Sheltering at Home with Astrophotography
With the limitation for traveling now, photographing locally has become the norm for many photographers. Or not shooting at all. Since I began a 365 project in January for which I shoot daily, I've continued to find subjects. One of the genres I've been working on while sheltering at home is astrophotography. I've also used this time to learn and practice new skills for improving my photography.
Dark Sky
Astrophotography has many important components to it. One of the most vital is that of a 'dark sky' which is becoming harder and harder to find. On moonless nights I can see the stars well in the rural area in which I live; but I can also see the ambient light created by the nearby cities. The camera sees it too and this light greatly diminishes the brightness of the stars. The ambient light sort of washes them out. So, the conditions here are not ideal. There are not 'dark skies'. But I'm determined to make the most of them and capture what I can.I actually really love being out in the middle of the night or very early in the morning when there are few people out and about. It's peaceful and quiet. And the starry sky takes on a quality that prompts a sense of magnificence that is not there so much during the day.
Milky Way
I photographed the night sky in the early morning everyday for just over a week. I was hoping to capture the core of the Milky Way which now is seen best during the early morning hours. But, sadly, it is also right in line with the bright lights of the city about 25 miles away. That did not stop me! It didn't make for incredible Milky Way photos, but practice was what I was after. So, I went with it.
Location & Time
Each image below is from a different morning. The locations are views from my backyard, except for one. It is about 100 yards down the road. Captures were taken between 3:20am and 4:57am. The light on the horizon is the ambient light from the nearby cities which softened the brightness of the stars, but helped illuminate the clouds on several mornings. Interesting how the colors changed with the time the exposures were captured.
Sheltering at Home with Astrophotography
Night Sky
Starry Skies
Early Morning
If you look closely, you can see the Big Dipper hanging over the silhouette of the big oak tree.
To see a few more of my earlier night time captures, click on these links:What I Learned Photographing the Night Sky (2017)Shooting After Sunset (2018)
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Please CONTACT ME at nadeen@nadeenflynn.com with any questions or to schedule your learning session.
As a published, featured northern California fine art photographer living in the greater Sacramento area, I specialize in fine art landscape and still life photography. My style is authentic, fresh and personality-driven. I offer in-person workshops, hourly lessons, and mentoring. While currently living in rural northern California with my husband and a couple thousand walnut trees, I post regularly to Instagram.
Serving Yuba City/Marysville, East Nicolaus, Wheatland, Lincoln, Woodland, Davis, Roseville, Rocklin, and the greater Sacramento area.
(530) 633-7575