Blog
Testing the Best Ultra-Wide Lenses for the Perseids Meteor Shower
Aug 30, 2021
Meteor showers can be some of the most exciting celestial events to shoot, but they can also be quite the challenge to get a good meteor photo. With about ten years of practicing astrophotography and timelapse, one of the best lessons I’ve learned with increasing chances of a good meteor shot is: go wider, a lot wider.
KESSLERU SHOOTER SPOTLIGHT: Astro Timelapse Photographer
Jan 15, 2021
What do you get when you mix a passion for the cosmos, an appreciation for science, and a deep knowledge of photography?
We’d like to think the answer to that question is Justin Hartney— a Content Creator for Tiffen Filters whose work you may have seen showcased on Tiffen’s social media channels. Justin has spent years experimenting and mastering the art of Astrophotography and Astro Timelapse. His newer work has also begun incorporating camera movement using the Kessler Second Shooter moco system and TLS slider.
2019 Solar Eclipse
July 26, 2019
It was the night before totality in Rodeo, Argentina, and all the power was out. I had just returned from shooting all day in Valle de la Luna national park. Most of my batteries were dead or low, and my memory cards needed to be emptied on my also dead laptop. Fortunately, the eclipse took place at 17:41, and before noon the next day, I was fully tethered into an outlet at the tourism center downtown. The following “blackout” would take place in less than six hours.
Photography Breakdown of the NASA Antares Rocket Launch
May 8, 2019
Cygnus CRS-11 is the eleventh of twelve resupply missions sent to the International Space Station. On board with the food and supplies are two robots, bionutrients, and 40 mice for research. This is the first launch in history capable of a late load, allowing the mice and bacteria to stay healthy. While the scientists and engineers worked on the mission, I too was figuring out logistics.
Pine Mountain Observatory
April 3, 2019
At 6,300 feet closer to the stars, a spiral arm of the milky way galaxy erupts. When our single star sets, millions more shine at night. Pine Mountain Observatory (PMO) in Bend, Oregon is on the edge of one of the darkest areas in the U.S.
Orion
March 19, 2019
1300 light-years away from Earth, the Orion Nebula is producing thousands of new stars. The Orion Nebula is 24 lights year wide and is part of the Orion constellation, one of the most famed features of the night sky.
Andromeda
February 27, 2019
It takes 2.537 million years for Andromeda's light to reach Earth. When we capture cosmic objects like Andromeda we look back in time. In this post, I share the process behind my experience shooting Andromeda.
Midnight on Mars
September 25th, 2018
What would midnight on Mars, or any other planet, look like? The landscapes of Joshua Tree National Park feel otherworldly.
Noise Reduction for Astrophotography
September 3rd, 2018
Here is my quick method for removing noise in astrophotography images in Adobe Lightroom.
Exposure Blending for Astrophotography
August 3rd, 2018
How to blend two images to achieve more detail in your night photography.
Popping Stars in Photoshop
June 24, 2018
In this tutorial I go over bringing out contrast in a night sky using luminosity masks and curves adjustments.
NASA Mars Insight Lander
May 5th, 2018
NASA launches its first interplanetary mission launched from the west coast.
NASA TESS Launch
April 30, 2018
NASA and SpaceX launch the TESS mission, searching for earth like planets in our cosmic neighborhood.
A trip down the McKenzie River
April 13th, 2018
A brief look at the source of all water in Willamette Valley. With rising temperatures, how is the ecosystem changing?
A Beginner's Guide to Astrophotography
February 15, 2018
A starting point for aspiring star photographers. This guide will give the confidence to go out and capture photos of the night sky.
The 2018 Supermoon Bluemoon Lunar Eclipse
January 31, 2018
Once every 150 years, the opportunity to capture a cosmic spectacle presents itself. I chose to capture this natural phenomenon at Smith Rock State Park, in Central Oregon.
How I edit star photos in Lightroom and Photoshop
January 29, 2018
In this under 20 minute tutorial, I go over editing an astro-landscape using basic sliders, noise reduction, virtual copy image stacking, masking, color grading, and radial filters.
Waterfall Startrails
January 13, 2018
Oregon is known for it's abundance of waterfalls and dark night skies, so it made sense to capture them together.
Organisms of a Tidepool
August 25, 2017
The communities of tide pools function as a unit; organisms provide nutrients for each other. The health of a tide pool represents the health of our planet.