double double, but the triples are too far apart for any eyepiece. I use Fujiyama and Baader Zeiss Orthoscopics as well. A zoom is essential to watch the second star emerge for an outreach.
I like pic one with the rock pinnacle, it is near perfect, not too busy, but has a lot going on. Hard to do that.
Thanks for watching! I'd love to come out there. I can't tell the difference between bortle 1 or 2 either most times. Bortle 2 or 3 can look amazing if the atmosphere is correct. I feel like higher elevation, cooler weather even in a bortle 3, sometimes looks as good as a Bortle 1.
Great images. My favourite is the 3rd one with long exposure of sea..!!
Thanks! I agree!
Another well done video Mike! I like the way your videos flow and how you present the results. Been considering the Malibu area for nightscape work (escape the desert heat 😂), appreciate the tips. Looking forward to the adventure of getting this done.
Thanks for watching and for the kind words!
absolutely amazing video and images, to be honest i see potencial in your content.
Thanks for saying that. I'm gonna keep making content. I'm taking the pictures anyways. I mine as well share the experience! Thanks again.
Photo 2 for me. Very unique look.
Thanks for the feedback!
All 3 look awesome! 1 is the best MW but I like the comp of 2 best. For 1 and 3, is the white haze on the horizon just marine layer, or do you think it's connected to the "bortle you're in vs. bortle you're pointing at" question?
#3 and #1 are great, but #2 is my favorite all day - it's so unique and evocative. Thanks for a great video!
Thanks for the feedback!
Wow! The editing/videography in this production is wayyy above what you normally see on YT! Respect to you my friend! 🔥👍
Thanks for watching. I appreciate you saying that. It takes longer than I'd like to admit to make these videos.
@@mikesepicphotos Well the extra effort you make definitely shows my friend! 👌👍
Living on an small island this is something I have experienced quite a bit, our skies here range from a b4 right down to bordering on b1, it really depends where you are at what time. My house is in a b3/4, look overhead or to the north and it’s amazing, but look to the south and the MW looks a bit sad in the 2 smallish LP domes I have, especially since I’m at 49 north. But as soon as I take the 15min drive to the southwest of the island looking over the ocean it’s amazing, the area is a b2, maybe even a b1 depending on the night, but there is nothing in the direction of the MW but ocean for a good 60 or 70 miles. Same thing again with the nearby “dark sky island” bortle 1 overhead, no streetlights on the island, but b5 light dome of a nearby island to the south east, so ruins the view In earlier parts of MW season
1 i think, but love em all 😊
Nice sponsorship shout out 😀
I thought I could use a pat on the back. Thanks for watching!
I live in a bortle 5. I only shoot the zenith and the western sky because the Eastern sky for me is washed out. Clear skies
Thats tough! Thanks for watching!
I like the cloudy one simply as it balances better top to bottom, if only the milky way was a touch more visible. Great work, video and tips.
Thanks for watching and commenting! I appreciate it.
Great video. I used to travel an hour just to get to bortle 4 until I too discovered that shooting from bortle 5 into darker skies gave great results.
Makes a huge difference! Thanks for watching!
I desire for my location to have skies as dark as a Bortle 5, but unfortunately, I must contend with Bortle 8 skies. When I arrange my telescope, I don't require additional lighting since there is consistently sufficient illumination. Nonetheless, despite these circumstances, I am consistently astonished by the quality of the images I capture.
I have to do the same, shooting in a Bortle 5 at best maybe a 4, I always try to look into a darker bit of sky. That usually means shooting out to sea. `Can be a constant battle to get new and interesting compositions though. love the Milky Way with the clouds.
Not to mention the stars have to align to be able to shoot towards a darker sky. Thanks for watching and commenting!
interesting concept, about shooting towards the sea. I did something similar when neowise was around. Still it wasn't the same as when I went toa bortle 2 location, but it was something..
I live in a bortle 3-4 zone. Looking north is bortle 5-6 and tricky. But south where all the action is for us Aussies, it's 2-3. 😊
What lens do you have that is 14mm at f1.8?
