Dawn Gulino
August 2026 - Tracking The Stars
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About the Image(s)
Drove over 1 1/2 hour south of where I live to get out of the light pollution on a clear light to try out a tracker a few weeks ago. The foreground was shot for 3 minutes at f/2.8 ISO 3200, 14mm. The stars were shot on a tracker for 4 minutes, f/2.8 ISO 400 at 14mm.
I made edits in Lightroom for both images separately, then brought them both over to Photoshop to bland the foreground and the stars. This was my first time shooting the Milky Way with a tracker. I make a lot of local adjustments in both Lightroom and Photoshop and added luminosity masks in Photoshop to focus on both the lights and darks to enhance the core.
10 comments posted
Carol Dunn-Martinez
WOW this is amazing. I do think maybe the foreground might be too light, as I was looking for the light source. But what you did with the sky is awesome Posted: 08/05/2026 10:14:53
Dawn Gulino
Thanks for the feedback Carol. I struggle with how light to make the foreground with night shots, so appreciate that and agree that it's a tad too light. Posted: 08/05/2026 12:39:12
Bob Gray
Good blending! I'm trying to get into Astro, but with limited success (and I don't have a tracker yet.) I like the foreground as is, I don't think it is too light. It is dark enough to show it is evening or night, yet light enough to show some detail. Excellent! Posted: 08/10/2026 21:03:28
Dawn Gulino
Thanks Bob, I've shot this with the Move Shoot Move tracker and it was really easy to set up and use. It's really small too!
Posted: 08/23/2026 18:57:24
Posted: 08/23/2026 18:57:24
I think this is a great shot of the Milky Way. I like how you played with the lighting where you get a good sense of the stars while leaving enough light on the ground in the foreground so that we can see the detail. I do think your exposure is pretty good. I don't do any star shooting, but I like this and I may give it a try, thanks to seeing this shot. Posted: 08/10/2026 22:01:33
Dawn Gulino
Thanks Ed! You don't need a tracker to to this if you wanted to try it. You can take a bunch and then stack them. Good luck if you try it! Posted: 08/23/2026 18:59:17
Hi dawn. I love the simplicity of the image. The sky is very good. What I can suggest (if it was shot with a Dark moon as the text books prescribe), if you have the option: Shoot this image with a Quarter moon instead of at dark moon Then you will get a really detailed and spooky foreground without having to do anything to it. In that case you have to expose for the sky. Having said that: That is why I love the foreground and the detail. The light in the foreground bends your mind because it goes against the theory, of what you expect - thats good. Posted: 08/11/2026 19:02:09
Dawn Gulino
Thanks Francois! yeah, there wasn't much of a moon on this night and agree, shooting with some moonlight can be fun! Posted: 08/23/2026 19:00:48
Dawn
As someone who enjoys night photography, I love your image. I have to say I am not a fan of overprocessing the milky way what you did is spot on. My only disconnect is the foreground try taking down the exposure by half to a full stop. Other than that looks great Posted: 08/12/2026 14:51:40
As someone who enjoys night photography, I love your image. I have to say I am not a fan of overprocessing the milky way what you did is spot on. My only disconnect is the foreground try taking down the exposure by half to a full stop. Other than that looks great Posted: 08/12/2026 14:51:40
Dawn Gulino
Thanks Darcy, it's so interesting hearing everyone's feedback with some liking it as it and some wanting it to be a tad darker. Posted: 08/23/2026 19:01:37