Author: circadianreflections

"Catch a falling star an put it in your pocket never let it fade away. Catch a falling star an put it in your pocket save it for a rainy day."~ Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss, originally uploaded by CircadianReflections Photography.

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Copyright 2013 Deborah M Zajac. All Rights Reserved.

What a night this was. I wanted to shoot the Milky Way while down in Death Valley and high winds and clouds foiled my plans the first night I was there. The second night the sky was clear to the south and the wind wasn’t too bad, so at 10PM He-man and I headed further south, but the wind shifted from north to south. I kept watching the clouds get closer and closer to my position. I wanted to go way out on the plain to shoot a Panorama, but He-Man said with Lightening I couldn’t. Huh? I thought you shouldn’t hide under a tree, but were okay with rubber soles and in the open. Living in CA where lightening is rare I don’t know squat about it. He-Man told me I’d be a sitting duck out there so, I didn’t dare go out into wide open to be the only thing standing. I stayed close to the car hoping the Milky Way would rise before the clouds got there, but that didn’t happen the clouds covered the sky before the Milky Way rose over the mountains. I took a few photos of the location, packed up then He-Man and I drove back to Stovepipe Wells.

I went to bed wanting the shot. I guess my mind kept time while I slept because I woke up wide awake about 2:45AM and my first thought was to go out and see if the sky had cleared and located the Milky Way. I dressed quietly then whispered to He-Man that I would be outside somewhere around the hotel looking for the Milky Way. He mumbled,…."be careful", and off I went.

I got out to the parking lot and looked up and there it was right over my head! I scanned the sky for lightening-there was none so I went hunting for a good location. I wanted to shoot a panorama of the sky. After shooting the pano I went to a nearby field and shot the densest part of the Milky Way. The whole 2 hours I was out shooting there were falling stars racing across the sky. I hoped I captured a few of them. Imagine how thrilled I was to see I had caught 2 possibly 3 in one frame!

I’m not sure my Pano is going to come out, but it was a great learning experience for the next time.

Nikon D300s| Nikkor 16mm @ f3.2| 30 seconds| ISO 3200| Manual Priority| Matrix Metering| Tripod

Death Valley National Monument, California

Zabriskie Point Sunset, originally uploaded by CircadianReflections Photography.

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Copyright © 2013 Deborah M Zajac. All Rights Reserved.

The temperature was 96º when He-man and I arrived in Death Valley, and the wind was strong and steady averaging 14mph wth gusts up to 29mph. I didn’t fancy shooting the sunset out in the Sand Dunes which was my planned photo spot for my first night in Death Valley. Plan B was Zabriskie Point. Myself and He-man arrived a little before the sun went down. I set up my tripod, and camera keeping the cap on to protect my lens, and filter from the stinging grains of sand that were slamming into me and the camera. He-man stayed low behind the stone wall, and I would duck behind it during the strongest gusts hanging onto to my tripod.
When the sun set and color started emerging, and the light was changing in the sky I would take a photo replacing the cap, and turning my camera away from the head on winds while waiting several moments before shooting again.

This is the night’s color at its peak. It looks a little soft, but I attribute that to the wind and sand in the air.
As soon as the color started to fade I packed up and started to leave.
There were very few people up here. We met a lovely couple from Philadelphia, and a group of young women from Germany while up here. Meeting new people is one the things I like most about traveling. We talked a few minutes said farewell, and headed back to the Hotel.

Overall there were very few tourist in the park while I was here. The most people we saw was later in the week when we toured Scotty’s Castle. The temperatures during the day were already getting well up into the 90º’s. I suppose that’s what kept the tourist away. We went out in the mornings, evening, and night so the trip wasn’t uncomfortable.

Nikon D700| Nikkor 17-35@17mm| f10| 13secons| ISO 200| Manual Priority| Matrix Metering| Hoya Circular Polarizer| Tripod

Death Valley National Monument Park; California; Sunset

Woody in Badwater Saloon Death Valley, originally uploaded by CircadianReflections Photography.

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Copyright © 2013 Deborah M Zajac. All Rights Reserved

I had a trip to Crater Lake scheduled since last August, but when I checked the weather forecast it showed rain for 3 of the days I’d be there, so I canceled the reservation, and changed directions and went to Death Valley where it was sunny for 3 days and the temperatures ranged from 87 to high 90’s.
After checking into Stovepipe Wells Hotel we unpacked, then headed for the Saloon for an ice cold Blue Moon and burger. It was really windy out with gusts up to 20mph, so my plans to shoot the sunset at the Mesquite Sand Dunes had to be scrapped. I needed to find a Plan B….To be continued.

Nikon D700| Nikkor 17-35@35mm| f2.8| 1/25s| ISO 640| Manual Priority| Matrix Metering| Hand-held

Death Valley National Park, Badwater Saloon, Woody Artist Manniquin

“The stars twinkle in the Milky Way and the wind sighs for songs across the empty fields of a planet a Galaxy away. "~L.Ron Hubbard, originally uploaded by CircadianReflections Photography.

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Copyright © 2013 Deborah M Zajac. All Rights Reserved.

I purchased the Nikkor 16mm Fisheye lens with Night Photography in mind. This was the first time since acquiring it that I’ve been out shooting the stars.

I really wanted to see how it works and how photos would look so I used only the Fisheye lens for all my Night Sky photography on this night.
I was hoping the angle of view would be so wide that I could capture a lot of the Milky Way. I couldn’t capture it all in one frame but I was able to get more than ever before.

A small group of us were hanging out together most the night. Meggie, Ritesh, Nikki, Marsha, and I. We had been photographing the night sky waiting for the Milky Way to rise then climb high enough above the mountains, and clouds for us to see it. Our position then was down near the campground using the Oak Trees and grass in our foreground. About 1:30AM Marsha and I hiked back up to the Peak to shoot the Milky Way over the valley.
The pockets of light in the right mid-ground is the city of Hollister hidden under the fog I believe. This was my last shot of the night. I took this at 3:12AM from just under Fremont Peak. It was a fun night under the stars. Marsha and I hiked down the mountain tired, but elated. It’s so exciting seeing so many stars, and the Milky Way this vibrant and clear once again in our hemisphere.

My next goal is to learn how to do a panorama of the Milky Way.

Nikon D700| Nikkor 16mm Fisheye Lens @ f/4| 45seconds| ISO 3200| Manual Priority| Matrix Metering| Tripod
Fremont Peak State Park, California