Tell me what you see...

Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson go on a camping trip. 

After a good dinner and a bottle of wine, they retire for the night, and go to sleep.
Some hours later, Holmes wakes up and nudges his faithful friend. "Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what you see."

"I see millions and millions of stars, Holmes" replies Watson.
"And what do you deduce from that?"
Watson ponders for a minute.
"Well, astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in Leo. Horologically, I deduce that the time is approximately a quarter past three. Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. Theologically, I can see that God is all-powerful, and that we are a small and insignificant part of the universe. What does it tell you, Holmes?"
Holmes is silent for a moment. "It's elementary, my dear Watson”, he says.

"Someone has stolen our tent!"

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"Keep Looking UP" 

~~~Bob

Gathering Stardust

It typically takes about 1.5 hours to 2 hours in one spot

to gather enough stardust to have a meaningful experience……and make an emotional image.

If you've heard that “using a tripod will force you to slow down” --- wait until night photography using extended exposures.  You begin to stare deeply into the heavens and may even catch yourself looking deeper into yourself.  Because you have time…

The challenge of course, is to bring back that meaningful experience in the form of a two-dimensional print that evokes a similar emotion in others.  I find earthlings like my Night Sky Landscapes best when the landscape and the sky are accented with some light and the sky has more than a hint of blue.   So, by beginning the exposure at twilight -- still gleaming from the invisible sun, the sky retains a nice deep blue color and a pleasing gradient onto the foreground.  Higher ISO's make for lighter images and consequently lighter blues...

ISO 400            [allows for less noise in large prints]

f/5.6                 [allows a little Depth of Field wiggle room for nearby landscape features]

5-6 minutes      [nice looking, long smooth trails]

20-30 sequential exposures easily processed with ‘StarStax’ or layered in Photoshop

Note:

I recommend 'beginning' night photographers try 30 to 40 minutes in one spot.  That's just enough time to be assured of a 'first' magical image and time enough to feel what it means to listen to the scene, the sky... even to your inner self.  If you find yourself pacing and looking for something deeper in the dark --- take it as a clue to how close you are to a moving experience.  Extend your stay...and your exposure.

 Old Faithful Geyser

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for more information drop me a line

"Keep Looking UP" 

~~~Bob

Overnight Sensation

I had a nice talk today with a dear photographer friend…about creating work that is deeper than the cliche I-was-here!  or  look-what-I-did! shots.  

Instead, aiming to reveal what the scene shares.  

I noted it’s easy to imagine there a fewer distractions when photographing at night, but in reality there can many until you get out of your own way and allow the night to envelop you.     

The cool touch of the night, the true depth of the sky, smells you never notice during the day, AND it's not so quiet really....  

The wind whispers, thermals gargle and the voices in your head become so loud,      you find yourself talking back – convinced you are conversing with the scene itself.  

It is a wonderful challenge and pleasure to shoot for this ‘sensation’.

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for more information drop me a line

"Keep Looking UP" 

~~~Bob

Yellowstone Park Foundation

 

 

The Yellowstone Park Foundation is the official fundraising partner of Yellowstone National Park,

funding important projects and programs, many of which are beyond the financial capacity of the National Park Service. 

The Foundation receives no annual government funding; it relies instead upon the generous support of private citizens, 

foundations, and corporations to ensure that Yellowstone's great gifts to the world will never diminish.   

Three of my Yellowstone At Night images are in the Annual 1872 Society Weekend's SILENT AUCTION  

at the newly remodeled Yellowstone Lake Hotel

 

See more at: http://www.ypf.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=6189&AddInterest=1062

 

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for more information drop me a line

"Keep Looking UP" 

~~~Bob

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2014 shortlist revealed!

I am honored to have been selected for The Astronomy Photographer of the Year

shortlist of 2014.  The competition and exhibition showcases incredible images from
astrophotographers all around the world.  The winning images will be posted here:
http://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/astronomy-photographer-of-the-year

on 18 September, and will be on display at the Royal Observatory from that date.

