On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
Good Morning All,
This weekday feature is for Juicers who are are on the road, traveling, or just want to share a little bit of their world via stories and pictures. So many of us rise each morning, eager for something beautiful, inspiring, amazing, subtle, of note, and our community delivers – a view into their world, whether they’re far away or close to home – pictures with a story, with context, with meaning, sometimes just beauty. By concentrating travel updates and tips here, it’s easier for all of us to keep up or find them later.
So please, speak up and share some of your adventures and travel news here, and submit your pictures using our speedy, secure form. You can submit up to 7 pictures at a time, with an overall description and one for each picture.
You can, of course, send an email with pictures if the form gives you trouble, or if you are trying to submit something special, like a zipped archive or a movie. If your pictures are already hosted online, then please email the links with your descriptions.
For each picture, it’s best to provide your commenter screenname, description, where it was taken, and date. It’s tough to keep everyone’s email address and screenname straight, so don’t assume that I remember it “from last time”. More and more, the first photo before the fold will be from a commenter, so making it easy to locate the screenname when I’ve found a compelling photo is crucial.
Have a wonderful day, and enjoy the pictures!
So today’s an eclipse – groovy! Make sure to protect your eyes and enjoy this cool thing. In this age of omnipresent cameras and distribution tech, I expect lots of aamzing videos of animals and plants reacting to the eclipse. I can’t wait!
So, in honor of the great Jack Horkheimer, I encourage you to “keep…looking up!” And to encourage this, let’s take a different look up at the stats and things celestial.
Oh, and mom’s back home, recovering from the aborted surgery (which turned into an old-school biopsy, in effect) and beginning the Great Fight. Fuck cancer, fuck it all to hell.
Do keep Immanetize and Impkid in your thoughts and prayers as they piece together a new life.
Today, pictures from valued commenter ?BillinGlendaleCA.
Being that Joshua Tree is a bit of a drive(almost 200 miles to the shooting locations), I decided to see if there was a location that was a bit closer to the cave that would provide enough darkness to photograph the Milky Way. So after consulting the DarkSkyFinder.com light pollution map, I settled on a location about 90 miles northwest(as the crow flies) of Downtown Los Angeles in Lockwood Valley at the foot of Mt. Pinos. I was somewhat familiar with the area since the Boy Scout Camp(Camp Three Falls) is in the valley and I ended up setting up my gear on the Boy Scout Camp Road. Also since my last trip to Joshua Tree, I’d purchased a “Red Intensifier” filter, which is said to reduce some of the yellow cast you see from light pollution. The first 5 pictures are from this shooting session. The last two pictures are from Joshua Tree since I noticed something in one of the picture that I thought was interesting and I acquired some new software to do panorama stitching that made some panorama shots that I’d take usable.
The Milky Way as viewed with the naked eye.
Taken on 2017-08-12
Lockwood Valley, California
This is pretty much what the Milky Way looks like when you just look up at the sky. Since the camera picks up more than your eye can see, I’ve had to do a bit of work to remove color and contrast. If I was here in Glendale, I’d probably think it was a cloud lit up by the lights of the city.
The Milky Way just after sunset.
Taken on 2017-08-12
Lockwood Valley, California
This was my first capture after the sun had set and it was dark enough to visually see the Milky Way. At the left side of the picture you can see the yellow glow from the lights in LA(Santa Clarita being about 35 miles away). I had forgotten that I’d brought the “Red Intensifier” filter, so I hadn’t put it on the camera. This shot is a composite of a shot taken at 20 seconds for the sky and a shot with an exposure of 60 seconds for the foreground. I liked how the bushes in the foreground look white, almost look like the shot was taken in IR.
Milky Way with some light painting.
Taken on 2017-08-12
Lockwood Valley, California
This shot was taken about 15 minutes after the shot above, after I’d rummaged thought my camera bag and found my “Red Intensifier” filter and put it on the camera. I think it really does reduce the amount of light pollution. Again the shot is a composite of a 20 second background and a 60 second foreground. I also added some light painting to light up the bushes in the immediate foreground. One of the nice things about shooting alone is that you can do light painting and not worry about screwing up somebody else’s picture. On the other hand, you do hear strange noises in the darkness along with the familiar sound of coyotes howling.
Milky Way in portrait
Taken on 2017-08-12
Lockwood Valley, California
Pretty much the same shot as above but different orientation and you can see a bit more of the foreground. Since the orientation of the shot cuts off the view to the southeast you don’t see the light pollution from LA. The light you see at the horizon is from the cities in the valleys towards the coast(Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, and Moorpark). Again the “Red Intensifier” filter was used with this shot.
