Connections: Revisiting The Early Days

My grandparents took thousands of photographs. Almost all of them using an old Kodak No. 1 box camera or something similar to it. They most likely didn't realize it at the time, but those photographs became a visual record of a family history a few dating back to the mid-1800's while most were captured during the early 1900's forward into more modern times. Locked away inside dogeared envelopes sitting inside old boxes and one old small suitcase resides the evidence of who we were as family.

Dormant emotions are rekindled each time I scan through a few of them. I often stare at some trying to grasp the significance of the moment like the one of my great grandfather, Robert Star Bridgman, as he stands with his hat in his hand and head hanging low mournfully saying his good-bye to my great grandmother who had died three days before my dad was born. Robert Star moved his family around 1896 from Arkansas to Poteau, just up the road from Wister, using a borrowed wagon. There he established several businesses including a hardware store, a Cotton Gin, and a newspaper. The Hardware store which is now a home furnishings store is still in business, almost 120 years now. My dad often said I resembled Robert Star. I have only two photographs of him and both are priceless reminders of my distant past.

And then there is the oval shaped image with my grandfather, Robert Lee Bridgman (Bob), my aunt Mae, and Aunt Goldie, all three obediently sitting in their Sunday best having their photo taken what must have been around 1904 or so. It looks like so many other family portraits from that era until you read what is written on the back. Goldie, who was only two years old or so at the time, shortly after this photo was taken was playing too close to a fireplace and caught fire. She was so badly burned she mercifully died shortly afterwards. My grandfather rarely spoke of the incident but his handwriting carried a distinct backward slant even though he was right handed. I discovered later, handwriting such as this is often an indication of someone having experienced a traumatic event in their past.

There are old photo post cards of Wister, Oklahoma, my ancestral home where my grandparents were born in that area and lived all their life. The old photos are throwbacks to the end of the Victorian era, an innocent capture of a slower time where people are seen dressed in the period style of clothes. Parked along the edge of the still dirt road are early models of automobiles with a horse drawn wagon working its way down the street. Oddly enough, this view of Wister changed little over the years. Most of the old buildings are still there, vacant now and the dirt road is paved. I can when I search through the archives of my own memories relive this exact shot as seen from this perspective as part of my life, a scene I witnessed during a more modern era.

Then there is the photo of the old railroad station depot with a steam train seen pulling in. People are milling around awaiting their turn to board or to meet arriving passengers. That old depot remained in operation until the mid 1950's or so and then stood abandoned for many years until it was unceremoniously torn down. What a loss it was to have such an historic building removed from history. I remember hiking down the tracks with my dad to take a closer look at the building before it was demolished. He pointed out the two waiting rooms where white folks were separated from black folks. It seemed foreign to me even then to think of such things, but history is what it is where prejudice was often the result of fear and uncertainty.

Mingled within the hundreds of photographs are dozens of classic family pictures from around 1930 where my grandfather and grandmother stood beside my dad, a very young and dapper looking fellow. Behind them stood the old home with the water well seen in the back.

Over time they expanded on the home and across the yard trees grew larger. I remember as a lad hauling bucket after bucket of ice cold well water from that old well. It still runs cold and deep.


This one image represents the essence of their photographic work from back then. Sun in their faces, showcasing their Sunday best clothes and their home. What amazing moments from small town Americana.

There are numerous photo's of my dad, probably taken on a Sunday afternoon around 1930, as he stands alone with his boyhood home behind him displayed like the proud example of small town America it was. I played, romped, and stomped all over that big porch that wrapped around the house on the hill, and the yard was filled with adventures and mayhem, as it became my refuge as a boy, much the same way it was when he was the same age. 

Many images of a young and vibrant woman who was my grandmother are in the collection. In 1940 she stands beside a new old bicycle again with their home seen in the background. The yard is what is significant here for it appears large,open, and well kept. A while back I drove by the old place and much has changed. The new owners have allowed the yard to become overgrown with trees and bushes causing it to appear congested and choked. What at one time was a lovely and envious home has become just another run down residence. I was saddened by what I saw.


My grandmother's brother, my Uncle Polk, lived just across the gravel road next to their home and he was quite the character. I was always a little afraid of him as he was sort of gruff, but harmless, and walked around with a three days growth of stubble on his face. But he was an interesting character who added a colorful flavor to those years.

My dad was an only child but Polk had two sons, Charles and Harold with his first wife who were in essence brothers to my dad for they grew up together. They were cousins, brothers, and best of friends and eventually went off to war together.

