Starry Campfire+edit

Gallery: Man & NaturePosted August 13, 20184,040 views5 comments

I went out to photograph the Milky Way in the high Sierras and found a small group of people on the other side of the lake having a campfire. I liked the way it lit up the trees and made a reflection on the lake. I would have liked the big tree on the right side to not be there, but I couldn't find another place to set up along the lake's edge.

Thanks in advance for any comments or critiques.

Canon5dM3, ISO3200, 24mm, f/2.5, 20 seconds, tripod.

Comments

5 comments

Comment posted by John Neukirch on August 14, 2018 at 10:17 AM

I really like the image you captured here. The tree doesn't really bother me, however the areas where there is a purple cast have quite a lot of noise which I find distracting. I believe some selective noise reduction and darkening in those areas would improve the image. The sky and campfire are wonderful, nice job with the exposure for those elements!

Registered on July 9, 2012, 207 Posts, 1476 Comments

Comment posted by David Schoen on August 14, 2018 at 2:53 PM

A very effective composition. The sky is amazing. Unfortunately, in the larger image, the noise and purple color cast are a distraction. I am not familiar with this camera with respect to its noise profile but as a proponent of using DxO photo lab for noise reduction, you could certainly download a trial version and see if you can improve upon what you have posted. This image is nice enough to make that effort.

Registered on November 6, 2006, 1213 Posts, 4587 Comments

Comment posted by Kathy Barnhart on August 14, 2018 at 9:01 PM

Thanks for the comments about the noise. I don't have a separate noise reduction app, but after David's suggestion, I tried the DxO system and I think it helps a lot.

Registered on November 11, 2011, 404 Posts, 1639 Comments

Comment posted by David Schoen on August 15, 2018 at 4:11 PM

Much improved!

Registered on November 6, 2006, 1213 Posts, 4587 Comments

Comment posted by Harley Goldman on August 25, 2018 at 6:02 PM

That is a heck of a fire! I much prefer the light and sky color in the original post.

Registered on November 19, 2003, 586 Posts, 11271 Comments