Junked Cars Under the Stars: A Joshua Tree Astrophotography Adventure
This year, I ventured out to the iconic Joshua Tree National Park with a mission: to capture something truly different. Armed with a new astronomy filter, I hoped to bring back images that showcased the universe in a new light. And I think I succeeded!
You may have noticed some subtle shifts in my recent work, but this image makes those differences much more apparent. The Cygnus region, a treasure trove of celestial wonders, is brimming with Oxygen III (OIII) and Sulfur II (SII) wavelength signals that are often missed by Ha-only filters. This results in a far richer and more nuanced final image.
My approach to capturing this scene involved a detailed processing technique. I began with tri-band data, which inherently contains a lot of the vibrant red hues. I then processed the dual-band data and used the blue channel to create a mask. This mask was carefully overlaid onto the tri-band data, followed by extensive blending to achieve the specific look I envisioned.
Technical Details:
- Location: Joshua Tree National Park
- Camera: Full spectrum modified Canon R5
- Lens: Sigma 14-24mm at 24mm
- Foreground: Multiple 30-second exposures at f/8, ISO 160 and 1600 for painted and ambient light.
- Sky: ISO 3200, f/2.8, 210-second exposures (x23) utilizing two different filters to capture OIII and SII signals.
This little patch of remote desert within Joshua Tree National Park provided an absolutely fantastic backdrop for this project. I can't wait to return!
If you'd like to follow along for more of my adventures in astrophotography, you can find me on Instagram:
(I would buy a print of that!)
