Star photography trips

[dasinc]

G'day, just wondering if anyone ever drives/rides out into the middle of nowhere to get milky way shots? I've done it a couple of times and will be going with the wife in future so that could be fun. Any suggestions for places with great foreground scenery?

Could maybe organise a group trip?

[Niki]

I wish I was in WA, I'd be in! :-)

[Granville]

Start a Melbourne thread Niki.

[Sarge]

Hey dasinc,

Although I have never ventured out (yet!), I have many ideas to do so. I have always planned to drive out to york, and find a windmill or some old farm equipment and use them as FG subjects which I'm sure would work well.

The pinnacles would also be a very cool place to shoot at night...

[cookey]

I am interested in doing this type of thing,there are the pinnacles, wave rock, sugarloaf rock & there is a light house not far from there also. I am sure a quick look at tourist website for WA & you will find lots to photograph

[nicoleh]

I'm in the Wheatbelt east of York .. There's lots of stars but not much in the way of foreground interest here!

[cookey]

look for old ruined buildings, windmills, wrecked cars, perhaps a lake to get a reflection

[nicoleh]

Thanks.. Why was I only thinking about rocks with waves?!!

[Sarge]

I've even seen some awesome pictures with native grass trees (blackboy's) used as a FG object, so you just have to look!

[dasinc]

The wife and I are going up to the pinnacles in 3 or 4 weeks for an astro shoot. I should have my ioptron startracker and new 70-300mm lens by then. Our last trip away was a bust, intermittent cloud.

I did a trip on the motorbike with a couple of mates last weekend...that was a bust too! Didn't plan ahead and where we were going was booked out. Ended up camping in a car park :) With a lighthouse nearby - ugh.

Anyway, I will be doing a trip probably every weekend closest to the new moon. Gets a bit boring on my own though, so I bought a surface tablet to watch shows while I am waiting heh.

[Sarge]

Conditions are really good right now! If you were keen to get out and practice then these next few days are looking good - clear skies, crisp nights, and a new moon cycle just passed!

I've been waiting for nights like this, but haven't had a chance to get outside, too busy unfortunately. The theme for my camera clubs comp night is 'night' so I'm thinking may have to make the best of these conditions...

[wayn0i]

Hi guys, Ive been slowly pointing my camera to the night sky and trying to work out the best approach. I tried a night shoot at the pinnacles several months ago, had the fam tucked up in a cottage in Cervantees only to get a night sky full of clouds.
A busy family and work life doesnt afford me a heap of opportunities to get out and take pics and I have been trying to come up a couple of locations that arent too far away from home (Currambine) but far enough for a decent sky image without the city lights over powering the image.

Sarge did you manage to get out and get a couple of pics?

Dasinic what is an ioptron startracker and how does that work?

Nicoleh anold farmhouse or barn always makes a good foreground image.

Cheers

Wayne

[Sarge]

Good to hear your getting out Wayne! Love to try a shoot up at the Pinnacles, next couple of weeks I'm thinking!

Haven't had the chance to get out yet, but always keeping an eye on the sky! I reckon you should always aim to get as far away from the lights as possible, but that's easy for me to say living further from the city than most. Been using google satellite maps to scout good locations (ie. find a lone tree in a field, cluster of blackboys etc) so I can at least head towards something if I get time and conditions are good. Got the next couple weeks off (uni) so definitely head out to try my luck! On a side note, heading down South to Mandurah tomorrow for a fishing trip so be good to get out, take the camera of course. :D

Good luck anyway, keep us updated on your results...