Yeah, Sony GM 14MM, 1.8.
Hey there! Great job with these shots. I'm super impressed with what you were able to do with a bortle 5. I live in a spot with a bortle of 4-5 and I'd really love to try this for myself. So, I have a question. What camera do you use? I'm new to astrophotography and I'm trying to pick out a good camera to use that isn't 1,000s of dollars. I'd really love to shoot all kinds of targets in the sky.
Really really good video btw. Super underrated!
#2 is definitely one of the more unique MW images. Not many people are even going to try to capture the night sky with clouds that prevalent. Ultimately, though, I have to say that #1 is my favorite, but #2 is close.
It would be great if you could put out a video on your editing workflow for #2. I have a few sets of images with clouds, and I'd like to know the best way to handle them so that they don't streak and don't look unnatural. I have some familiarity with layer masks, but not enough to get the kind of results you did.
Great images. Thank you!
Thanks for watching. I love when the clouds roll through. So often we are all taking pictures of the most well known places. When the clouds come through it gives you an opportunity for a unique shot. I'm gonna put together some more tutorial style videos in the future for sure.
Well, thank you for the video Mike... But I stop you right there (at 1.38). No one could be on Matador Beach for Astro, or even anywhere nearby, for the Beach, and long alley that leads to it are closed by a gate on PCH at Sunset, and one could end up in jail for trespassing after hours. So... where did you put yourself then ?.. Or did you just braved the gate and went anyway ? Curious... Did you get some specific authorization ? (You must have had for the drone...)
Anyway, if you go again , please let me know if I could join, I'm in Santa Monica and always wanted to do M.Way at this location. I did some in Joshua Tree, but it's a long way...
I wish I could go there at night to do milky way. A good spot in the area with relatively dark skies (especially looking south for M.Way), and some astro guys from clubs in the valley are said to go there when they don't want to go for the darker skies of Joshua Tree or Mt Pinos, is Circle X Ranch or Sandstone Peak trailhead parking, above Matador Beach area, in Santa Monica Mountains.
Thanks for watching. I definitely walked past the gate and was not worried about going to jail! I'm pretty sure a cop would just ask me to leave if they saw me down there taking pictures.
@@mikesepicphotos Thanks for your reply, Mike, I guess you were lucky and haven't had any problem with that before. I was less lucky, about 2 years ago, I just passed the little entry booth from Boddie's park entrance after hours (like, half hours after closure and I was literally 5 yard passed that booth to capture a wide-angle sunset over the park without that booth obstructing) but I must have been out of luck, because a few minutes later, when I was just picturing the hills out of the park, the park ranger came out and borderline arrested me but ended up giving me a court citation that cost me hundreds later at the time. The guy perfectly knew, seeing my equipment, and me just picture stuff, that I had just trespassed few yards from that entry booth for a picture and nothing else, but I guess, living there and having to dress to come out and check after hours just pissed him off.
Still, after this adventure, I do not feel that confident anymore to trespass this kind of location after hours, as, maybe as you say, most officers would not fuss about it too much, but if it's an angry one, then I'd be out of luck, knowing on top that aside, in case of check, he might have something on his computer that could say I already trespassed a park by the past.
So, with all this in consideration, I would not hesitate to go, but would feel more confident with another photographer. Again, if you ever go back, let me know. I'll happily join. Awesome video otherwise... Best.
I think that Antarctica must be the only continent which is almost totally Bortle 1 obviously not in late Spring and Summer.Seaside places are a bit difficult to categorize Bortle wise as the view inland is different from seaward.I live in a Bortle 6 area but it's by the sea and much darker in the sea direction.
It would be wild to go to Antartica, or even Alaska. I need to venture out to other parts of the world. Thanks for watching!
Well done!! I love Death Valley - I still remember the Milky Way casting diffuse shadows... By the way how did you get permission to fly a drone there?? It's super forbidden normally...
I'm learning in the comments that flying drones is not allowed there. I will continue to use my drone footage that I shot over a year ago in future videos and people will keep telling me that it is not allowed I'm sure! lol. Thanks for watching though.
