Category Archives: Announcement

Astronomy Photographer of the Year: 2012 Edition

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The Royal Observatory, Greenwich has just announced the winners, runner ups and highly commended entries for this year’s contest.

You can watch two of the judges discuss this years winners and runners up.

The entire list can be seen on the Royal Museum’s winners page here and in person at an exhibit. Below are those that I really liked – displayed with permission, of course.

M51_The Whirlpool Galaxy


M51 – The Whirlpool Galaxy
Martin Pugh garnered top prize for this amazing photo taken over 8 hours in the Sierra (Astrophotography by Martin Pugh)

Simeis 147 Supernova Remnant

Simeis 147 Supernova Remnant

by Rogelio Bernal Andreo (DeepSkyColors.com)

Like me, Rogelio is a San Francisco Bay Area resident. Obviously Mr. Andreo has mad skills and dedication to astrophotography. See his portfolio for more work.

Lost in Yosemite [C_033706] Runner Up - Astronomy Photographer of the Year, 2012

Lost in Yosemite
by Steven Christenson


It would seem that Rogelio and I are linked somehow. We both won in our categories in 2010, and we both were runner’s up in 2012. Above is my runner-up shot. Click the picture and read the story about the lost hikers we met on our night hike up Half Dome.

You can view a slides show of all the photos submitted to the contest here. Warning: There are a LOT of them – 688 in the over teen category (I’d call it adult, but that word seems to have a different connotation).

Lost Camera

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Ok, a little diversion for a moment here, a little bit a background then the real story, then a story I hope you will help me write. If you were looking for something on Night Photography, Sorry not this time.  I am hijacking Steven’s blog at the moment. Thanks Steven,  Eric :)

Last Sunday I was scouting locations south of Yosemite National Park along 140 and the Merced River.  If you know anything about the type of person I am I love back-roads, the places other casual photographers don’t go.  I spotted some interesting places to return to along opposite side the Merced River and conveniently enough I found a State Park Ranger, a back-road and a trail map.  I was set.  Off we go to explore driving along the Merced River was a treat.  With a recess from both the typical winter and the mega rain we had last year I was itching to get down to the river.  After a few miles of gravel there was a long parking area, and easy access to the shore.  Ambling down the to riverside you could see the river was low, rocks that were normal not exposed were.  Fishing line, bottles, cans and other detritus was stuck in the bushes and round river rocks.  However one thing caught my eye, IT was a camera!!  I kinda did a double take but yes, yes it was a camera.  What, a mess! It was caked with muck and clods of dirt hung to it.  There was water between the screen and the casing, the lens was fogged with dirt. No matter the dirt and slime this was a waterproof camera, a Canon PowerShot D10.  But how?? Why??  I quickly realized that this was a major river rafting spot and this might have gotten lost on one of those boating trips.  Scraping away the dirt from the doors, I cracked open the battery compartment and it was pristine!  I was excited.  The battery was dead, but clean, the SD card was clean and dry.  7 hours later, a trip to the hospital, and 5 stitches, a black eye and a CT scan later (My Girlfriend slipped on a rock and ended up in a waterfall, yes in, but that is another story), I questioned whether I should download the photos.  Well the owner will never get there camera back if I don’t, and the memories they might have stored on this would be worth it.  So after combing through the  >1000 photos and videos, I could not identify any information that would give me a solid lead on the owner.  I have bits and clips of them I have figured out who I believe is the owner, and their family but no solid names.  I believe they are from CA but not sure.  They love the water almost all the shots from the camera are in or around the water.  That is it I don’t have else much to go on. So now I am turning to the internet community and asking for help, do you know these people can you help me find them.

Please, help me write the rest of this story.   As a photographer I know how much it would mean to me to lose my camera but to lose the memories it contained is harder.  The following is some of the photos that I believe will be the most helpful.  I have spared you the ~200 underwater self portraits (I published the fun underwater portraits) and others that are uninformative (like the sky).   I have tried to preserve all of the meta data but there was not much there anyway.   If you recognize anything please leave a comment, if you know people in the photos please send them the link, please share this with your photographer friends.   And Please don’t bother “All Outdoors”, the rafting company too much.

Other Data:

Photo dates 5/8 to 7/22/2011  Merced River CA to

Photo locations are from Merced, Malibu, to Palm Springs.

Map of where I found the camera

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=202312884837720874010.0004b846567e4b7d77a63&msa=0&ll=37.60002,-119.976454&spn=0.04495,0.093641

What is Special about the December 10th Lunar Eclipse?

