Starry Night over Saddleworth

A rare waning moon mixed with an almost rare clear night sky tempts me out to the far reaches of our Saddleworth Moor towards Yorkshire, in order to catch the illusive Milky Way from here. In fact you can just make it out as the smears of cloudy light rising diagonally left from the white-hot light of the Greater Manchester conurbation. Seen here also is the red glowing communications transmitter mast of Holme Moss. The white horizontal scratch line is most probably the International Space Station which was due across here at this time (aeroplanes leave a coloured dotted line). PiP

For the technically minded, this is a four photo, portrait stitch. Each photo at 20s F2.8 -Tokina 11mm. This photo covers roughly 120° of the horizon.

My grateful thanks to our Ipernity friend Steve Paxton without who's help and encouragement, this would not be here.

, Leo W, Karp Panta, Eve and 25 other people have particularly liked this photo

35 comments - The latest ones

Annemarie ^club

beautiful
Have a great day:)

6 years ago.

Herb Riddle ^club has replied to Annemarie ^club

Thanks so much Annemarie. I am never quite sure if anybody out there would enjoy such a photo.

Best Wishes, Herb

6 years ago.

Steve Paxton ^club

Herb This is a great result the biggest shame is the M/W is in the light plume o Manchester.

6 years ago.

Herb Riddle ^club has replied to Steve Paxton ^club

Thanks a lot Steve. I must admit without having met you here on these photo sites I would have never dreamed of trying such photos as this. Yes the bright background is a shame - perhaps a special filter in order :)

Cheers again for all your help, Herb

6 years ago.

polytropos ^club

A wonderful capture!
In Switzerland, we have the opportunity to go to the mountains to escape the light pollution. But unfortunately there are not many places any more.
★

6 years ago.

Herb Riddle ^club has replied to polytropos ^club

Hi Poly, I am sure that Switzerland is much better for this kind of photography than my home. It would only be unfortunate that your cable-cars would stop before it got this dark. It would be a sad day indeed if Switzerland had a great deal of light pollution. Thanks for the visit and star.

Best Wishes, Herb

6 years ago.

cammino ^club

Great! Interesting shot without light pollution!

6 years ago.

Herb Riddle ^club has replied to cammino ^club

Thank you Cammino. It would have been better without it for sure.

Best Wishes, Herb

6 years ago.

Gudrun ^club

Very well done in spite of the light pollution. In Germany's SW we can only dream of such dark skies... Did you use the Tokina 11-16? I liked that lens but sold it after I went full format.

6 years ago.

Herb Riddle ^club has replied to Gudrun ^club

Hi Gudtun, like my reply to Polytroops above, I find it unimaginable that Bayern should have a lot of light pollution. Perhaps around München but nay, never in the Alps themselves.
Yes this was a 4-shot portrait panorama using the Tokina 11-16 which so far seems a great lens. I too wonder sometimes about going full format -especially for this kind of thing.

Cheers, Herb

6 years ago.

Gudrun ^club has replied to Herb Riddle ^club

Sadly I'm in Stuttgart, far away from any dark places and very densely populated.
The only regret I have about going full format is that I cannot use one of my favourite lenses, the EF-S 17-55/ 2,8 and that I had to replace the Tokina (though my replacement, the Irix 15mm/2,4, is even better).

6 years ago.

Keith Burton ^club

This is a splendid effort Herb............much better than anything I have achieve in astro-photography.............all my attempts at this sort of shot were deleted long ago.

Viewed large you can really appreciate the amount of stars you have captured. Despite the light pollution, it's quite lovely and well worth a yellow star!

6 years ago. Edited 6 years ago.

Herb Riddle ^club has replied to Keith Burton ^club

Nice to see you Keith. Yep, there are sure a lot of stars up there. Only very long exposures bring them out like this. We would always want to capture the whole sky in one shot but after that impossibility the next best thing is a very wide stitched panorama. The original of this was wider but because I was pointing up slightly, wide-angle lens problems start to show too within the stitch program causing 'barn door effect!'. I seem to have to try harder and harder to get such a shot as this and without Steve, this would not be here as he is my right-hand man in all this. Many thanks for the special yellow star.

Best Wishes, Herb

6 years ago. Edited 6 years ago.

LotharW ^club

So etwas habe ich noch nie geschafft. Wunderbar in groß!

6 years ago. Edited 6 years ago.

Herb Riddle ^club has replied to LotharW ^club

Hi again Lothar. Not for everyone to try but the results can be very nice as you say. Happy that you tried this full screen too.

Best Wishes, Herbert

6 years ago.

