star trails and impending death

[cuilin]

i wanted to shoot star trails at mormon row in grand teton national park in wyoming while on vacation a few years ago.  i went out there, set up my tripod and camera and started snapping off shots at 30s to stack later in photoshop.  after awhile a wolf howled.  no big deal.  it was between me and the mountains..  the one behind me answered it.  and then there were howls coming from all around.  the horses in the paddock next to the barns were screaming bloody murder.  it was time to leave.  so i grabbed the tripod and camera, still clicking away, and hauled tail back to the car.  the car was only 50' away but i couldn't go straight there due to a barbed wire fence.  i had to go around the fence, over a rickety board someone laid across a big water filled ditch, through a small grove of trees, past the fence gate and then walk the 150' back to the car.

 

[kev7d]

......but it was worth it. That is some image. :)

[colinb]

Now theres an adventure to remember, great picture too.

[Graham]

Worst thing that could happen to anyone in the UK taking a shot like that would be bumping into a grumpy rabbit! Stunning picture.

[NannyFerret]

Wonderful! and I love the story behind it.

[JohnP]

Now that's something I've not tried, mind you finding truly dark sky in the UK is a challenge in itself and in my case would probably mean a trip to Mid Wales, hardly what I would do for an evening out. It's a great capture and I'm glad you didn't meet the wolf on the way back to your car.

[FUJI]

Whose afraid of the Big Bad Wolf......Whose afraid of the Big Bad Wolf......Tar-Ra-Tar, Rar....RAAAAH! ;-)

What a fantastic shot, with a fantastic back story..........to find sky dark enough for taking similar shots in the UK must be nigh on impossible.

But, I'm sure that your imagination was running riot that night?

You posts are so refreshingly different just as Kobioni's are from OZ........keep them coming please.

FUJI

[ChrisLumix]

Excellent shot and story!

[Clicker]

Awesome  photo cuilin....makes one feel very small in the scheme of things. I'd be interested to know how many images in your stack too...The celestial light trails seem to confirm  the world isn't flat after all then.

[ChrisLumix]

Awesome  photo cuilin....makes one feel very small in the scheme of things. I'd be interested to know how many images in your stack too...The celestial light trails seem to confirm  the world isn't flat after all then.

 

Indeed. As the sun and other celestial bodies like stars orbit our curved earth, they form those wonderful curved trails.

[THELONGMAN]

Stiff drink time me thinks---great picture for all that effort though,

 

Geoff

[Kobione]

Great picture, and story, Cuillin. Star trails is something I'd like to try here, but the only thing I would have to worry about is kangaroos!!

[PaulT]

Wonderful in the technique and the sheer loveliness of the image. Wolves though!! working through that is a real sign of your dedication (or insanity!!)

[cuilin]

......but it was worth it. That is some image.

 

thank you, but my mother disagrees.  she reminds me every time she sees this photo.

 

Now theres an adventure to remember, great picture too.

 

no, i've moved past that stage of rememberance in my weekly therapy sessions for post traumatic stress..  thanks colin.

 

Worst thing that could happen to anyone in the UK taking a shot like that would be bumping into a grumpy rabbit! Stunning picture.

 

thanks.  hah, a grumpy rabbit would be a great find for a photo.

 

Wonderful! and I love the story behind it.

 

it's funny now, not so funny when you're fishing rental car keys out of your pocket while carrying 50lbs of 5d mk ii on a tripod.  in the dark.  thank you.

 

Now that's something I've not tried, mind you finding truly dark sky in the UK is a challenge in itself and in my case would probably mean a trip to Mid Wales, hardly what I would do for an evening out. It's a great capture and I'm glad you didn't meet the wolf on the way back to your car.

 

much appreciated.  i live in a light polluted area, but i still managed to take star trails in my back yard for practice.  they weren't as nice as this one, but it worked.  basically if you can see stars you can shoot them.

[cuilin]

 

 

Whose afraid of the Big Bad Wolf......Whose afraid of the Big Bad Wolf......Tar-Ra-Tar, Rar....RAAAAH! ;-)

What a fantastic shot, with a fantastic back story..........to find sky dark enough for taking similar shots in the UK must be nigh on impossible.

But, I'm sure that your imagination was running riot that night?

You posts are so refreshingly different just as Kobioni's are from OZ........keep them coming please.

FUJI

 

thanks fuji.  you could probably get some star trails not too far from you.  if it's a moon and cloud free night and you can find the little dipper then you're good to shoot.  i use a locking cable release to shoot consecutive 30 second exposures (low iso and wide aperture).  i stack the photos in photoshop.  startrails.de has some freeware for stacking if that's more your style.  

 

my imagination wasn't the only thing running that night...

 

Excellent shot and story!

 

thanks.

 

Awesome  photo cuilin....makes one feel very small in the scheme of things. I'd be interested to know how many images in your stack too...The celestial light trails seem to confirm  the world isn't flat after all then. 

 

68 shots, the first 20 shots or so were done while i was lighting the barn with a flashlight.  i used those frames for the startrails, but also duplicated those layers and moved them to the top.  i masked them out completely and painted in what i wanted of the lit foreground.

 

Superb image cuilin and the story makes it even more special.

 

That sounds seriously creepy with the wolves and all please dont tell me its bear country if it is I wouldnt have dared out at all.

 

Ron 

 

p.s. just googled it Wyoming is bear country, your braver than me cuilin to be out at night in that countryside.

 

Ron 

 

thanks ron.  grizzlies and black bears, though i have yet to see any in wyoming.  there seems to be one bear attack death/year in grand teton national park and yellowstone national park - which is attached to the tetons on the northern edge of the park.  the bears are territorial and stick closer to the mountains.  the rangers keep a close eye on their movements and let the public know what's safe.  just about every time i'm there there's been a section of the park closed off due to a bear either being too aggressive or too curious with humans.  the rangers would rather keep the public out then put a bear down.  i'm not saying there isn't any danger from bear, but this was buffalo goring territory..

 

Stiff drink time me thinks---great picture for all that effort though,

 

Geoff

 

definitely.

 

Great picture, and story, Cuillin. Star trails is something I'd like to try here, but the only thing I would have to worry about is kangaroos!!

 

give it a try.  i bet you've got some amazing skies down under.  just don't use the north star for the center of your star trails, it doesn't work south of the equator.   

 

Wonderful in the technique and the sheer loveliness of the image. Wolves though!! working through that is a real sign of your dedication (or insanity!!)

 

thanks paul.  let's go with insanity.  but in my line of work we call it creative thinking...

 

[NannyFerret]

I'm glad to see that the rangers don't put the bears down. After all, they were probably there hundreds of years before humans invaded their space.