Three more from Wallaroo

[strongmanmike]

Down here permanently now and another clear night (I think I have died and gone to heaven) so decided to take advantage of the dark moonless sky and managed to get a few shots of The Milky Way, including the framing I had wanted after the first time I ventured into the backyard of this place and saw that old twisted dead tree - I knew the Milky Way would look grand setting behind it in the dark western sky. Not technically perfect and I did have some drifting cloud issues and the package deal lens is clearly not that crash hot :rolleyes:...but it's more or less what I had envisaged :)

The Milky Way over Wallaroo (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/146549067/original)

More good fun...after seeing our first Eastern Brown Snake too earlier in the day, slithered right up to the house and after throwing a few things at it (from a distance) so it wouldn't go under the house or in the garage, it took off, fast buggers :eyepop:...wife was a bit shook up too...

[ourkind]

Very nice shots Michael! The first one is my favourite, love how the tree is lit and pokes the milkyway!

Those pesky snakes, only today I was considering buying a dome tent so I can sit in it safely whilst imaging out in the field during the summer.

[iceman]

Now you're talking! Great shots Mike.

I think a 5DMk2 and better lens will be next for the new nightscaper ;)

The second one has great similarities to Lake IISAC :)

[SkyViking]

Great shots Mike, looks like a nice dark sky!
I was wondering, do you have more snakes etc in your new place than in Newcastle? (I don't really know how they are distributed throughout Australia :))

[h0ughy]

LOL well who is becoming a DSLR photographer!!! very noice Mr Sidonio, i do like the first shot!

[RickS]

My vote is for the first one too. Very nice, Mikey!

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Carlos. Regarding the snakes, they are really only active in the daytime (wonder where they go at night though...:question:) but on hot nights brown snakes can get active. Just have to make sure our rodent population stays low as that's there main diet.



Thanks Mike, it is fun using just a camera and tripod and traipsing around in the dark (wondering if you might stand on a sleeping snake :help:).

Another camera??? :lol: ...haven't paid this one off yet :sadeyes: only just started using it for night shots too. It's a good camera I think, just the lens is likely very ordinary plus I need to do more checking of what different F ratios result in...I've been a bit impatient having found myself suddenly in an ideal location for this type of work, I just wanted to shoot :)



Cheers Rolf, oh I think there will likely be more snakes in this area for sure than where I was in Newcastle, we have a horse stud next door too (400m away) and rodents like stock feed and snakes like rodents so.... :help:



DSLR = dumb stupid lazy roamer :P Deep sky imaging is the real challenge :lol:



Thanks Rick

Mike

[Paul Haese]

First image is etheral Mike and really nice. Lovely to see an image coming from your stables again. This is the sort of view I get most often at Clayton. Rural and the majesty of the sky. When is the Orion going to be producing an image from there?

[Larryp]

Great images, Mike!

[colinmlegg]

You haven't tried timelapse yet? :P .. Good challenge for both brain and wallet. ;)

Nice use of the pond :)

[h0ughy]

we ll then i see it fits right up the alley for you:rofl: as you seem to have gone deep sky hunting already......:P

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Paul, I have the Orion waiting in the wings, the NJP is out on Besser blocks cemented into the ground and polar aligned...just waiting for the right time, I only just got down here full time on Friday.

This DSLR'ing is a nice time filler though, I have a ways to go to get teh really good shots but so far it has been fun :thumbsup:



Cheers Larry



Ah yes..time lapse, I think I need a remote control for the camera though, don't I.? I do have Max DSLR but haven't used it yet, not sure how useful that is with tripod based work where I am wandering around the place though..?



Yep, and I do feel decidedly lazy these days....I'm sure it is just a phase due all the too'ing and fro'ing I have been doing lately :rolleyes:

Cheers Guys

Mike

[gregbradley]

Nice shots Mike.
Yes Brown snakes are a bit threatening. Last one I saw around my observatory was a bit concerning. But they seem to be wanting to avoid human contact and I have never seen one at night. You can get electronic solar powered snake repellers off ebay. They "seem" to work.

Greg.

[Octane]

Viewing on my phone, I like the third image the most. :)

H

[CapturingTheNight]

Great shots Mike :thumbsup: Your hooked now! If I had to choose I would say number 1 is my fav.

[FlashDrive]

Your link takes people to ...Eat Online ....not Mikes Astro Site ..!!

Prefer to see Mike's site ... not yours :mad2: .. nice try ... but no thanks.

Great pic's Mike .... really like the 1st one ... just superb ..!!

Flash ..!!

[Nico13]

Nice bit of sky you have there Mike, love the old tree in the frame.

As for the snakes well if your really worried about them with summer coming on if you start seeing :eyepop: too many, get yourself some of that black bird netting, the type you see over fruit trees and just lay it out on the ground where you've seen the snakes, if they try to go over it their scales get caught up and you'll find them there in the morning all wrapped up and ready to get rid of.

An old country boys trick that works a treat, guaranteed to keep the little woman happy knowing you've got them under control. :thumbsup:

Cheers

[strongmanmike]

Cheers H, I had to eventually get the DSLR onto a tripod and shoot the night sky...just took longer than I expected...bit like your STL :poke: ;)



Seems to be the concensus :)



Cheers Joly...why the link change? :question:



That's rather sneeky...:question: :lol:

Thanks Flash, I'm getting there slowly....



Yeh it's a beauty of a tree, once I have photographed every bit of the sky with her in the foreground... I will be content :lol:

Hmmm vast majority of snake bites occur to people trying to kill or catch the buggers...:question: but thanks for the tip :thumbsup:

Mike

[Octane]

LOL. I've forgotten that I even known an FSQ and an STL. LOL.

Nice to see these, though. :)

H

[Ric]

Great images Mike, that's a nice patch of dark sky you have there.

It's great to be able to step out the back door and start imaging.

Cheers

[Ric]

I don't worry about the snakes out my way.

The Huntsmen have carried them all off. ;)

[strongmanmike]

Oh yeh, as I said, I think I have died and gone to heaven :prey: :innocent:. When we lived in Googong SE of Canberra (2004-2006) the skies were about as good but the horizon wasn't as unobstructed, seeing the entire Milky Way setting into a pitch dark western sky is certainly a sight to behold.

Mike

[Lester]

Top shootin Mike. So you are a South Aussie now? Just across the gulf from me. All the best.

[strongmanmike]

No, just north west of Canberra actually...but I would be happy to be your neighbour of course :D

Mike

[Lester]

So there is more than 1 Wallaroo in this great land. Thought it was too good to be true. All the best.