View a selection of the shortlisted images here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/royalobservatory/galleries/72157645060485867/

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for more information drop me a line

"Keep Looking UP" 

~~~Bob

I feel the Earth move…

I’m drawn to the geyser basin at night...  I notice things taken for granted during the day. The continuous, agonizing
gasps of fumaroles in the background.  Airplanes blinking from one horizon to the other.  Everything is coated

with a fine cold mist. And the rumbling felt beneath my feet me isn’t from visitors’ footsteps on the boardwalk...

 

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"Keep Looking UP" 

~~~Bob

Prepare for the show

Beehive is a favorite spectacular geyser of Yellowstone, its unpredictability adds to its splendor.  I waited for the full moon to rise and enjoyed the night.  The fumaroles waved, and the stars trailed around the Polaris/ North Star.  That Beehive erupted during that time may have just been a coincidence --- or maybe I was on-to-something after studying the last few months of geyser eruption records.  Somehow, (wishful thinking perhaps) I figured there was a chance of the two coinciding between 10 and 2am.  I called a friend and let him know my plans and prepared to enjoy a long night…with a chance of a show. 

I visualized the image, composed accordingly and bundle myself and camera with heat pads and overcoats.  There is a lot of moisture amongst the thermals and the tripod became heavily frosted. I rarely use any hand lights out there because the white landscape shows well under starlight. So, it was a nice, calm quiet night.  Coyotes in the distance, gurgles nearby and a moist breeze that coated everything...

Moonbows are rare because moonlight is not as strong as sunlight that creates rainbows.  In this case the second moonbow is a bonus due to the clear full moon’s low angle and the fine mist of Beehive’s steam. 

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for more information drop me a line

"Keep Looking UP" 

~~~Bob

Framed by the Night

On cold nights in Yellowstone I look above Old Faithful and find myself amazed -- and stimulated to photograph that feeling. The depth of the stars and time…

Yellowstone, framed by the night, makes it easier to look beyond nearby buildings and imagine a time before electricity, cars and people… A gurgling, rumbling planet.

The Milky Way is estimated to be made of 400 billion stars and our Solar system, formed with one of those stars, takes 250 million years to complete a rotation around this beautiful Galaxy.

The last time our Solar System was in this position in the Milky Way, there were dinosaurs on Earth.

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"Keep Looking UP" 

~~~Bob

2 Challenges

The “experience” is ultimately more important than the “click” of a shutter.  

Challenge #1 is to appreciate the experience, right then and there.  To get out of my own way and allow the scene to be what it is.  When I finally "get it",  I feel lighter, at ease,  compassionate...elevated.   

Challenge #2 is finding a way to share that experience in a two-dimensional image.  I often wish I could photograph like song writers compose and novelists write.  ...compassion, chills down the spine, tingling skin and reawakening... 

When an image has the power to convey such experiences, 
evoke similar emotions --- it is a testament of the artist’s ability
to rise to those two challenges. 

And so, I challenge myself.....again and again.

Listening with the trees...
Out late with friends the last few weeks.

It’s agreed; we photographers are lucky and grateful to have these experiences.  

...at 2am and 10ºF there are no sounds of motors, tires humming on asphalt, or irreverent doors slamming.  At night you hear the thermals before you see them and coyote calls echoing in the distance.  A chunk falls from a 30ft pine bow -- it tinkles like a xylophone when it hits the hard crust of the snow covered ground.  And I think you can even hear the sky move... 

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"Keep Looking UP" 

~~~Bob

 

Why is Milky Way so faint?

Our Milky Way galaxy is about 100,000 light-years across.

Our Earth is located on an outer spiral arm of the galaxy.

In Earth’s Northern Hemisphere,

the Night Sky in December, January and February does not look as “hazy full of stars”.

That is because the Earth is facing out, toward the deep space, and we are gazing through

just 25,000 light-years of stars in that outer spiral arm --- seeing fewer stars.

In the summer months, the Earth is facing toward the center of the galaxy.   

We are looking across about 75,000 light-years of star-packed space.  That is the distance between us

and the other side of the galaxy.  So, the sky is “hazy full” with billions upon billions of stars.

return to:  Robert Howell Photography.com              

for more information drop me a line

"Keep Looking UP"

~~~Bob