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Elysium
1st PlaceElysium
Dr.Confuser

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Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Best of 2013 (Advanced Editing VII)
Camera: Nikon D800
Lens: Nikon AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 G ED
Location: Mt. Rainier, Washington (USA)
Date: Sep 6, 2013
Aperture: f/2.8
ISO: 4000
Shutter: 25 Seconds
Date Uploaded: Jan 21, 2014

 Tutorial Available


Photographer’s Notes
Perhaps not my best photo of 2013. Certainly not my most lucrative photo of 2013. But among my favorites and a labor of love. Read on.

Last Spring, I became interested in shooting the Milky Way and not just anywhere, but rather the Milky Way rising above Mt. Rainier. It took a lot of planning to determine when: 1) Mt. Rainier was accessible due to snow; 2) The Milky Way would be in the right position; 3) On a date with no moon; 4) On a night when I wouldn’t have to work the next day; and 5) When the skies would be clear and dry. I’ll spare you the details but the short ride is that I would have perhaps 3 short windows of about 5 days in which to shoot.

Then I had to read up on star photography (there’s a lot here at DPC) and add some key software to my kit (Photographer’s Ephemeris iOS app, for example). I made a practice run before the first window. Shot with a friend during the first window and got decent results. Second window there was too uch moon to see the Milky Way and it was too humid. This photo is from the third window, which occurred in September.

Early in September on a 14,000 foot mountain is unlikely to produce favorable weather. When I arrived at the mountain, it was about 40 degrees and raining steadily. I hunkered down in the car to wait out the weather, which was forecast to improve. 9:00 PM, 10:00 PM, … 11:00 PM and the weather clears. I shot about half a dozen images successively higher on the mountain and the weather closed in for good.

So this photo was 6 months in the making. It took four 200-mile drives. And it cost me 4 nights sleep and seemingly countless hours of editing the take for the trips. No wonder it’s a favorite.

You should see it full res. 800 pixels and 300K are crimes against nature.

High Res here ...

Post Processing
• Convert from RAW (PSCS5 Camera Raw)
• Luminosity Masking (Multiple PSCC Curves Layers – masked)
• Brighten (PSCC Exposure Layer)
• Dodge & Burn (PSCC Overlay Layer)
• Darken Sky (PSCC Curves Layer – masked)
• Color (PSCC Saturation Layer – masked)
• Cool (PSCC Photo Filter Layer)
• Remove Distraction (PSCC Clone Layer)
• Crop (PSCC)
• Resize (Damn it) (OnOne Perfect Resize)
• Sharpen (PSCC USM)
• Save for Web (PSCC)


[u]Camera Data[u]
• Date: 2013.09.06 - 23:21
• Camera: Nikon D800E
• Lens: Nikon AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 G ED
• ISO: 4000
• Aperture: f/2.8
• Shutter: 25 seconds

Statistics
Place: 1 out of 237
Avg (all users): 7.6210
Avg (commenters): 8.8462
Avg (participants): 7.6275
Avg (non-participants): 7.5909
Views since voting: 3585
Views during voting: 255
Votes: 124
Comments: 46
Favorites: 15 (view)

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AuthorThread
 03/15/2021 05:32:12 PM
Gorgeous!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/07/2014 02:45:01 PM
Sheesh... this was hard work. Deserve everything it got and will get. Glorious.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/13/2014 07:10:59 PM
gorgeous! well deserved Blue...

this image is an example of how I know the planet will win.. there is nothing man can do to destroy this majesty.

Thanks also for the tutorial.. now if you could just provide an airline ticket I'll be all set :)

Anni
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/08/2014 07:41:44 PM
Congrats! What an adventure!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/08/2014 08:23:33 AM
as an astronomy lover, this makes me squuueaaaal!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2014 08:21:57 PM
Wow, awesome capture, congrats on the Blue.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2014 04:02:14 PM
Gorgeous shot, congrats on the blue!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2014 03:44:27 PM
Congratulations !

it takes planning and perseverance to obtain images like this
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2014 02:25:56 PM
Congratulations on taking the blue with this extraordinary image. I'm awed by your dedication.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2014 01:00:47 PM
Congratulations.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2014 12:37:10 PM
Exquisite, and your 'tutorial' is a delight.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2014 11:12:33 AM
Congrats to you.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2014 11:12:29 AM
Very Well Done Chuck! For someone just starting to learn night/star photography, you have already accomplished an amazing image here. Congratulations!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2014 11:04:49 AM
Spectacular and wonderful. Congrats on the well-deserved Blue.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2014 10:36:47 AM
Huge congrats on a SUPERB image , well deserved blue
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2014 09:55:13 AM
Congratulations! A great image.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2014 09:17:23 AM
Wonderful shot, made even better with the story behind it. Thanks!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2014 08:53:51 AM
impressive work. you've mentioned it looks nicer bigger. can you put up a link to see a bigger version?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2014 08:39:20 AM
Exceptionally well done! In my opinion, your efforts were worth it....
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2014 08:34:47 AM
Well done Doc. Always gonna be Blue
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2014 08:20:29 AM
Truly awesome image and adventure.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2014 07:28:25 AM
Congrats on an amazing photo and what a story behind it too.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2014 06:53:08 AM
Yeah Doc!!!! Way to go buddy!!! Love this picture and it so well deserving of the blue ribbon!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2014 03:15:27 AM
Absolutely magnificent, Chuck!! Worth the effort (since it was your effort and not mine) ;-)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2014 01:16:53 AM
Awesome shot. It's nice to read the work you put into it and even better to see that it paid off.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2014 01:00:54 AM
A huge congratulations for a blue worthy pic! It is simply breathtaking!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2014 12:32:30 AM
Stunning!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2014 12:30:19 AM
Well done on the blue, not my fave but you did an excellent job with this one.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2014 12:14:37 AM
Congrats Doc! Wonderful shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2014 12:13:10 AM
This comes as no surprise whatsoever. EXTREMELY well done! Congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2014 12:08:26 AM
Yes, yes , yes, way to go, blue
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2014 12:05:33 AM
A big congrats my friend.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/07/2014 12:03:02 AM
Look at you!!! A Blue for Best of...way to go my friend!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
02/06/2014 11:05:36 PM
Magnificent.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/06/2014 07:58:54 PM
Very nice.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/06/2014 06:06:29 PM
This is pretty spectacular.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/06/2014 01:07:27 PM
Nice!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/05/2014 09:35:56 PM
Wow. Just ... wow.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/05/2014 05:37:45 PM
So many elements combining here to make a spectacular showing.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/05/2014 04:55:34 PM
Fabulous combination of the starry sky and the landscape.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/01/2014 08:36:57 PM
8...voted earlier.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/01/2014 04:00:38 AM
Gorgeous!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/01/2014 01:13:03 AM
Fantastic!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/31/2014 10:40:13 PM
Beautiful spot, beautiful capture. You already won just by being there.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/31/2014 05:27:16 PM
Whoa! 9.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/31/2014 07:58:59 AM
wow!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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