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The moon is in penumbra as it sets over the US Capitol Building, December 10, 2011

December 10th will bring us a total lunar eclipse visible from much of the United States. It will be the last such total lunar eclipse for the next 3 years.  The Eastern United states will get just a glimpse of the first umbral contact as the moon sets and the sun rises, but the Western continental US will see the moon totally eclipsed as it sets.  Get up at least an hour before sunrise to see it, and look low in the west.

What’s not clear is how visible the moon will be since twilight will begin to drown out the fully eclipsed moon for western observers. However if you’re a “Moon hunter” like I am, this eclipse provides a rare opportunity to catch the eclipsed moon together with features near the horizon – landmarks, mountains, etc and THAT is quite unusual.  The ideal place to be would be about one time zone west of the Pacific time zone… so perhaps those in the far western Canadian Provinces and those in Eastern Alaska and Hawaii will have ideal conditions. For them, there will be plenty of time to track the eclipse.

Many of those in the San Francisco Bay area are in for a big treat as the eclipsed moon will slip behind the South Tower of the Golden Gate Bridge – IF you can find the right spot to be.  Here is an approximation of what those with clear weather and good timing likely to see (except, of course it will be early twilight):

 

I wrote about this event previously.  If you’re interested in calculating these things for yourself, I have scheduled the next “Night Photography 111: Catching the Moon Webinar” for January 4, 2012 (webinar cost $25.11). What have the students said about this webinar?

  • Steven did an excellent job with the training. – Judy, San Jose, CA
  • Top notch, even for a novice such as myself. Wish it was longer, so much to learn – Jack, Los Angeles, CA
  •  Great presentation! Steven offers a perfect balance between inspirational shots, moon facts and figures, and calculations to make our own moon compositions.  – Phil, San Francisco, CA
  • Wow did I ever learn a lot. I have been trying to shoot the full moon every month this past year. Some pics were okay and some not. After this class, I feel like I have some new tools to plan my shots and get a lot closer to my vision of the shot or maybe realize it won’t work after all and revise accordingly. I am already planning for my next full moon.  – Marsha, San Francisco, CA
  • SteveC is a Great Teacher – Roger, San Francisco, CA

If you’re thinking that Astrophotography might be worth trying, my next Astrophotography 101: Getting Started Without Getting Soaked is December 20th (cost $36).

  • Excellent presentation – MUCH better than I expected. Steven really knows the material, and has it well prepared. – Burt
  • A lot of very good information presented in a way that a beginner can understand. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that astrophotography can be attempted for less than the price of a new lens.  – Phil
  • Excellent introduction to astrophotography. – Alan

Washington Landmark + Penumbral Eclipse

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If you took my course “Night Photography 111: Catching The Moon” then perhaps you’ve managed to calculate where and when to capture the eclipsed moon over one of our National Landmarks.  Which one?  Let me keep you in suspense for just a little bit longer.

Normally I’d love to share this information widely, but I fear that a large number of photographers might not only attract unwanted attention, it appears that when we published the information about the prime location for the eclipse over the Golden Gate Bridge over 200 people showed up!

Weekend Schedule

Saturday, December 10, 2011:  5:30 AM Meet at Eastern Market Metro Station (don’t be late). Address: 8th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, Washington, DC end shooting around 7:30 AM, end of the event around 9:00 AM. See below for maps and more details.

Saturday, December 10, 2011: 4:30 PM (Optional) Catch the moon rising behind the Old Post Office Tower and/or the Washington Monument.  See below for details.

Sunday, December 11, 2011: 4:45 PM (Optional) Catch sunset over the city with great views from the 315 foot tall Old Post Office Tower. See the EVENT details on the Night and Low Light Photography Meetup of Stafford, VA for details.  (NOTE: I’ll give preference to anyone who is attending the Eclipse event with me).

What to Bring (all events)

  • Camera, memory cards, extra memory cards, batteries, extra batteries
  • small flashlight
  • Sturdy tripod
  • Release cable / intervalometer (recommended)
  • Telephoto lens (200mm or better recommended)
  • LAYERED clothing including a hat, gloves, scarf, parka
  • Rain-proof covering for yourself and your camera. A shower cap usually is enough for the camera. And emergency poncho may work for yourself.
  • Change/cash for bus/cab/metro fares + beverage or breakfast

Eclipse Event on December 10th, 5:30 AM

Meeting location: Eastern Market Metro station: 8th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, Washington, DC

NOTE: Trains will not be running until after 7 am. You must take a taxi, bus or other transportation to arrive on time. Maximum cab fare within the city is $19.  Could be much more from outside the city.

You’ll know it’s me ’cause I’ll have a red backpack and at least one tripod hanging like a sword on my side. If it’s dark enough I’ll also have a flashing green light hanging on me.

