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 ...but it's more or less what I had envisaged
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 ...wife was a bit shook up too...
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 )
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.
Cheers Carlos. Regarding the snakes, they are really only active in the daytime (wonder where they go at night though...) 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.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 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
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 ).
Another camera??? ...haven't paid this one off yet 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
Quote:
Originally Posted by 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 )
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....
Quote:
Originally Posted by h0ughy
LOL well who is becoming a DSLR photographer!!! very noice Mr Sidonio, i do like the first shot!
DSLR = dumb stupid lazy roamer Deep sky imaging is the real challenge
Quote:
Originally Posted by RickS
My vote is for the first one too. Very nice, Mikey!
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?
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?
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
Quote:
Originally Posted by Larryp
Great images, Mike!
Cheers Larry
Quote:
Originally Posted by colinmlegg
You haven't tried timelapse yet? .. Good challenge for both brain and wallet.
Nice use of the pond
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..?
Quote:
Originally Posted by h0ughy
we ll then i see it fits right up the alley for you as you seem to have gone deep sky hunting already......
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
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.
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 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.
Viewing on my phone, I like the third image the most.
H
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
Quote:
Originally Posted by obsidianphotos
Great shots Mike Your hooked now! If I had to choose I would say number 1 is my fav.
Seems to be the concensus
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Originally Posted by JolyV
Awesome images, the last one is fantastic
Cheers Joly...why the link change?
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Originally Posted by FlashDrive
Your link takes people to ...Eat Online ....not Mikes Astro Site ..!!
Prefer to see Mike's site ... not yours .. nice try ... but no thanks.
Great pic's Mike .... really like the 1st one ... just superb ..!!
Flash ..!!
That's rather sneeky...
Thanks Flash, I'm getting there slowly....
Quote:
Originally Posted by 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 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.
Cheers
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
Hmmm vast majority of snake bites occur to people trying to kill or catch the buggers... but thanks for the tip
...but it's more or less what I had envisaged 
...wife was a bit shook up too...
) 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.
).
...haven't paid this one off yet 
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 
Deep sky imaging is the real challenge 
as you seem to have gone deep sky hunting already......
.. nice try ... but no thanks.
