Andrew Lewis
July 2025 - "Pinnacles with Milky Way"
About the Image(s)
Here's my image for this month, It's titled "Pinnacles with Milky Way". I shot it on a recent trip with our Lancaster Photography Association and the Redlands Camera Club. It was good to meet some folks from the other group. We were out at the Trona Pinnacles in the Mojave Desert on the new moon before the weather gets beastly hot for the summer.
I shot it with a Nikon Z9, Sigma 14-24mm f2.8 DG DN Art lens. Exposure was 15 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 6400. I worked on the image a little bit in camera raw to bring up some detail in the foreground, and then enhanced the sky a little to emphasize the colors and make the contrast pop.
I hope everyone has a safe 4th of July!
9 comments posted
Hi Andrew,
The Mojave is one of my favorite places on the planet. It is also one of the few places with minimal light pollution. Your image reminds me of the time I sat in the Mojave learning to capture such images as yours. As wonderful as the stars are, it's all about capturing a foreground that complements the sky. You nailed it! You have the amazing landscape as well as the complementary colors of the sun and the blue sky. Well done! Now if only we could get rid of the ever-increasing satellites in our photos!!!! Posted: 07/18/2025 05:29:01
The Mojave is one of my favorite places on the planet. It is also one of the few places with minimal light pollution. Your image reminds me of the time I sat in the Mojave learning to capture such images as yours. As wonderful as the stars are, it's all about capturing a foreground that complements the sky. You nailed it! You have the amazing landscape as well as the complementary colors of the sun and the blue sky. Well done! Now if only we could get rid of the ever-increasing satellites in our photos!!!! Posted: 07/18/2025 05:29:01
Thank you so much! I wish I could take credit for having the sun in there, but I think that's the lights of Mojave in the distance. This was taken well after dark. Unfortunately, this wasn't in complete dark-sky territory, so there was a little bit of a blue cast to the scene.
Posted: 07/22/2025 02:51:25
Posted: 07/22/2025 02:51:25
Excellent. Right on exposure and framing and editing. I agree about the sky and the sun being complimentary ( also Complimentary colors on the color wheel). The rocky ridge also leads the eye to the sun. Are the streaks satelites, meteors or something else ? Posted: 07/20/2025 18:06:31
Thanks, Harley. I honestly don't know if the streaks were satellites, shooting stars, or what. Perhaps a combination? I don't think I saw them when we were out there, but they came out in post. Posted: 07/22/2025 02:53:05
With 11,000 operational satellites circling the Earth, and an estimated 500-600 over the Mojave at any point in time, I'd have to say most are satellites. However, there are two meteor showers in July. It's been my experience that a given group of star watchers at night, a meteor is so eye catching that someone will see it and yell "OOOOO".
My husband tells me that streaks of uniform brightness indicate satellites whereas meteors start out bright and diminish as they burn up. Posted: 07/22/2025 04:33:41
My husband tells me that streaks of uniform brightness indicate satellites whereas meteors start out bright and diminish as they burn up. Posted: 07/22/2025 04:33:41
Thanks Bunny Posted: 07/22/2025 14:56:22
An exciting photo that captures a captivating moment in the Mojave Desert. The metors add excitement! The mountain peaks are a perfect leading line taking my eye to the right. Is that bright spot the moon? I expect it isn't city lights. You have a nice capture of the Milky Way. Your composition is text book, 2/3rds sky and 1/3rd land. Still, I wounder if you could crop just a little more to reduce the the sand in front of the peaks. The shy and the peaks are the "stars" here. On the other hand, that sand may add an element of balance. Posted: 07/22/2025 17:27:48
Wonderful shot Andrew, you have lots of interest in the foreground with the mountain peaks. They seem to be leading me to the right as is the milky and I feel the tire tracks on the right only add to the image, it seems to be rotating visually. You have nailed the composition on this one my friend. Of course the sky is just beautiful and while those little streaks are "undetermined" they do add interest, in my opinion. Meteor, space junk or a shooting star they are still cool to see.
I am hoping to get to a dark sky area north of me next month and am looking forward to really seeing the sky again as I did when I was a kid.
Love this shot, good work. Posted: 07/23/2025 14:19:08
I am hoping to get to a dark sky area north of me next month and am looking forward to really seeing the sky again as I did when I was a kid.
Love this shot, good work. Posted: 07/23/2025 14:19:08
A very beautiful milky way photo indeed! Was it a single photo or several photos stacked together by software during editing? I agree with Mark that you can crop just a little more to reduce the the sand in front of the peaks. Excellent work! Posted: 07/24/2025 13:42:12