After meeting PROMPTLY at the Metro Station we will be walking one to four blocks south east (as far as 12th street). Exact location will depend on my scouting the day prior.

While walking to the final location, I’ll go over some important points on how to capture the moon and foreground. We begin shooting at about 6:15 AM and shoot until about 7:25 AM – after sunrise.  Then we’ll head to the Starbucks at 401 8th Street SE (1/2 block south from the Eastern Market Metro) – or possibly to Le Pain Quotidien which opens at 8:00 AM to discuss what we’ve done and enjoy a hot beverage and/or breakfast.  By 9:00 or so we’ll be finished and can either take metro from Eastern Market or whatever other arrangements you’ve made.  But don’t forget about the EVENING event!

SATURDAY PM: Moon Rise Behind the Washington Monument

If you attended the Night Photography 111 class you may have noticed that I provided the location for the evening shoot… the shore of the Potomac river on the Mount Vernon trail.

There are two possibilities here: at the waterfront in FRONT of a tree (not sure if there is room), or further away.

DOUBLE Bonus

While using Google Street View, I noticed another building to the left of the Washington Monument… The Old Post Office Tower.  So it is possible to get the Post Office Tower with the moon behind it first:

 

http://theamusing.com/photography/moonchasetool.html?TO=OldPostOfficeTower&vll=38.88280,-77.05630&tll=38.89440,-77.02730&vHt=0&tHt=315&FROM=GwPkWy&Date=2011-12-10-17:14ET

Memorial Beacon [C_055580]

As it actually looked!

At 17:14 PM and stay put to catch the moon 4 diameters above the Washington Monument OR move south about 200 feet to catch the moon directly behind the Washington Monument at 17:33 PM.

http://theamusing.com/photography/moonchasetool.html?TO=WDCMonument&vll=38.88280,-77.05630&tll=38.88943,-77.03525&vHt=0&tHt=555&FROM=GwPkWyDate=2011-12-10-17:33ET

Directions

The vantage point(s) are on Columbia Island along the George Washington Parkway. Easiest way to get the there is: Take Metro to the Arlington Cemetary Station (BLUE line). Exit the metro along Memorial drive east. Follow the pedestrian pathway turning south after crossing the bridge (before the Potomac Bridge).  There will be opportunities to photograph the Lincoln Memorial and other buildings while you’re on your way… so allow plenty of time.  The sun will be at your back so the buildings may look spectacular.

SUNDAY: Post Office Tower

If you hadn’t noticed, the following evening I’m planning to get some evening shots downtown from the Old Post Office Tower.  The group is limited to 12 attendees so join up soon if you’re interested.  It will be REALLY cool to get the moon rising behind it on the 10th and then photograph from it on the 11th.

 

QUESTIONS About the Eclipse Event

Q: I’ll be using a Canon 50D. I have the following lenses

Canon EF 300m f/4 L
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L
Both the 1.4 and 2X teleconvertors
Sigma 170-500mm f/5-6.3

Which one do you recommend?

A: Bring them all!  Ok, so that may be impractical in which case the 300mm + 1.4X would be my weapon of choice.  But I’d probably bring the 70-200mm also in case you want to shoot wider.

Total Lunar Eclipse and San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge

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As many of you are aware Star Circle Academy has been hosting webinars devoted to “Catching the Moon” in a creative way – and many other topics including Astrophotography. Catching the moon near a landmark is not simple, and conditions are seldom ideal … but on the morning of December 10, 2011 a total lunar eclipse will be visible from much of the US including Hawaii.

The full moon rising behind Lick Observatory, Mount Hamilton, San Jose, California

Normally I’d keep all the details to myself so as to avoid throngs of photographers trying to fit into an itty bitty space. But while I am off in Washington, DC catching my “Landmark” photo people in and around San Francisco have a GREAT opportunity to catch the eclipsed moon over the Golden Gate Bridge. And the good news is that the location you need to be in is big and broad and can accommodate a LOT of people. So we decided to let you all in on this great opportunity!

While you do not have to do so, we’d appreciate it if you would sign up and indicate whether you are coming so that Eric Harness will know to look for you.

All the details can be found here:  events.starcircleacademy.com/events/42862122

If you sign up, you’ll be shown exactly where to meet Eric. If you just want to go on your own – no problem, there is enough information in the write up. Do remember to bring a tripod, a telephoto lens (whatever you have is good), and dress warmly and in layers. Now all you have to do is to keep the legendary fog at bay.

Many happy photons from us to you this Holiday Season!

Airplane Transits the Partially Eclipsed Moon

Oh, and please post your best shot into the photo pool after the event!  We appreciate it!