samamara

Many thanks to @Frederic for letting me share my pic here even though I was unable to join (I'd mixed up the days, thinking we were going to meet on Saturday and already had camping and shooting plans for Friday night). I'm glad we all got to see the beauty though; best time of year to look up 🤩😍!

Sam

1 hour ago, Frederic said:

taken in 2020 at approx. the same location

We likely won't see it at the same angle as this as I took this photo in the fall and the angle changes throughout the year, but we should definitely get something nice 😊 . As @Frederic says, the core should be visible from 2-4-ish but will only rise about 32º above the horizon so will be low. Can make for a lovely shot still with the dunes 😍🤩.

I'm attaching below a sketch of the sort of the angle we'll see for the next few months (image from PhotoPills). No worries...the core will be visible now until late October so there'll be plenty of time to get lots of shots with lots of angles...it's a great time to look up to the skies ❤️ .

Sam

12 hours ago, Mario Cornejo said:

It will be a fun drive, hope it gets a 2nd part and I will try to attend!

Me too, @Mario Cornejo - let's keep asking for that Part 2!

Good morning, all!

I am absolutely gutted that I didn't know about this ride and shoot 😭 😭 😭 . I must have missed the announcement. I would just love to join but I'll be out most of the night Thursday doing some astro shooting and then going camping Friday night for more astro. Can we please try this again in future? Please 🙏🏼 ?

If I were going to give any advice I'd say to try to go with an aperture of f/11 or f/13 to start, with a shutter speed of at least 1/250th if you want to freeze some of the spraying sand. If you want really freeze the spraying sand a faster shutter speed will be better, but you'll need to make other adjustments to allow for the reduced light that a faster shutter brings. I would not go less than f/8 on the aperture, though, as you risk getting more of the foreground and background out of focus, which isn't what you want if you want to freeze the spraying sand. I'd rather bump up the ISO than open the f-stop, but how high you can go without getting noise will depend on your camera. As the sun rises rapidly though, that will be less of an issue. Also, be sure to keep your camera on high-speed shooting; the more frames you click of this fast driving action, the better the chances of getting something you love.

A cool thing to try would be panning; it's a little tricky but the results can be really cool. The car itself will be in focus and everything else will be blurred. This isn't the same as just having a wide open aperture (f/2.8 or wider), which would just 'unfocus' the background; this is like an action shot and with sand blurring from its own movement and your movement of the camera. This is a handheld action where you use a slow shutter (1/60 or 1/30) and a smaller aperture (f/16 or f/20-ish) and 'pan' your body with the moving object (the car) which blurs the background (the spraying sand). The smaller aperture will cut the light you'll get from having the shutter open longer. Usually that results in clearer backgrounds, but in this case it won't' since you'll be panning the camera. The ISO can easily be adjusted, but again with the early rise of the harsh sunlight, it won't be as much of an issue. Here's a nice article from Canon on how to do it, and I really think this could be a fun thing to try out in the sands. 

Again, please please 🙏🏼  can we try to schedule this again soon? I'm just so sad to be missing it 💔. 

Best of luck everyone; looking forward to seeing the shots!

Sam

I think they look great @Humayun Ghias and with the amazing winter skies to come we'll have lots of chances to practice more together 😊

3 minutes ago, Frederic said:

 

 

Nice GIF @Frederic 😂  ❤️

Just now, Frederic said:

It's fantastic ! And if you wouldnt have told these are plane trails i would have thought they were meteors  

Dammit 😂  I shouldn't have said! Oh well, next time 😉. Thank you - it's not the timelapse I wanted to make but I also didn't want the hundreds of frames to go to waste. 

Hello all 😊

I finally got around to checking the images I took for timelapse the night of the meteor shower meet up. Sadly it's so short and not very good; there's not a single meteor, though there are lots of plane trails that I'll squint at and call meteors so the hours of shooting aren't a total bust 😂! At least the clouds added some drama to the evening skies ❤️.

I can't upload it here as the file type is not allowed but you can click here to have a look. 

Looking forward to the next outing 😍!

