Interesting Photo of the Day: Milky Way Over the River

Sometimes, it takes more than one shot to get it right. In order to capture the Milky Way in the night sky and pair it with a clear foreground, photographers often blend more than one shot together. When done correctly, the result is a stunning image that illuminates everything beautiful about a forest at nighttime:

photography moonlight stars nature

“The Night Sky Above the Connecticut River in Pittsburg, New Hampshire” by Mike Taylor. (Via Reddit. Click image to see full size.)

Mike Taylor took this photograph, effectively capturing the tranquil atmosphere of the quiet night sky. The Milky Way can clearly be seen illuminated above the horizon line.

Gear and Settings

  • Nikon D60, 14–22mm lens at 14mm
  • Sky: f/2.8, 25 seconds, ISO 4000
  • Foreground: f/2.8, 300 seconds, ISO 2000

Taylor had this to say about his process:

“This is a two shot blend taken minutes apart–this area is very dark so a long exposure (or some light painting) was needed for foreground detail. I took a couple shots with light painting but liked the ambient lighting for the long exposure better.”

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