Harold and Yoko on the left. My mom
And Uncle Denver (my grandmothers
other Brother) on the right

Uncle Harold eventually married a Japanese woman, Yoko shortly after the war. My grandmother, although superficially accepting of Yoko never fully let go of her anger toward the Japanese who had caused her son along with Harold and Charles to fall into harms way during the war years. I always felt a little sorry for Yoko, because my grandmother although a wonderful person, never fully allowed herself to embrace her as part of her family. I was never around Yoko very much, just enough to see her as a polite and respectful person. Even so, she became a unique, distinct and ironic part of our family history.

Dad on the right, Charles, and Harold

Uncle Polk remarried and they had four daughters, Jennie, Phyllis, Mary, and Paula. Paula and I were born on the same day if I remember correctly. Their mother, Loney (not sure I spelled that right) was an amazing lady who churned butter on her back steps, and raised her family with an iron will and was perhaps the fattest person I've ever known. Uncle Polk always grew a garden outback and always had a milk cow in the pasture next to their old, unpainted, rickety home. He loved St Louis Cardinal baseball and would sit under the shade tree drinking lemonade listening to the game on his vintage Philco radio. It's been some years ago now, but the old home they lived in caught fire and burned to the ground. They were lucky to get out of the inferno.

Uncle Polk...man what a Car!

Even in her last days as my grandmother grew closer to heaven while in a nursing home, she would speak of her big house on the hill and tell everyone who would listen about it. She as a young girl watched it being built and told her friend as they were walking to school that some day she would live in that house. And so she did...she truly Lived in that old home and because of their lives, a family history was written and chronicled photographically. Of all of those family members who had original connections to that home, I am the only one left to remember those days. Maybe, just maybe that is why I will from time to time write about them, just so others from a newer generation will know and understand just how important those days were.

I suppose I could go on and on about those old days, but space and time makes it difficult to do so. Each of those hundreds of photographs tell a story that still live inside my collective memory. My dad eventually moved us, his family, away and we began a new era of family adventures in new places, but the days before I was born are as real to me as if I lived them myself. Through those old photographs I learned about my family history and today as I browse through the hundreds of digital photographs I've taken, I realize not very many of them are family photos and even fewer of them are printed images. Maybe it is time to return to the habits of that early time and start taking and printing some of these. Someday, just maybe, there will be a family member from a newer generation who just might enjoy revisiting these newer, old days.

Lighten Up - Don't Be So Serious

I take my photography way too seriously at times...concentrating so much on what I'm doing, that I don't always simply enjoy being there.  It's a bad habit to fall into.  Looking back over the tens of thousands of images I've captured over the years, the ones that hold the most importance are the ones I took when I was simply having fun doing what I was doing.

I've had a number of occasions over the years to talk about photography to not only groups of people but individuals.  One question that comes up from time to time is..'How many good ones do you normally get on a photo shoot?'  At one time I tried to come up with some kind of profound words of wisdom on the subject and most of the time tended to say all the wrong things..."10 out of a hundred maybe...2 or 3 normally...depends on how many shots I take..." when in reality the way I should answer is like this..."It really doesn't matter as long as I get the shot or shots I wanted and had fun doing it."

Photography should be exactly that...a way to have fun and express our creative instincts.  I've often had the desire to actually make a living at photography. A few friends have indicated doing so might be a good idea and I should pursue it.  But, when I think about it, trying to make a living at it just might be the wrong way to go about it, for then it becomes a job filled with all the job-like responsibilities and problems. Most all the fun might be removed out of it by doing so.  I'd rather keep on doing what I'm doing...earning a little here and there...but having fun at it and taking joy and excitement in seeing for the first time a new amazing moment of light come to life as captured through the lens, and to share what I've learned with others.

I suppose if I were to provide a bit of insight for new photographers on how to improve their photography...the best advise I could offer is to simply encourage them to approach their photography from the concept of simply having fun with it.  Not to get all caught up in the whistles and bells and technical jargon that goes along with it.  All that stuff will come in time if one continues to read and learn about the craft...but, it is far more important to begin at the beginning...and simply have fun learning about a fascinating hobby.

You might be amazed at just how amazing your pictures will turnout.  Always remember...there is no such thing as a bad photograph as long as you like it...so, lighten up and simply enjoy being there!

