The Smoke of Creation.

[Wayland]

Still trying to nail this kind of shot.

Spent a couple of hours out on the moors last night.

Came home with this.

Still not as good as I'd like them yet but I'm getting a bit closer each time.

The light pollution around here is a swine to get rid of though.

[Donald]

I thought the first one (in this thread) was a terrific image, but, in my opinion, this latest one moves the standard up a couple of gears further. Incorporating the rock (and having lit it as you have done) just makes the title ('Smoke of Creation') sing.

A beauty.

[marlunn]

I agree with Donald, the first was really good but this last one steps it up quite a way - love it.

[csa mt]

That is such a gorgeous image! The title definitely describes it perfectly!

[bnnrcn]

WOW !, great shots indeed

[Nicks Pics]

I like astro-landscape photography like that a lot, and have been attempting it some, thus my curiosity: did you lighten the highlights or shadows in PP? Or sharpen the stars? What was the SS and ISO?
Some seem to understand "Smoke of Creation" better than I, I guess. Is the name used in a similar sense as is meant in PS. 8:3?

Very nice photo.

[Wayland]

The dust and debris along the galactic plane are remnants of the creation of our galaxy which pre dates the Christian concept of creation by some considerable time scale.

Incredibly some people believe that the world was created on Sunday, October 23, 4004 B.C..., I actually met one the other day. Fascinating...

This shot was taken five minutes before mid-night, four minutes at f/2.8 iso 200. Samyang 14mm f/2.8 on a Canon 6D mounted on an iOptron Skytracker mount.

The low iso improved the noise issue enormously but the exposure length was only possible because of the astro mount.

Without that I wouldn't expect to go more than 35 seconds without trailing of the stars. (500 divided by 14mm = 35.7 seconds.) (Good rule of thumb although some people chance it with 600 as a starting figure.)

The foreground was picked up with a flash and about two hours work in LR and PS finished the job today.

[Dave Humphries]

The foreground was picked up with a flash and about two hours work in LR and PS finished the job today.

... and very good it is too Wayland.

Although earlier, you said ...

Still not as good as I'd like them yet but I'm getting a bit closer each time.

Which caused me to wonder what you'd like to improve - if I were to guess - perhaps a location with less light pollution?

Anyway, thanks for sharing,

[Wayland]

Which caused me to wonder what you'd like to improve - if I were to guess - perhaps a location with less light?

Dead right there Dave and that means a long drive from where I am.

The other requirement would be some good foreground subject as well.

[Nicks Pics]

Astronomy and origins, oops, Frankly I wouldn't accept most anything you hear about it in secular media. Go to

http://creation.com/search?q=astronomy

You might find some true insight on the matter here if this is a topic of interest to you.

[Tom Barry]

That is a spectacular shot - worthy of a poster-sized print!

[ajsmith]

These are beautiful.

[Wayland]

Astronomy and origins, oops, Frankly I wouldn't accept most anything you hear about it in secular media. Go to You might find some true insight on the matter here if this is a topic of interest to you.

I always found the Norse Creation Myth more credible.

Apparently the Gods tore apart the body of a primordial giant to make the Earth. They threw his skull into the air to form the vault of the sky, his restless blood filled the oceans and seas while they made the rocks and the mountains from Ymir's shattered bones.

That's much more likely because the ground still trembles and is warm in places like Iceland. Ymir's breath seeps out of the ground there too and the seas taste salty like blood... Must be true.

[flashback]

If we're staying with the title, Smoke of Creation, then I have to say I prefer your very first one best; mostly as it appears to emanate from the stone structure and does indeed look to be smoke rising from it. That said, your most recent image is an equally great shot (greater perhaps, hard to decide as I like them both).
If we're talking Milky Way myths, I like the Cherokee version best, although if I had to pick one overall origin myth it has to be the FSM

[Nicks Pics]

I would equate those milky way myths with tall tales.

[Wayland]

Indeed, the first was the one that I titled "The smoke of Creation" because of the resemblance of the stonework to a chimney pot.

Incidentally, that first shot made it onto the short list for this years "Landscape photographer of the the year awards so I'm crossing my fingers that it might get into the book. I doubt if it's good enough to do any better than that really.

I've added the other two shots to the same thread to show the progression on my journey to improve my shots of the galactic plane.

[Wayland]

I would equate those milky way myths with tall tales.

What? You mean the Gods aren't real?