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Ad Astra

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ALTERNATIVE PRINT (the one without me) AVAILABLE HERE: Ad Astra


I have everywhere sought,
and nowhere found
So I lift the bleedin' bodkin
And trust the grief deepest in

Arcturus, Ad Astra [link]


ad astra (/ad a⋅stra/)= to the stars

That’s just me. Sometimes things happen all around me, seasons change, the world moves on, people move on or out around me and I just stay static, clueless and ignorant. Sometimes I open my eyes and move along. Sometimes I even find myself in the lead even if I was too slow to take the first step. I’m afraid of changes. But they have always turned out for the best.

One thing I realized during those hours while we sat there looking at the light of the stars, that light from the past, was the definition of contentment: watching at the shooting stars I could think of nothing to wish for. Everything I needed was right there with me, everything that really mattered was already true…


About the Shot (please read before you ask if this is a manipulation)

Trying star trail photography had been in our plans for quite some time. After browsing through various tutorials explaining how the “stacking multiple exposures” method was done we decided to follow this one [link] I just needed 30 four minute shots and one shot where the foreground was illuminated with a flashlight to serve as the base onto which the other 30 shots would be stacked in lighten mode. The only things essential (well, besides the right technical equipment and an mp3 player) were patience and a good company. Check and CHECK!

Anyway, during the whole process I had the idea to take an alternative base shot, where I would be part of the foreground to record the true memory of that night which we spent sitting comfortably (?) among those rocks, waiting for our cameras to record a movement we couldn’t see. I posed for half the time of that exposure (yes I managed to stay still for 2 whole minutes resisting the urge to scratch my nose, open my eyes or make a face to *KirlianCamera who illuminated the scene and me with his flashlight while constantly teasing me) which explains why my knee –being backlit- looks semi-transparent.

When the time came to stack the photos up I did both versions (with and without me as a base layer) and, for reasons already explained to those who have read the intro, this version acquired a more symbolic meaning in my eyes, plus it looked a bit more unusual since I haven’t seen a star trail photo which included a human (?) presence in it. If you think you could forgive a transgression to the “never post different versions of the same image” rule of mine, I think I may submit the “Justelene-less” version too at some point in the future. Till then, join me in this trip AD ASTRA! :hug:

PS I know I don’t look my best but after 3 hours of being windblown, collecting particles of chalk-dust I could have looked much worse! And I’m really grateful I remembered to remove Kozy’s jacket before I took my place in the frame otherwise I’d have to submit the photo in the “Humorous” section :rofl:

Location: Sarakiniko, Milos island, Greece

tech stuff

*Settings for the base photograph*

Camera: Nikon D300
Lens: Tokina 12-24mm f/4 AT-X AF Pro DX @12mm
Aperture: f/11
Shutter Speed: 240 sec
ISO: 200


*Settings for the 30 star trails photographs*

Camera: Nikon D300
Lens: Tokina 12-24mm f/4 AT-X AF Pro DX @12mm
Aperture: f/4
Shutter Speed: 240 sec
ISO: 400

Image size
510x760px 427.09 KB
© 2009 - 2024 justeline
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ariya-sacca's avatar

Beautiful image!