Keith

A Place Where You Leave Something Behind - Photographing Kentucky's Backroads

I find it comforting the way the backroads of Kentucky seemingly weave and twist and converge upon themselves. Not any kind of rhyme or reason to their meanderings, they just follow the lay of the land and end up where they were meant to arrive. Coming from Oklahoma where all the roads were situated across a giant grid, I found myself lost several times as first I explored the natural charms found across Kentucky. One road may change names about as often as it changes directions here with side roads leading off into a patch of enchanted woods or across a nostalgic low water bridge that spans crystal waters flowing across ancient gravel. It is the haunting call of the side roads that entices a photographer for they represent the very best the state has to offer. Photographs of the low keyed life discovered along these often forgotten places is best presented in black and white for it is within this realm the true charm and simplicity of this wonderful example of Americana can be found.

Sometimes I will make sure I have a full tank of gas and when the opportunity presents itself I head out just to see what I can find. A good map or a GPS locator APP on your phone helps as long as you can find service, which isn't always available. Even so, just take off down a road you have never been down before. Odds are in Kentucky you will end up back where you started anyway.

I especially enjoy running across a small country church. More often than not they are tucked into some scenic corner with a small cemetery behind or to one side of it. These old cemeteries are a unique connection to the past some with headstones dating back to 1700's. Sometimes you will simply run across a small family cemetery standing alone just off the road. They are usually well kept and in the spring and summer you will find wildflowers growing around the area.

Mornings when dew gleans in the early light and fog settles in the low areas are the best times to travel down these nostalgic lanes. I will often simply stop and stand alongside the road during those early hours just so I can gather in the fresh aroma of the country air and experience the atmosphere of the moment. There's not many things better than a country morning.

You will discover old barns, fields of grain, and rolling hills interspersed between wide open farm country to accent the small streams and heavily wooded areas. There will be pastures with horses and cattle along with small fenced in spaces where you might find goats or even an exotic animal or two.

Wild deer and turkey will make themselves present as they add their natural instincts to the landscape. On a summer morning you might find some kids fishing a farm pond or riding a horse across a field. During the fall you will experience colors second to none across this country and the winter brings its own flavorful accent across the land. Spring will explode with dogwoods and redbuds splashing their color across fields, and old barns suddenly come to life again with their own stories to tell.

When the corn fields are ripe, they cast a golden aura across the landscape and when the wheat turns brown, there is nothing more soothing, more beautiful than when the winds send the fields into motion, and nothing more American than when the farmers gather in the harvest.

You will discover old bridges, although no longer safe to cross, who still retain their connection to the history of the country.

Not far down the road you will encounter the heart and soul of Kentucky, the old homestead farm house often seen at the far end of a side road. It is here, at these locations where you experience the true wonder of Kentucky's backroads. It is almost like the these locations sing to you, "Stop here a moment...and take part of what you see home with you." When you listen to the country song, you will certainly understand why most likely you left a part of yourself there as well.

Making Your Flash Lighting Look Like It Is Supposed to be There

Sometimes I am amazed at the technology of photography today. Back in the day when I first started using a 35mm SLR camera, the technology was rather old school with just a hint of what was to come being suggested. I have to admit though, back in the day was a great learning experience and I owe a great deal to being forced to learning how to think thru the photographic process to those days.

My first experiences with using an electronic flash unit were at best rudimentary attempts of filling in light. I knew nothing about how to use a flash unit except to attach it to my camera and point it toward my subject. At best I would bounce it off a ceiling and feel like I was doing something real creative in the process. Fact is, I had no clue what I was doing and that clueless understanding followed me right up to and well into my digital transformation.

Fast forward a few years and today I use electronic flash (speed lights) units all the time and rely on them to help me create some wonderfully lit compositions. The technology today when it comes to flash units is superb. You can control the power output of multiple flash units from your camera or from the transmitter attached to your camera. Built in Through The Lens (TTL) systems in today's cameras and flash units can take a great deal of the guess work out of effectively using your flash. Of course, shooting manually opens up all kinds of creative options.

The trick then boils down to two things: Understanding how your camera interacts with a flash, and then understanding how to apply your flash unit(s) to your composition. We will in this post concentrate on the second concept. For more information on how your camera interacts with a flash you can visit a previous post: Combining Flash with Natural Light: The Mystery Unraveled  https://beyondthecampfirebykeith.blogspot.com/2017/04/combining-flash-with-natural-light.html
on this blog site. Just do a blog search to find it.

We are going to break down a few photographs and explain how the flash unit was used to light the scene. The first thing to remember about using a flash unit is this: If your image looks like a flash was used, then your probably did not do your job correctly. Artificial lighting requires that it looks like it is suppose to be there. This applies to both your main source of light and any kind of secondary fill light you might use. With a few exceptions, the only time light should be noticed is if you remove it. The exceptions being if you are trying to create a specific spotlight effect or a harsh light effect.