This was an incredible vlog and highly engaging! Indeed, as someone who lives in Hong Kong, decent Milky Way shots facing to darker skies is the key 😂 really enjoyed all shots #2 and 3 works for me! 1 was great too, but somehow wanted the MW core not blocked out by the spire. Might be personal preference at this point tho!
Thanks for watching. Pretty sure you are the only one in your area who has been exposed to my channel. I appreciate the comment!
Do you ONLY shoot Milky Way or do you do other astrophotography as well?
No deep space stuff. But I like it all!
Where is the hack? How do you edit a BC5 night sky to show the Milky Way like that?
The hack is to shoot towards a darker sky if at all possible.
I like all three for different reasons. But I think #2 is my favorite just for the beautiful composition and the “dreamlike” quality you were striving for. You nailed it. That being said I will be a little nit picky and say the inclusion of clouds in a Milky Way composition kind of defeats the purpose. For an uninformed observer the brightest parts of the Milky Way core just look like more clouds.
Thanks for watching. I could see that. I'm honestly so surprised that there is so much interest in astrophotography videos from a brand new creator like me. More people are informed than I thought!
It’s not fair to makes us pick just one. I like it as a triptych. I hope in a future video you talk about your editing process. I am an opportunistic astrophotographer with a handful of images that have potential but I am just not happy with my editing
I'll definitely do some tutorial type videos in the future. I'm afraid my editing style is a bit unorthodox though. May not be something others should copy! In my opinion, as long as you like the result, it doesn't matter how you get there. Thanks for watching!
Is this place safer at night? Like from desperate and shady peopple?
Or just shoot mono narrowband for DSOs ;) Light pollution problems vanish. But yeah, if the milky way with a 14mm is your thing then this I guess.
Thanks for watching. I'm not even sure what that means. Lol
You should get yourself a skywatcherstaradventurer.
I have the move shoot move. I like it. It is really effective for 14 and 24mm shots. I haven't tried longer lenses yet. I think the other trackers are better for that right?
@@mikesepicphotoslook up the Ioptron sky guider pro with the Ipolar camera for polar alignment. I get 3minutes exposures unguided with a astro modded Canon 77D and a 70-300 mm L lens.
Like all 3 images, not a fan of 2 exposure( sky & foreground ) single shot. Having said that, your images are one if the best I have seen using 2 exposure.
Thanks for the feedback. It took me quite a while to get #2 to even look presentable with the colors being so different from blue hour to Milky Way. Definitely something I can improve on.
#3!!!
Thanks for watching and letting me know! I think I like 3 the best as well.
Shot 3 for me.
Thanks for watching and for the feedback!
I like #1 best... looks more intentional to me.
Thanks for the feedback!
I vote NO. I have had too many failures on the Pacific Coast for milky ways due to constant fog banks moving in and blocking my view.
I had that experience in Big Sur. Drove 7 hours up the coast. The forecast was clear but the fog still came in and I wasn't able to get anything. Thanks for watching!
NO FLY ZONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is true. I shot this drone footage in Death Valley over a year ago and had no idea about the flight restrictions.
You’re in my hood!
Oh yeah? We should meet up to shoot some time.
5:00 or back away from the water.
Appreciate you watching. I could have backed away from the water. But whenever possible I like to shoot the foreground and the stars with the tripod in the same position. That is what I was after there.
I love number three, number one looks a bit unbalanced, the sea stack competes too much with the milky way. Number 2 is too much foreground with no real 'subject' in the background. But all in all, I would be happy with such shots.
Thanks for watching! I appreciate the feedback.
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Photo 3 by a bees whatsit to Photo 2
Photo 2
Thanks!
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Ur so cute😫
U give dilf material
Wonderful job Mike! 💪 Was it hard to get permission to fly a drone in Death Valley? We never have luck with the parks. 🥹
I got most of that footage a lot time ago before I knew there were any restrictions. Thanks for watching!
@@mikesepicphotos Lol. Ok. Thanks. I was wondering how you were able to do that.
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