Sam

6 minutes ago, Joseph Sebastian said:

Thanks @Frederic for organizing and also the detailed route instructions - would never have found it otherwise! Also thanks to @munkybizness for the idea and @samamara for the location and the rest or you for the infectious enthusiasm which extended to me being able to motivate my wife and daughters to accompany me (though the elder one found the breeze pleasant enough to take a nap under the stars!). Unfortunately I forgot to get my radio and was not sure of the groupl location after I came down into the tree area - would have been a great opportunity to meet and chat with the group members, will look forward to the next opportunity for that. And there were quite a few people around other than carnity thanks to the considerable media publicity around the meteor shower. I think this place is a really good location and worth more visits on more regular nights just to see the sky and stars just on their own merit...thanks so much for that

Some very nice shots @Frederic and @BipinM..(you seem to have captured some meteor trails!)..looking forward to more from the rest and of course @samamara. Will also post something if I can salvage any decent ones...i shot pointed right up into the sky to avoid the regular headlights and torch beams 🙃

Sounds like a great time was had by all @Joseph Sebastian - I hope I get to meet you and more of the others next time, and I look forward to your shots too  

6 minutes ago, Humayun Ghias said:

My first time joining and experimenting with photography. Thank you @Fredericfor organising and @munkybiznessfor the initiative.

Was great sitting next to @samamara. Thank you for all of your help with the tips and suggestions.

Until next time! 

@Humayun Ghias - not at all, it was my pleasure! I hope you got some great shots; I can't wait to see. See you again on the next adventure!

5 hours ago, Frederic said:

this gem of an area

@Fredericthis is absolutely one of my favourite spots - around the whole area really - and during the times with the Milky Way core is above the horizon there are great opportunities here. Can we keep it in mind as a possibility for another shot before the end of the season?

5 hours ago, Frederic said:

Well that was an interesting experience ! 

Most of us arrived a bit before midnight, and @samamara had already setup up and found the premium spot, in front of the lake. As we had kids with us we stayed a bit further away from the lake. Unfortunately it was extremely busy as it seemed everyone came out to spot the meteors that night. That also made it quite difficult to see who made it to the meeting point or not.

My apologies if we were not able to meet or see everyone. I do suspect there were 4-5 people that did not come, and with so many other cars and people around this was quite difficult. Some were using the radio as we requested and we were able to meet up. 
 

In the future my opinion is we should keep it at maximum 10 members and ensure we can meetup somewhere and do a proper introduction. That way, if any member has technical questions about the setup he can ask any of the seniors. Like on the previous sessions, meeting up and deflating together, followed by going with a convoy gives a better “team” feeling.

A big thanks to @munkybizness for coming up with the idea, and @samamara for finding this gem of an area. We will definitely be back and surely it will be less busy then.

On the parking lot we met an Astronomer who brought his massive telescope and he was so friendly to give us some nice views of Saturn and Jupiter. It’s amazing to see someone’s passion and skill and it gave us a nice glimpse into the miracle we call universe. 
 

Now with the weather cooling down, we will be able to do another session very soon. Hope to see you all back !

Even with the crowds and that light pollution it was still a great night ❤️ and it was super nice to meet everyone. I hope we have another event soon! Thanks @Frederic and everyone!

4 hours ago, BipinM said:

Thanks a ton as always ..@Frederic @Gaurav @samamara…  My daughter really loved the experience and so did I … @samamara really awesome for you to give her all the expert tips ! Thanks again folks .. 

 

 

@BipinM not at all - she's really lovely and I was glad to help. She can ask me anytime  

3 hours ago, Frederic said:

Managed only to take a few shots. I was being lazy and tired last night and the camping chair and good company was waiting for me

Taken with Canon 5Dmk2, Samyang 14mm. ISO 2000-3200 and shutter speed between 8-15 seconds.

Next to the white Pajero you will find @samamara working on her timelapse and bitten by millons of mosquitoes !

Great shots @Frederic! We may have had lots of light pollution and not many meteors but we were certainly graced with lots of dramatic clouds which really added a lot to our shots ❤️ . And yes...millions of mosquitos and whatever else...my car was filled with them when I left this morning! Looking forward to lots more adventures with all of you!