Probably the least effective creative way to use a flash unit is to attach it to your camera and point it straight at your subject. This will almost always create a spot light effect and is a dead give away you used a flash. Sometimes you can get away with this when the light is used solely as a subtle fill light. Most of the time, flash units should be used off camera. We're not going to get into the technical how-to explanation because there are several posts on this blog that cover the how and why of doing such a thing. However we are going to look at some simple techniques of how to use an off camera flash and make it look like you were using natural light.

Why not just use natural light? Well, you can, but you cannot effectively control natural light and sometimes the quality of light just isn't there. You can with some easy to employ techniques make your speed lights look like natural light. Let's break down the photo above of the young lady. This was taken indoors on a dark and overcast day. The natural light was very flat and carried a very cool temperature. Because we were shooting indoors in a rather dark room, I needed to add some light, but not just any ordinary flash lighting would work. I needed to control several aspects of the light; the softness or tone of it, it's intensity, and the direction .

There was a large window that provided some light, but it again was very cool and flat and did not provide enough illumination to do the job effectively. To over come this, I attached an ordinary bed sheet to the outside of the window, completely covering the window. I also placed a single speedlight on a stand outside the window powered to full power shooting through the sheet into the room. The flash was about 3 feet from the window and about 7 feet or so from my subject. My exposure was manually set. I set my shutter speed (125/sec) so the ambient light in the room would just barely register, and set my aperture (f/5.6) to capture the light from the flash. ISO was 200. The bed sheet served two purposes. First is softened the light and second it turned the relatively small light source into a large light source that wrapped around my subject.

The finished photograph was exactly what I was trying to capture. A warm, soft light, that gently caressed my subject. Although it was artificial light, it appears to be natural. Using natural light from the window would have been too cool in temperature and much to direct.

This second photo above was made using the exact same setup with a slight tweak of the exposure to capture additional ambient light. Using simple tools like bed sheets is an effective method to create soft wrap around light.

The next photo was taken outdoors in a shaded environment. A single light was used and was attached to a 20x30 softbox. The exposure was set to slightly overexpose the image to allow for a high key capture...in this case the specifics were f/8.0 1/80th second ISO 200. There was quite a bit of ambient light floating around and the softbox light was moved in fairly close, probably about 2 feet way, to provide a full encompassing and overlapping fill light source. The idea here was to not create an ordinary exposure, but an exposure that would allow in post processing the ability to push the exposure out just enough to create a soft yet high key look. I wanted to keep the shadows to a minimum in this image and by moving the light close in I was able to provide just enough shadowing to enhance facial features, yet keep it subtle.

The next photo was taken using two flash units. The main light was again attached to a 20x30 softbox set about 4 feet from the model and a second light was placed on a stand set about 10 feet or so behind the model. The day was very overcast with a gray soft light diffusing through the myriad of trees in the background.  The idea then was to blend both the speed lights and the ambient light into a pleasing combination. This ambient light was important to use in conjunction with the speed lights and the base exposure was set to create a subdued background. The speed lights then were used to illuminate the model and separate her from the darker background by introducing a lighting element that appeared to be coming from a natural source. The softbox generated a subtle wrapped light creating just enough shadowing to bring out her features. A straight on flash coming from the camera would have generated a less pleasing and unnatural spotlight effect.

This last image was made using two lights similar to the previous setup. The main front light was a single speed light attached to a 20x30 softbox and the second light was a single speedlight on a stand placed a few feet behind the bride. The idea here was to set an exposure that would capture the setting background and use the lights to fill in the subject. The back lighting was supplied by the second light and provided a subtle yet effect halo around the bride. This halo served to separate her from the background just enough so it appeared natural. Again, the front lighting had to appear natural. To accomplish this the 20x30 softbox diffused the light enough to soften it and was placed about 4 feet in front and to one side. This angled setting created some shadow effects but shadows are good as they bring out the features of your subject. If I had used a single light attached to the camera the effect would have been too harsh and too direct. The lighting looks like it is suppose to be there.

The idea then is for the lighting to enhance your subject but not to look like you were lighting it. That is the subtle nature of using speed lights. How much is enough and how much is too much.? Those are questions answered through experience. A subtle touch of light is often all that is required to create a wonderfully lit composition.

