Landscape Photography

Title: Awe of the Cosmos

In the embrace of the night, I embarked on a nocturnal adventure to capture the ethereal beauty of the Milky Way. As I stood beneath the starlit sky, the Punta Nariga lighthouse stood tall, bathed in the gentle glow of the galaxy's arch above.

However, this time, I sought to add a unique touch to the scene. Instead of positioning the lighthouse at the center, I chose to frame a powerful and captivating foreground that mirrored the beauty of the celestial arc. By exploring the rugged cliffs surrounding the lighthouse, I discovered captivating rocks that added strength and depth to the composition.

During my first night excursion with the Irix 21mm F1.4, I discovered its prowess in capturing the allure of the nocturnal world. It was an enchanting experience and I discovered the lens' capabilities under the starry night.

Beneath the sweeping arch of the Milky Way, the iconic Punta Nariga Lighthouse in A Coruña stands as a silent sentinel, a beacon both in reality and in the celestial expanse. My journey to capture this panoramic photograph was a meticulous dance between time and technique.

To bring you this image, I used a method known as time blending. It began with 11 shots of the landscape during the blue hour, just after the sun dipped below the horizon. This allowed for crisper details and kept ISO values in check.

As the night sky unveiled the core of the Milky Way, I embarked on the celestial part of the journey. This involved six sets of ten exposures, all meticulously captured and stacked then with Sequator. The goal was to ensure maximum detail while minimizing noise in the final composition. It was essential to consider the lighthouse's own light during the night shots to prevent it from overpowering the sky and washing out the stars.

Before the stacking process, each set of shots went through Capture One for initial post-processing. Once both the ground and sky shots were prepared, I merged them in PTGUI.

In Photoshop, the work continued, aligning the celestial and terrestrial realms and bringing them together into a harmonious whole. My nighttime photography workflow primarily centers on enhancing and accentuating the intricate details of the Milky Way. This includes techniques like dodge and burn to enhance the various nebulae, the removal of stars that distract from the primary star trail, and adjustments to curves, levels, and color to bring out the intricate beauty. It's a thrilling experience to see the details of celestial wonders, like the Horsehead Nebula, come to life.

Additionally, I had to navigate the challenges of light pollution from nearby cities. Balancing the natural wonder of the Milky Way with the artificial glow of urban areas was crucial to achieving this mesmerizing image.

My overarching goal in crafting this composition was to create a visual dialogue between the celestial and the terrestrial. The captivating arch formed by the rocks in the foreground, adorned with their unique holes and textures, mirrors the graceful curve of the Milky Way. It's a connection that reminds us of the cosmic dance occurring above and below, a beautiful harmony of Earth and sky that I'm delighted to share with you.

Canon 5D Mark IV
Irix Dragonfly 21mm F1.4
Ground (Blue Hour): 10 Shots ISO 1600 - F11 - 30s
Sky: 6 Stacked Shot ISO 3600 - F1.4 - 5s
Manfrotto MT055XPRO3 + XPRO Ball Head