DPChallenge: A Digital Photography Contest You are not logged in. (log in or register) 
 
Challenge Entries
Portfolio Images
This image is not part of a public portfolio.
Lasers That Explore The Heavens
Lasers That Explore The Heavens
Alexbalix


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Night Sky (Advanced Editing VII*)
Camera: Nikon D50
Lens: Nikon FC-E8 Fisheye Adapter
Location: Mauna Kea Summit, Big Isaland, Hawaii
Date: May 28, 2008
Aperture: 5.6
ISO: 1600
Shutter: 627.3s
Galleries: Sky, Astrophotography
Date Uploaded: Jun 3, 2008

 At 13,796' Mauna Kea is one of the worlds best locations for astronomy. The summit is home to the world’s most powerful telescopes. Lasers are being emitted from the Gemini North and Keck 2 telescopes. The 20w lasers help cancel out the effect of the atmospheres on their detectors. These telescopes produce results that rival Hubble.

You can clearly see the edge on outline of our home galaxy, the Milky Way. Even though every star you can see at night is within it, most of its 400 billion stars are blocked by dust and gas. Also, looking like a bright start ‘below’ the galaxy is the largest planet in our solar system, Jupiter.

Mauna Kea is located on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Telescopes from left to right: Keck, IRTF, Canada France, UH88, UKIRT. They might only look like smudges in this images but trust me; they are the best on the planet.



Nikon D50
ISO 1600
Nikkor 7.5mm Fisheye 5.6
627.3 second exposure
Home made star tracking platform

Editing:
Dark Frame Reduction
Levels
Curves
Dodge/Burn
Contrast
Selective de-saturation

Statistics
Place: 12 out of 46
Avg (all users): 6.4594
Avg (commenters): 7.4815
Avg (participants): 6.1852
Avg (non-participants): 6.4796
Views since voting: 2185
Views during voting: 1027
Votes: 394
Comments: 32
Favorites: 2 (view)

Please log in or register to add your comments!

AuthorThread
 06/14/2008 05:44:39 PM
Very good shot, should be higher scored, IMO.
 06/11/2008 09:39:28 PM
Too underrated. Should have scored higher IMO (8 from me).
A fantastic shot!!!
 06/11/2008 09:16:11 PM
in the language of my children: SO COOL!!!

beautiful!!
 06/11/2008 09:16:26 AM
Kewl. Did you use a barndoor? I had the pleasure of taking the stargazing tour on Mauna Kea... wow, talk about dark skies. 10,000 feet altitude helps too.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
06/10/2008 11:51:50 PM
Your capture of these laser pointers is really, really cool! Adds an interesting note to the milky way! Well done.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/10/2008 12:41:21 PM
Wow! Lovely night sky, and interesting subject. 9, and yellow ribbon choice.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/10/2008 12:11:55 PM
I can't wait to read the details about this image. The extreme fisheye view is aptly correct in displaying our meager perspective of the immeasurable that surrounds us... and those lasers are just too cool.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/10/2008 09:59:50 AM
Beautiful!! Love the fisheye effect! 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/09/2008 04:44:18 AM
love the fish eye effect...great capture
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/07/2008 12:55:04 PM
Neat stuff going on. Somewhat disorienting. Curious framing.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/06/2008 10:07:56 PM
This is a little confusing. The laser lights are great, but I don't really understand the fish-eye look through what appears to be an elongated, distorted tube.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/06/2008 01:44:25 PM
Like the 2 rays.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/05/2008 09:41:24 PM
One of the best Milky Way views I've seen that's not a composite!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/05/2008 07:00:54 PM
what ARE those lasers!? great shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/05/2008 01:33:27 PM
Kind of interesting, scientific intrepretation of this challenge. The frog's eye effect is nice too.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/05/2008 09:25:56 AM
Nice perspective. Great shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/04/2008 10:02:36 PM
Very interesting and weird. I like it.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/04/2008 08:37:21 PM
Very nice entry, great detail in the stars, and a nice element that you introduced to give it more interest than just a shot of the sky.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/04/2008 08:24:35 PM
Interesting combination.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/04/2008 07:50:33 PM
I would have given it a 10 except FOR the lasers. Interesting for sure but it for me, I think a better crop of just the Milky Way would have blown all the others out of the water. As it stands, I'll go with an 8.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/04/2008 04:51:37 PM
Nice capture, but I not sure I like the dark frame.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/04/2008 04:12:36 PM
I can't wait to know more about this stunning image !
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/04/2008 01:30:57 PM
What are the Orange stripes?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/04/2008 12:09:03 PM
Cool! Thought I might say something about the crop, but you will have had your reasons for going like this. Anyway, the sky is amazing, and the lasers obviously give the edge.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/04/2008 09:51:38 AM
This should ribbon. Only defect is excessive noise, but still a dramatic shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/04/2008 07:24:18 AM
cool
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/04/2008 07:23:30 AM
Awesome! great fisheye use, lovely exposure of the milkyway. good tracking keeping the stars sharp.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/04/2008 03:43:18 AM
Too cool!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/04/2008 01:29:44 AM
A very interesting and compelling image.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/04/2008 01:10:21 AM
v
 06/04/2008 12:17:32 AM
amazing capture.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/04/2008 12:10:51 AM
wow! God made a great universe! 8
  Photographer found comment helpful.


Home - Challenges - Community - League - Photos - Cameras - Lenses - Learn - Help - Terms of Use - Privacy - Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2025 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 04/02/2025 06:31:41 AM EDT.