Other Values - The Fine Pleasantries of Being a Photographer

It was a typical early summer day on Oklahoma's Tallgrass Prairie , hot and windy, and as the day tumbled toward its last few moments of daylight, I felt a bit relieved when the heat of the day began to dissipate behind the few clouds that hovered above the horizon. The high knoll upon which I stood offered a 360 degree view of the surrounding landscape, magnificent, awe inspiring, simply beautiful. Shadows began to grow longer and filled the gaps between the undulations of the land. Somewhere off to the south a family of coyotes began to howl and their movement caught my eye as they set out in pursuit of dinner. I watched them as best as I could until they were gone. Just knowing they were there added to the natural flavor of the moment.

My camera attached to my tripod stood ready to capture the last vestiges of the day anticipating one of those legendary prairie sunsets. For some reason, I sat silent and made no attempt to capture a photograph. The moment lived of itself and presented to me an image in such a way that a single photograph could never capture the essence of what was there. There were other values at play, values which are only experienced emotionally, pleasures for sure of being a photographer.

As a photographer I have been fortunate to have experienced a great many such moments. They were moments captured by the imagination that otherwise would have been lost. As much as I relish capturing amazing moments of light, I relish as much the experiences associated with having been there to do so. There are other values to being a photographer which are difficult to convey and can most easily be appreciated by having experienced them yourself. Being a photographer of light places you next to moments such as those if you are willing to be there.

I once had a friend who I took fishing with me. He was a nice enough sort of fellow, but as our fishing trip turned into one of those 'nothing was biting' kind of days, his complaining about the day being a big waste of time began to dominate his conversation. By the time we pulled out, I was certain I would never again take this person fishing. He completely missed what it was all about. He focused on catching fish as the measure of our day. I focused on just being out and enjoying the day. When the fishing portion of our day went bust, his day was ruined, but, other than having to listen to his griping about it, my day was just fine. Photography is the same way. There are days where things simply do not work, but the point is to enjoy just being there to allow the day to present itself to you in whatever mood it happens to be in.

Because of photography I have witnessed amazing sunsets and sunrises. I have felt the wind and rain across my back. I have been caught in violent storms and other amazing moments of nature. I have seen the delicate forms of creation, and followed the life cycle of a nest of Robins. I have known the boldness of fall colors and the intense grip of a winter blizzard. I have been thirsty, cold, tired, wet, and sunburned, yet I have also captured amazing moments of natures light. I have missed sleep, and stayed out until the early hours of the morning to capture a night sky so filled with wonder it defies our sense of what is out there.

I have canoed, hiked, and driven countless miles to hopefully capture that one photograph I knew might be there, and then did it again and again, until the photo I wanted finally appeared. I have captured the subtle beauty of the human form and the aggressive forms of wild nature. The exhilaration of having been there to experience all of these kinds of moments far outpaces the discomfort for having done so. Rewards for being a photographer are not always granted based on outcome. They are more often given for having made the effort. When the moment pays off with a spectacular image...well, the reward is self fulfilling.

Breaking Into Astrophotography Part 3 - Tracking the Stars

In our previous post we looked at how to photograph the Milky Way with ordinary DSLR equipment using a 30 second exposure and a wide angle lens. For most night sky photography this process works well and can offer a tremendous amount of satisfaction in capturing the wonders of the night sky. Sometimes though, we may want to increase our exposure times to accumulate more light, or we may want to use a longer, more powerful lens to look at deep sky objects, or to simply gather more digital information from the Milky Way in order to bring out more details. To do so requires that you be able to track your camera at the same rate as the apparent motion of the stars across the sky. We do this by employing a Star Tracker. As the final of our 3 part series of Breaking into Astrophotography, let's take a look at how we do this.

Dark Horse Detail - 103 Sec @ f/3.5 35mm ISO 800

What You Need To Know: Standing outside in a field looking up at a star filled night sky, the stars may appear to be motionless. To our unaided eyes, they do indeed appear that way, but the earth is spinning like a top and because of that, the stars do move across our field of view. When photographing them with a wide angle, you can take relatively long exposures and still have the stars appear as pin points of light. That is because they are so small relative to the field of view. However if you allow the exposure to continue past 30 seconds or so, those stars will begin to show a trailing tail or an elongated streak.

Untracked stars scene - 40 Sec f/4.5 ISO 800 using a 105mm lens
Notice the star trails

The longer you go, the more pronounced the streaks. In order to capture longer duration exposures, a star tracking devise is necessary. Star Trackers are relatively simple devises that compensate for the rotation of the earth and keep the camera pointing at the same spot in the sky regardless of earth's rotation. There are a variety of types both commercial and homemade.

