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Starry Night
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Starry Night

by Sairam Sundaresan

Gallery: LandscapePosted October 30, 2016182 views9 comments
I recently had the opportunity to visit white pocket and boy was it otherworldly. After an evening of somewhat colorful skies, the clouds fizzled out and gave way to a carpet of stars in the sky. While the Milkyway did show up soon, I was quite fascinated by this reflecting pool mirroring an enormous sandstone formation. This is a single image, shot at ISO 1250, f/2.8 and exposed for about 60 seconds. 

Appreciate any thoughts and comments you have about this one

~Sairam

Comments

9 comments
Comment posted by Ana on October 30, 2016 at 11:04 PM
Fantastic.  I'm really enjoying the swirls in the rock, a very dynamic composition.  And the clarity of the reflection with the stars is great.
Registered on February 10, 2004, 191 Posts, 1446 Comments
Comment posted by Igor Doncov on October 31, 2016 at 12:57 PM
I like this very much, Sairam. It may be the best night shot you posted here. It's both real and mysterious, characteristics of that time of day in the desert. There is little to improve this image IMO. I would clone out that one really bright star, both in the sky and in the water. 60 secs may have been a tad too long for this exposure. If I look at the stars closely they look like dashes instead of dots. The book on night photography suggests no longer than 30 secs. But you have to look really closely to notice that. This is an excellent image IMO.
Registered on November 22, 2014, 189 Posts, 2733 Comments
Comment posted by Vance Gese on October 31, 2016 at 5:37 PM
Amazing how you were able to retain such detail and color in the rock, as well as the touch of light on the sandstone with a nightime image.  Beautifully done.  In the larger image, the star motion (or rather earth motion) seems to be somewhat evident, but only very slightly.
Registered on November 13, 2008, 298 Posts, 6629 Comments
Comment posted by scott lanz on October 31, 2016 at 5:43 PM
Beautiful image, Sairam. A sublime image with great night light. The reflection is terrific. 
Registered on November 14, 2003, 840 Posts, 12902 Comments
Comment posted by Craig Moreau on November 1, 2016 at 12:50 PM
What a beautiful scene! I love the clarity of the starry sky and the reflection, and great processing to have detail everywhere but keep it dark and true to the night scene. Love it!
Registered on April 21, 2015, 64 Posts, 584 Comments
Comment posted by gary phillips on November 1, 2016 at 11:07 PM
Excellent Sairam.  Maybe not technically perfect, but aesthetically captivating.
Registered on October 24, 2013, 185 Posts, 4136 Comments
Comment posted by Ian Wolfenden on November 2, 2016 at 1:25 PM
Very bold composition, Sanjay - the tilt of the rocks lends a dynamic feel to the image.  The scattering of stars is a lovely bonus.
Registered on May 18, 2007, 1108 Posts, 7647 Comments
Comment posted by Navin Sarma on November 3, 2016 at 11:22 AM
Amazing depth for 2.8, very nice comp and color. Star trails are a little apparent... after the fact you can do some cloning to make them look a little more round. I have found the sweet spot even at wide angles to be around 22 seconds before the streaks become apparent. Beautiful work!
Registered on July 17, 2011, 233 Posts, 1373 Comments
Comment posted by Doug Koepsel on November 4, 2016 at 9:29 AM
Nice shot from a great location.  The detail, brightness and color looks pleasing.  Suggestions may be for a little more sky on top and a shorter exposure for less star trailing.
Registered on April 1, 2010, 196 Posts, 1592 Comments