Rabbitroundtheworld

I've no idea how you did this, the technology is beyond me, but it's lovely, and I'm thrilled to see Holme Moss! When I was little, Holme Moss was one of our landmarks en route to friends in Cheshire from West Yorkshire.

6 years ago.

Herb Riddle ^club has replied to Rabbitroundtheworld

Rabbit- that is the main thing - to enjoy a photo, even more so when it brings back memories. We have to be careful with technicalities, they can all too often interfere with the photo itself.
My thanks for your visit here. Herb

6 years ago.

TOZ ^club

Hi Herb tried to capture the Milky Way but with no success too much light pollution well done . All the best TOZ.

6 years ago.

Herb Riddle ^club has replied to TOZ ^club

A little too much here as well Toz. I have been advised a filter that magically removes all that extra warm light pollution! Glad you enjoyed it.

Cheers, Herb

6 years ago.

Wierd Folkersma ^club

both great

6 years ago.

Herb Riddle ^club has replied to Wierd Folkersma ^club

Thanks for this visit and comment. Glad you liked them.

Regards, Herb

6 years ago.

tiabunna ^club

A great panorama despite the light pollution, Herb. Now our nights are warming I must pick a clear night and have another go.

6 years ago.

Herb Riddle ^club has replied to tiabunna ^club

You are living in the perfect country for such things George. The mind boggles at what this would be like without the city lights. Glad you like it. -ha, I have just reminded myself of your super Milky Way Bows and in that I am just honoured that you graced this.

Best Wishes, Herb

6 years ago.

L. L. Wall ^club

... astounding, enhanced by the description ... congrats on the shooting parameters and follow-up
construction ...

6 years ago.

Herb Riddle ^club has replied to L. L. Wall ^club

Thanks so much Wally. Very happy indeed that you enjoyed this. My technical description gives would be like-minded people some idea as to what may be needed.

Cheers, Herb

6 years ago.

Rosalyn Hilborne

Perfect conditions for this amazing shot then Herb! It still wouldn't look like that if I did it!
The PiP is spectacular!!! Regards, Rosa.

6 years ago.

Herb Riddle ^club has replied to Rosalyn Hilborne

I can quite understand your comment here Rosa. I don't see many other people in the middle of the night (not quite!) in the pitch black, miles away from anywhere with an expensive load of equipment on tripods. I must admit sometimes (ie last night) it is unnerving to say the least hearing strange noises near you and lights that should not be there. But.. the results can be very satisfying. I shall no doubt post my later rendition here soon. Glad you liked this and also my earlier winter rendition in the pip.

Cheers, Herb

6 years ago.

Peter_Private_Box ^club

Hi Herb

I like this very much, and as ever am very impressed by this kind of shot from yourself and Steve.
I have been trying these, but never found a clear enough night (except once when I got the full moon rising). Maybe a trip to Scotland or something, mid winter is needed!

Best Wishes, and a Good Weekend
Peter

6 years ago.

Herb Riddle ^club has replied to Peter_Private_Box ^club

Peter, I often had the very same thoughts and thought that maybe Scotland was the only possible place for such a picture. This was taken just 15 miles away from the centre of Manchester. Quite some planning and technical expertise was required but in its way, it worked well. I have another done a week later which is more interesting than this, which I shall shortly post too. Thanks for your intersest and kind words. Do give it a try and if you need help or hints, let me or better still, Steve know.

Cheers, Herb

6 years ago.

Léopold ^club

Free and spectacular showtime. Priceless !!

6 years ago.

Herb Riddle ^club has replied to Léopold ^club

You are so right my friend. My grateful thanks for your observations here.

Greetings, Herb

6 years ago.

Marie-claire Gallet

WOWWWW, so beautiful and what a mysterious mood, Herb ***************************************

6 years ago.

Herb Riddle ^club has replied to Marie-claire Gallet

Thanks for enjoying this my friend.

6 years ago.

Leo W ^club

a very beautiful stars panorama. Smog of lighting is difficult to handle. A town 50 km away make enough of it. I prefer shutter time 10 - 20 sec, too. A short shutter time would be well against light smog and the unsharpness of stars. Image noise can punish high ISO /short shutter, so it stays allways the compromise.

6 years ago. Edited 6 years ago.

Herb Riddle ^club has replied to Leo W ^club

Thanks Leo. Unfortunately near my home is a great deal of light pollution, not mist/smog, from our towns and nearby city of Manchester. As you say, a compromise of shutter speeds and apertures required for such a scene as this. Glad you liked it. Thanks for the visit and thoughts.

6 years ago.

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Starry Night over Saddleworth

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