Tracked 60 sec  f/4.5  ISO 800  105mm
No star trails

Facing north, about 40 degrees or so above the horizon in the northern hemisphere sits Polaris, the Pole Star. Polaris appears to be stationary while all the other stars rotate around it. That is because the earths north pole is almost aligned exactly with Polaris...it's actually a little bit off, but more on that later. Polaris is actually the last star in the handle of the constellation known as the Little Dipper, or by some as the Little Bear, or Ursa Minor. It is not a particularly bright star, but easily sighted with a little help.

Not far from the Little Dipper lies it's larger cousin called The Big Dipper (Big Bear or Ursa Major), perhaps the easiest to locate and best known constellation in the sky. The outer two stars of the Big Dipper's cup roughly point toward Polaris making it relatively easy to locate.

Polaris is very important when trying to photograph the night sky by using a tracking devise and we will explain that in a moment.

Star Trackers:  As already stated, there are numerous commercially produced Star Trackers. Some are designed to track the sky using a telescope that allows you to attach a camera to it piggy-back style. Others are stand alone units that mount onto a sturdy tripod, and still others are simple devises call Barn Door Star Trackers that you can make yourself. All of them, however different in design, accomplish the same thing. They simply track the sky at the same rate of motion of the earths spin.  We will limit our discussion to using a DIY Star Tracker known as a Barn Door Tracker.

The Barn Door Tracker:  As mentioned, you can opt to purchase a commercially available tracker or you can build one yourself. The most common DIY tracker is the Barn Door variety. Let's take a look at how they are built and operate. There are as many varieties of Barn Door trackers as there are people who build them, but they all operate basically the same way. Two pieces, usually wooden boards, are hinged at one end with a single screw type drive shaft, that can be hand operated or motor driven, at the other end. The basic idea of their operation is to attach the camera to a small ball head on the upper board near the hinge, and for the drive shaft to turn one full revolution per minute which, because of the screw action of the shaft, moves the upper board in a shallow arch. The arch movement mimics the movement of the sky.

Internet Photos

There are some relatively precise measurements that must be applied to it's construction, but all of that depends on the design of the unit, and there are numerous designs available online. A basic unit will cost less than $20.00 to build. Even with some enhancements, I have less than $40.00 invested in mine.

Using The Barn Door Tracker:  To use the Barn Door Tracker, it must first be attached to a sturdy Tripod of some type. I use an old equitorial telescope tripod mount from an inexpensive telescope I used to have which works great, but just about any sturdy tripod will work when the tracker is properly secured in place.

It also needs to be aligned with Polaris with some degree of accuracy. The alignment point falls approximately midway between Polaris and the Star just in front of it, known as Yildan, on the Little Dipper's handle and must be on a line that intersects Polaris and the last inside star, of the Big Dippers handle. (See Photo) This offset alignment is known as the North Celestial Pole or NCP. It represents the actual point the north pole points to. Polaris actually rotates around this point as the earth spins. There are other stars near Polaris that can be used to refine the alignment, but for wide angle photographs of limited time say up to 2 minutes or so, this alignment configuration will work very well. Certain times of the year the Big Dippers handle is not easily seen as it sits quite low in the sky, so you can use the last star in the Little Dippers cup as a reference alignment point...just make the connecting line run slightly outside of where it sits.

To make the alignment, you must adjust the Tripod in such a way so the Hinge is on the left and is pointing at the indicated alignment point. Some builders use a simple soda straw that is attached to the hinge to aide in the alignment, some use a green laser pointer. On my tracker I attached an old 4X rifle scope to the hinge mounting with a simple bracket. The small scope helps with finding Polaris and the cross hair X helps with precisely pointing it to the correct alignment point. Please note, the relative Alignment point will change through the season as the Big and Little Dipper's rotate across the sky. Sometimes it will be located below Polaris, later in the year it will be above it. It just depends on the seasonal orientation of the Little Dipper.

To operate a basic tracker design, you can simply attach an arm on the drive shaft and rotate it by gently turning it with your finger...Every 15 seconds you simply rotate it 1/4 turn. Over the course of one minute, you will have turned the shaft 1/4 turn 4 times and it will make the required full 360 degree turn. You can make accurate exposures up to several minutes long with this method if you are careful. This works well if you are simply shooting the stars with a relatively wide angle lens. However, should you use a longer focal length lens, a small 1 rpm battery driven electric motor will operate the tracking rotation much more smoothly allowing for more accurate tracking. The motor in effect replaces your turning finger and helps to eliminate possible vibrations caused by that kind of manual rotation. The motor provides a continuous motion, while the manually turned method is stop and go.

Over the course of a couple of years I modified my tracker to use such a motor and also attached a digital voltage regulator that allowed me to precisely control the voltage going to the motor. This helps to insure the tracker is rotating at exactly 1 rpm.

