Under the Stars in the Joshua Tree Pinnacles

Milky Way over Joshua Tree Pinnacles

There's something truly magical about capturing the vastness of the cosmos from a terrestrial vantage point. This shot, taken in the iconic Joshua Tree National Park, perfectly encapsulates that feeling. My friend Mark and I were exploring the area when we stumbled upon this incredible view.

The highlight? The Milky Way core rising majestically right behind these rugged rock formations. To capture this scene, we opted for longer focal lengths, specifically 40mm, as the rocks were a considerable distance from our camera setup. It was a collaborative effort; getting the lighting just right for the foreground rocks required some serious maneuvering, and having a partner made the back-and-forth process much more manageable.

The Technical Details

This image was made possible by using a full spectrum modified Canon R5 paired with a Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 lens, set at 40mm.

For the foreground, we used multiple 30-second exposures at ISO 800 and f/8. This allowed us to achieve both light painting and capture ambient light, utilizing a visible light filter.

The sky, on the other hand, demanded a different approach: ISO 1600, f/2.8, with 15 exposures of 210 seconds each, employing various specialized astronomy filters to bring out the incredible detail in the Milky Way.

Battling Light Pollution

One of the persistent challenges in astrophotography, especially in popular locations like Joshua Tree, is light pollution. As one commenter noted, the park has certainly become darker than it was a few years ago. While the primary light pollution source in this particular scene was off to the right, significant efforts were made in post-processing to remove light pollution gradients.

Dealing with light domes is a common struggle for astrophotographers. Composing shots to utilize foreground elements to block out these light sources is a standard technique. However, when that's not possible, post-processing becomes crucial. Tools like Photoshop can be incredibly effective in mitigating the effects of light pollution, restoring the natural darkness of the night sky and allowing the fainter celestial details to shine through.

Location, Location, Location

There was a brief discussion about the exact location, with some suggesting it was White Tank campgrounds. However, this scene was captured in an area formerly known as Squaw Tank, a collection of rocks that, to my knowledge, doesn't have an official name. So, for clarity, we referred to it as the "Joshua Tree Pinnacles" for this shot.