Fisheye!
Taken on 2017-08-12
Lockwood Valley, California
I can’t post a set of pics without one with my favorite lens, my 10mm fisheye. It’s not a fast lens and I can’t use any filters on it, but I love, love my fisheye. You can see the lights of LA in the center and to the left you can see some lights from a gravel extraction operation as well as light trails from cars on the main road.
A processing note: When I first processed this photo, I went with a more contrasty look and a bluer sky. I decided to back it off a bit just before I wrote this post.
Milky Way Panorama.
Taken on 2017-07-22
Joshua Tree National Park, California
This a panorama composed from 16 shots. I just got the panorama stitching software(ptGui) last week, so this is really a first draft and there are some issues(especially at the top of the picture).
Andromeda!
Taken on 2017-07-22
Joshua Tree National Park, California
This is a zoomed in (1:1) detail of one of the source photos used for the panorama in the shot above. The Milky Way is in the upper left hand side of the shot. I’d like to thank valued commenter and perennial Presidential candidate (don’t call me Harold Stassen) Baud for inspiring me to take another look at my photos to see if I’d captured the Andromeda Galaxy.
Thank you so much ?BillinGlendaleCA, do send us more when you can.
Travel safely everybody, and do share some stories in the comments, even if you’re joining the conversation late. Many folks confide that they go back and read old threads, one reason these are available on the Quick Links menu.
One again, to submit pictures: Use the Form or Send an Email
eclare
All are great pictures, but I think I like Milky Way in Portrait the best. Thanks so much for sending them in, and big thanks to Alain for working up this post every morning! Wishing peace and strength for you and your mom.
Bg
Alain, I always enjoy these posts and I am wishing your mom the best. Fuck cancer
Debbie(aussie)
Wow! They are really beautiful Bill! Thank you?
I would like to pass on my condolences to Immanentize & the Imp and let them know that they have my love and best wishes at this most difficult time. (As much as that means from a stranger from the other side of the planet) ?? Debs
Mary G
Add another Juicer thinking of Immanentize, his beloved Julie, and the Immp. And Smiling Mortician and Alain’s mom.
Beautiful photos, Billin. Perfect for this rare astronomical day.
Ben Cisco
I had been away from the blog, and only now hearing about Immanentize/Smiling Mortician/Alain’s mom. My thoughts are with you all.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@eclare: Glad you like it, here’s another. I liked the view up there so much, I went back again this past Saturday. I went up Boy Scout Camp road a bit more to avoid the power lines that were along the side of the road in the first set. I was hoping to also get some pics of Andromeda, but I couldn’t find it when I used a lens with a narrower field of view. I’ll have to try again, maybe this week.
Baud
Perfect theme for Eclipse Day.
bystander
Beautiful pics!
Thanks for reminding us how small and insignificant we are, BiG.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Baud: I was showing some the pics to the folk at the shoot of DTLA traffic light traces last night, mainly the ones that had gone to Joshua Tree. I may have ended up inspiring a few to make the trek up there. One of the reasons that there are strange noises up there is there’s a performing animal business right near where I was shooting.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@bystander: Most won’t notice this during the eclipse today, but if you’re in an area where the street lights don’t come on automatically when it gets dark; you’ll be able to see the Milky Way during totality.
Schlemazel
I have about had it with the fantastic pictures!
Dnag guy you do good work, thanks for sharing it with us
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Schlemazel: OK, here’s another. That was composed of 6 shots last Saturday with the fisheye.
debbie
Great shots!
rikyrah
Bill,
Those were fabulous ??
?BillinGlendaleCA
@debbie: Thanks, I’m going to try to get more before Milky Way season(it’s actually a thing) ends in the next month or so. I got the kid a tripod for her b-day(her b-day is two weeks from yesterday, but she’ll get the gift this Sat.), so maybe we can try shooting together. Milky Way season here in the Northern Hemisphere is about March through October so there’s a few more weeks left and you need nights with no moon or where the moon hasn’t risen or already set.
JPL
@?BillinGlendaleCA: That sounds like so much fun, and I look forward to more photos.
Thanks!
?BillinGlendaleCA
@rikyrah: Thanks, the one that I linked to above that I shot Saturday is probably the best(though no light painting). On my next outing, I may try stacking(you shoot a bunch of shots and then put them together to reduce noise) and attempt again to shoot the Andromeda Galaxy(I think the best approach is to shoot wide, find it, center and then continue to zoom in and repeat the process).
Quinerly
?