Why Should I Bother With a Tracker:  A tracker allows you to make longer exposures which gathers in more light thus creating a more detailed image. It is also necessary if you want to capture deep sky objects like the Orion Nebula or Andromeda. Without a tracker, doing so becomes much more problematic. I have used upwards to a 500 mm lens. It is about the maximum it can support simply because of the weight, but it does work well. Remember too, you do not always need a lot of magnifying power, bu you do need resolving power and that is where a good quality lens comes in. Also, remember, the larger the lens, the more  critical the alignment becomes and the more critical vibrations become. A 500 mm lens will magnify even the slightest movement of the tripod or tracking devise. The key points are to have the devise properly and accurately aligned and for it to be sturdy.

Orion Nebula - 20 Sec Exp - 500mm cropped - f/6.3 ISO 3200

The red color is caused by glowing excited hydrogen atoms and is captured by the digital camera. Even when viewed through a good home telescope not much color will be revealed because our eyes are simply not sensitive enough to discern the subtle nature of the nebula gases. Only in a photograph will the color be seen.

The Results Speak for Themselves:  Using a tracker takes some practice. There is a learning curve and some trial and error involved. But, once you get the hang of it and see that first successful capture using one, the results will astound you. There is a great amount of satisfaction from using a DIY devise that actually works.

There are other ways to capture deep sky objects most of them require you to take a series, at least 100 to 300 shots, of short duration exposures and use a specialize software to 'Stack' them into a finished image. These stacked images include images used to cancel out noise, but the results can be spectacular. However, using Stacking software requires a lot of computer power and they are not always user friendly.

Andromeda Galaxy Tracked exposure

Summing Up: Every season I look forward to once again hearing the buzz of the tracking motor and to watch the tracker doing its thing. Most of all, I look forward to seeing and sharing the results.

Photographing the night sky is a learned skill that virtually any photographer can do with a little practice. I hope this short 3 part series has peaked your interest in this fascinating form of photography. I promise you, once you have tried it, your interest in Astronomy and 'What's Out There' will surely increase.

Breaking Into Astrophotography: Part 2 - Capturing the Milky Way

The wonders of the night sky fill the imagination as far as the expansion of the universe itself. Hidden deceptively out of sight with just a hint of haze indicating anything at all is there, the center of our own galaxy beacons to us to search for it. On a clear dark night, it calls to us to gaze upon its story, and as photographers, we can use simple, everyday photographic equipment to accumulate the light in such a way as to reveal the magical nature of our part of the universe, The Milky Way Galaxy. In Part 2 of Breaking Into Astrophotography, we will take a look at how to capture this wonderful example of the night sky.

There are many misconceptions about photographing the night sky. Many good photographers I have spoken too about the subject often seem to think you need to have a powerful telescope with special built in computerized tracking equipment. Nothing could be further from the truth. The only equipment you need is a digital camera equipped with a wide angle lens and a sturdy tripod. With this simple setup, you can capture the night sky in all of her glory. However, there are a few preliminary things you need to know first before taking full advantage of the opportunity.

What You Need To Know:  The light you are attempting to capture has traveled to us from, in some cases, tens of thousands of light years away, and in other cases over hundreds of thousands and even millions of light years away. A light year of course is the distance light will travel at 186,000 miles per second in one year. That's a long, long ways and multiply that by thousands of years...well you get the idea at just how far away these things are and how faint the light truly is once it arrives.

The Milky Way Galaxy is what is known as a Barred Spiral Galaxy. This means the center of the galaxy resembles a stretched out bar-like area of stars with multiple pinwheel like spirals whirling out and away creating a tumbling wheel like appearance almost like a flat tumble weed spinning in space.

Our solar system which includes our sun and all of the planets resides way out in the suburbs along one of the minor spiral arms...roughly a little over halfway out from the center. We, along with all the planets, orbit around the sun at an incline to the overall plane of the Milky Way. From our vantage point we see the Milky Way edge on, however, because of our orbit around the sun and the seasons, the center of the Milky Way is only visible to us during the summer months in the northern hemisphere. That is because our night sky faces toward the center during those months and away from the center toward the outer edges during the winter months. This is important to know when it comes to photographing the Milky Way for it is during the summer when it is most visible.

Where and When to Find it:  Although the Milky Way is visible beginning in the spring, it is only visible during the very early hours of the morning like 2:00 - 3:00 AMish, and then it will be low over the horizon. The best time to see it at a reasonable hour begins in late June through August with the optimum time being during the month of July. It can be found hovering reasonable early in the evening high in the sky as you look toward the south. It splits between the Constellations Sagittarius and Scorpius.

