Under the Heavens on Dartmoor: Capturing the Milky Way at Brentor
Dartmoor, with its rugged landscapes and minimal light pollution, offers a truly magical canvas for stargazing. Last week, I had the incredible opportunity to visit Brentor on a perfectly clear night, a location that has been on my astrophotography wishlist for quite some time. I'm absolutely thrilled with the results, as this shoot yielded the clearest Milky Way I've ever managed to capture.
The night itself was a dream for any photographer – not only was the sky exceptionally clear, but the temperature was mild and the air still. This is a welcome change from the often-challenging weather conditions found on Dartmoor!
The Technical Details Behind the Magic
Capturing this panoramic view of the Milky Way required a meticulous approach and a combination of advanced techniques:
- Camera and Lens: Canon 6D with a Samyang 24mm f1.4 lens, stopped down to f2 for optimal sharpness.
- Tracking: My Ioptron Skystacker Pro was essential for tracking the celestial movement, allowing for longer exposures without star trailing.
- Sky Captures: I took 8 sky tiles, with each tile comprising 4 exposures. These were shot at ISO 1600 for 35 seconds. The stacking process for the sky was handled by Sequator.
- Foreground Captures: To ensure a detailed foreground, I captured 3 tiles, each with a 1-minute exposure at ISO 800. These were then merged using a median stack in Photoshop to reduce noise.
- Final Processing: The creation of the final panoramas was a multi-stage process. Lightroom was used to assemble the individual shots, followed by Photoshop for precise masking and merging of the sky and foreground elements. The final color grading and adjustments were completed back in Lightroom, utilizing presets from Lonely Speck to enhance the image's depth and clarity.
This image is a testament to the dedication and passion behind astrophotography, transforming a simple clear night into an unforgettable visual experience. It's a reminder of the incredible wonders that lie above us, waiting to be discovered.