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Quinerly: Thanks, but what did Poco think?
satby
I love all your Milky Way pictures Bill! I’m waiting for when you decide to sell some!
And I have been thinking about Imm and his Imp, Smiling Mortician (did we ever hear how the surgery went?) and your mom too, Alain. Keeping all in my prayers.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@satby:
I’m still learning, I don’t think they’re quite good enough to sell; though I think last Saturday’s efforts are getting close. I really want to try stacking and see if I can get rid of more of the noise in the pictures(you don’t see the pictures at full resolution so you don’t see much of the camera noise).
Yoda Dog
Cool pics, Bill!
Happy eclipse day, everyone.
Alain the site fixer
Thanks to all and Smiling Mortician, I forgot to mention you when I wrote this last night, you’ve been on mind all weekend.
Steeplejack (phone)
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
What model of tripod?
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Steeplejack (phone): This one, I’m using the same one but in blue.
Steeplejack (phone)
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
Thanks. Going in my “stuff I might eventually need” folder.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Steeplejack (phone): It’s pretty lightweight(though not carbon fiber) and pretty sturdy. I may have sold one last night; one of the members of the meetup’s fiance is getting a new camera this week(he’s been on several of our meetups but schlepping his fiance’s equipment and driving) and is looking for a tripod. I may need to get something to track the vertical angle since it lacks that to do astro panoramas(you can’t see anything in the viewfinder so you have to do it blind).
delk
Very cool!
?BillinGlendaleCA
@delk: It’s really amazing when you drive out and look out the window and you see more and more of it appear as you get away from the lights of the city, especially one as large and as brightly lit as Los Angeles.
Schlemazel
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
I disagree, I think those are wonderful & am not sure what more you could want
MomSense
Really inspiring photos, Bill. Thank you for sharing them with us.
Fuck fucking cancer. Also fuck fucking random rare arterial conditions that cause aortas to expand and then rupture.
Sending love and peace to the Imms, Smiling Mortician, Rikyrah and Rikysis, Ruckus, Ohio Mom, Alain, Alain’s mom, and so many of us who are struggling with health and other concerns.
bystander
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Good to know. We are in the Poconos, near the intersection of NY, NJ and Pa., and there are no streetlights, automatic or otherwise.
I’ve always wondered why the stars here are not as distinct as they were in the NE Wyoming of my youth. Proximity of NYC? At night we can see the faint glow of the city, even tho we are 2 hours north.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Schlemazel: This one’s pretty close(I added some noise reduction, since I linked it above), but the foreground needs to be shot in the “blue hour” as opposed to a long(it was 90 seconds) exposure.
Betty Cracker
I know he’s not a favorite here, but wishing Freddie deBoer well.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@MomSense: Thanks.
@bystander: The pic that I just linked to gives an illustration of that. The horizon to the left of the pic in noticeably brighter than the horizon to the right; that’s the direction of Los Angeles even though there’s nothing but mountains(some over 8,000 feet) for 35 miles.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Betty Cracker: Agree.
Schlemazel
@Betty Cracker:
I wanted to make a joke about his mental illness and then I clicked & read. Damn you for making me feel sorry for him
Schlemazel
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
Now I would want to remove the 2 light steaks but other than that I do not see why you think less of your other shots
Schlemazel
@Schlemazel: lets make that ‘streaks’ not ‘steaks”
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Schlemazel: As I said, I see the shot at full resolution. I left the airplane trails in there intentionally, I thought they added to the notion that LA’s over there.
ETA: I have another shot that I took the previous Saturday that has a vertical streak just to the right of the Milky Way, it’s either a meteor(if I was lucky) or a satellite.
Laura
Billinglendale, your sky pics are just otherworldly and beautiful.
Alain, Immanentize + Immp., Ruckus Rikysis and all who are suffering, this one goes out to you from the heart:
https://youtu.be/PwviStKKhpM
schrodingers_cat
@?BillinGlendaleCA: @Betty Cracker: I feel a little bad for making merciless fun of him when he was an FPer here. I wish him good luck and a speedy recovery.
BTW whatever happened to EDK?
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Laura: Thanks, it’s strange looking at the sky here outside the cave and seeing maybe 50 stars and then driving a hour and seeing thousands.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@schrodingers_cat: I’ll admit, I didn’t read many of Freddie’s posts after I read the first few; didn’t EDK get a paying gig somewhere?
schrodingers_cat
@?BillinGlendaleCA: May be. I haven’t come across his byline. Your Milky Way pics are sublime.