Goldpaint Images Photo

Camera Equipment:  To be able to capture the Milky you will need a sturdy tripod, any DSLR digital camera along with a wide angle lens, something like 14mm to 18mm. Your kit lens that came with the camera will work just fine. Also, you will most likely want to use a remote cable release because you will be taking long exposures and any movement of the camera will blur your images.

The Setup:  You will want to set your camera exposure on Manual and then set you shutter speed all the way down to the Bulb setting. Technically you can set the shutter to a 30 second exposure as well to accomplish what we are wanting to do. You will want to use the widest angle lens you have and set the aperture setting to it's widest opening...like f/2.8 or f/3.5...depending on the kind of lens you have. You will also want to set your White Balance to Auto and your ISO to something like 800 or 1600 to start with. When it comes focusing, you will put you lens/camera into manual focus mode, and rotate the focus ring all the way out to the infinity setting. When dong this, remember the actual infinity focus point is actually located slighting behind or before you reach the full rotation of the focus ring. So, turn it all the way out, the back it up a just a little to find you lens' best infinity focus.

Point your camera toward the Sagittarius / Scorpius constellations located low in the southern sky and using your cable release, fire off a 30 second exposure. You may want to download a sky tracker APP onto your phone which will help you find your way around the night sky.

You Need A Dark Sky:  In today's world especially if you live east of the Mississippi River you will encounter what is known as light pollution. This is that bubble of light emanating from towns and cities that pollutes the lower regions of the sky, especially near the horizons. Light Pollution can obscure the view of the stars and the Milky Way. To be able to effectively capture the Milky Way, you will need to move away from the city into a dark area several miles away. If you can place the city lights behind you and see the southern horizon without any lights, you will be able to capture better quality images. If  you are fortunate enough to live west of the Mississippi River, you will be able to find adequate dark spaces from which to operate not too far from the city. It might take a bit of creative research on your part to find a suitable location, but it is necessary in order to capture effective photographs of the Night Sky.

Also, you will need a clear, dark, moonless night. The moon is very bright and will fill the night sky with a bright light that will flood your camera and cause a white-out situation when making a long 30 second exposure. Hazy skies will reflect a lot of light pollution as well and will obscure the night sky much the same way a bright moon will.

Composing Your Shots:  Composition is just as important in photographing the night sky as it is in any other type of photography. You will want to line up the Milky Way so it presents a pleasing and interesting night sky story. There are features being captured like what is known as The Dark Horse region which is near the center of the Milky Way that provide a great structural anchor to your photos. Also, by including objects on the ground in your composition, you bring a sense of place and timeliness to the image. Barns, trees, skylines, rock formations, water reflections all make great backdrops. Just remember, there is more to capturing the night sky than simply pointing your camera skyward.

Why a 30 Second Exposure:  A 30 second exposure will be about the maximum amount of time you will be able to use because stars will begin to create long trails after much more time than that. It kind of depends on the type of lens you are using. An 18mm lens will let you easily shoot up to 30 seconds. With a 14mm lens, you might be able to increase it upwards to 40 seconds. But, use 28 or 35mm lens and you will be able to only use about 20 seconds. The longer the focal length of the lens, the more compressed the exposure times become. You can use a star tracking devise which offsets the movement of the stars across your field of view to increase your exposure times. The are several commercial ones available or you can construct an easy to build Barn Door Tracker that works quite well. This will be discussed in Part 3 of this series. However, they are not necessary to capture wonderful images of the night sky.

Post Processing:  Almost every digital photograph can benefit from a post processing tweak or two. Photographs of the night sky are no exceptions and in fact it is probably necessary to apply some post processing to obtain the best results. Post Processing needs to be limited to tweaks to contrast, brightness, and maybe saturation. I would recommend you shoot in the RAW format and/or open your JPG images as a RAW file using Photoshop. From here you can tweak the Exposure value, Blacks, Brightness, Contrast, Clarity, and Saturation, among other things to elevate the image from a nice basic capture into a real eye catcher.

There is a rising trend in the photographic world focused on capturing the wonders of the night sky. By employing simple methods, anyone can join this exciting form of photography. Capturing the night sky and especially the Milky Way is a wonderful extension of your photographic talents. With minimal effort, you can find a dark location and then with a little knowledge of the night sky, you can capture wonderful, eye opening photos. Give it a try sometime. You might discover a new and exciting way to express your photographic desires.