Betty Cracker
@schrodingers_cat: He was before my time, so I don’t know. He used to do a Walking Dead recap in some publication (can’t remember which) that I read regularly when I watched that program. It was pretty good.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@schrodingers_cat: Thanks, it’s my 4th attempt and I’m getting better at it. I’m still hoping for a couple of more outings before the season ends.
ETA: As far as eclipse viewing here, it’s overcast right now, seeing if it’ll clear before I fire up the Prius and drive to a trailhead.
WaterGirl
Alain, I hadn’t heard about your mother. So sorry for the news about your mom. May everyone’s situation be better than expected
@Mary G: I think today is the day that Smiling Mortician meets with the new doctor, and learns more about the way forward.
@Ben Cisco: I imagine all this is a reminder of your recent loss, not that you need any reminding. Seems like we might be near an anniversary date? In any case, thinking of you as always.
WaterGirl
@MomSense: Oh, dear, did something happen with your dad?
WaterGirl
@Betty Cracker: Who can’t feel compassion for anyone who would say they would give everything they own to be anyone but themselves? That’s a whole lot of pain talking.
Imm, sending love to you as always, and prayers for you and your son.
WaterGirl
I haven’t wanted to ask, but I missed the original thread about rikyrah’s sister, if anyone could point me to the right thread, I would greatly appreciate it.
Schlemazel
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
Polaroid did a lot of market research on auto focus back in the 70s. They found that people greatly prefered slightly less focus and not sharp focus. Maybe you are being too hard on yourself
Sloane Ranger
Wow! Amazing. I love these. More please!
MomSense
@WaterGirl:
Yeah, he has another dissection but they can’t treat it. So we are just in living mode and hoping for not dropping dead suddenly. Spending a lot of time all together.
Schlemazel
@MomSense:
I wish there was something I could say or do, it seems so trite to send good wishes. But I hope for better than expect future for all of you, good luck and thinking positive thoughts
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Schlemazel: It’s not focus, it’s noise introduced by using a high ISO and a long exposure. Noise is either random white pixels or random colors that appear in the photo. It’s dispersed when it’s converted to a lower resolution, but it’s quite evident when it’s viewed at higher resolution or printed(depending on the size of the print). So if I print out a 5″x7″, it would probably look OK, but I printed out a 8″x10″ you’d start to see the noise.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Let me add, I could increase noise reduction or blur the photo; then you get a problem of just not focus, but stars actually start to disappear. The best case is to get a better picture in the beginning: with the background(aka the sky) there are limits on what you can do(it’s dark and the earth rotates), with the foreground you can just take increase the amount of light by either taking the picture before the sun fully sets or using light painting.
Schlemazel
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
oh, I see. Well they don’t show on my screen but I can see how they would bug you in full size
Schlemazel
Just read that the University of Texas issued a statement that Confederate memorials are symbols of racism and removed them from their campus overnight.
Bending toward the light, however gently.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Schlemazel: The one shot from today that you might see part of the problem is the last one of Andromeda(it’s pretty close to 100% resolution), there’s not a lot of luminosity noise(I upped the noise reduction on that), but you can see a bit of the color noise.
satby
@MomSense: I’m sorry to hear that MomSense! Hoping for a long together time for you all.
WaterGirl
@MomSense: Oh, no. I am so sorry to hear that. I can’t imagine what it’s like to be told there is nothing they can do. I bet your dad is handling it with grace because from what I know about him, I imagine that’s how he handles everything. Love to you and your family.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@?BillinGlendaleCA: I’m not saying that I think these pictures are crap(I spend a good amount of time making them look good), I’m just saying that I’d not be comfortable folk paying for a print because I don’t think they’d be happy with the end result.
MomSense
@satby: @WaterGirl:
Thank you both! If he gets stronger, they would like to do the surgery but it would mean another opening up of his chest, stopping his heart, repairing the aorta, and more gruesome things.
Yarrow
Bill, amazing photos. Alain, wishing all the best for your mom in her fight. Best wishes to imm as well as they go forward.
@MomSense: Wishing the best for your dad. Enjoy every day with him and hope he’s able to gain enough strength for the surgery.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Yarrow: Thanks.
WaterGirl
@MomSense: Stronger is good! May there be many, many days to share as he gets stronger. Once he’s stronger, you have options. Wishing you all love and strength.
MoxieM
I actually “wowed” out loud at the first photo. So lovely and tranquil.: And, the way they carry a sense of vastness on earth as well as in the universe is just gorgeous; guessing I’m not alone in needing that feeling of beauty in the world. Applause!
And Alain, my best to your mom and all– having just gone through a biopsy (negative, thankfully)–I have deep sympathies. She’s lucky to have you.