10 minutes ago, Frederic said:

Yes 11:50. @Gauravwill be there little bit earlier, and I’ll be reaching there hopefully before midnight as I have an evening drive in Maleiha area.

I'll be there quite early since I'm not going on the evening drive and will want to set up etc and do a little MW shooting. I'll probably be there around 9:00  

59 minutes ago, Niki said:

Nov and Dec I look forward to the shows and maybe we do these in AD at the spot you shared!  

This would be fantastic 🤩 - fingers crossed!

Hey all - super excited about tonight's shooting! I just checked the clouds and it seems that we'll have very clear skies most of the night until we near the peak of the shower after 4:00. That sounds like bad news I know, but honestly it's not - there will still be plenty of meteors before the peak in shaa Allah 😊🤲🏼 and by the time we reach the peak it may be getting a bit to bright in the early morning sky to see many clearly anyway, so it's better we have clearer skies during the darker times. Anyway, a forecast is just that but we have reason to be optimistic!

13 minutes ago, Joseph Sebastian said:

 @samamara Thanks so much for the detailed responses, do appreciate it. 

Anytime  

24 minutes ago, Niki said:

@Frederic am gutted to have to drop off this trip!! 🥺 am in Abu Dhabi now until Friday!  I wish I had access to Zed’s balcony to watch the show  … am on Yas Island and suspect nothing viewable here even from a roof deck! Have a great trip all…. Very sad to miss out on this event! 

@Niki horrible news! Was looking forward to a catch up after so many months! Still, you should grab a chair and drive out to Razeen ❤️ it's a one-hour-ish drive and it's going to be the most spectacular place to see the show anyway 🤩!

1 hour ago, Joseph Sebastian said:

@samamara apologies to you and rest of the gang for hijacking this thread for some more general photo tips. But a couple of quick ones hopefully should be useful info for the others also....

1. Is there a preferred season in our UAE area for milky way shots as in clear sky or aesthetic view of MW itself (you mentioned october but does it extend into the winter?)

2. As you mentioned post editing is critical. Can you link to any useful website or FAQ for workflow to edit night sky/ high signal noise pics in PS or similar software

3. last one! Any benefit you see in shooting/ editing from RAW data as opposed to in camera processed JPEG, This question is from a hobbyist perspective and not aiming for professional/ large size prints etc

Thanks (and hoping for a clear sky tomorrow night as well)

Hi @Joseph Sebastian - no worries, I'm always happy to help  Please see below for my answers: 

1. The Milky Way is only visible in the Northern Hemisphere from about February/March to November, but the best time to see it in its glory is from late April to early August because the core - that bright amazing chunk in the middle - is visible for longer. Also, the time of year will dictate the angle at which we see it. You can see the photos I've attached here, courtesy of PhotoPills (an amazing if not slightly complicated app and super-comprehensive website that helps you plan lots of sky-related photography). 

2. You can google and find some amazing videos that help you with post-production of Milky Way shots in both Photoshop and Lightroom. Just google "how to edit Milky Way photos" and you will get an endless list of articles and videos. The one you choose will depend on your comfort level of using the mentioned software. I would recommend that you watch a few and then decide  . Just remember that the workflow will not always be the same for everyone; it will depend on what you're able to get straight out of the camera to work with as well as your personal tastes, so you can use what you find online as a guideline. 

3. In one word: RAW! Even if you are a hobbyist looking for a nice shot, I would highly recommend shooting in raw. If you don't want to shoot in raw at any other time (though I think you always should ) it's an absolute must when it comes to astrophotography. Your camera will pick up many more details than you realize, which will need to be brought out in post-processing. Remember I said there isn't a single MW shot out there that isn't edited. If you shoot in jpeg, your camera will automatically make a lot of editing decisions that you won't be able to reverse in post, which means you'll limit your editing options. Again, this is always true, which is why it's a good idea always to shoot in raw, but it's especially true when you think more editing might be needed, and that's always the case with MW photos. 

I hope that helps! Please feel free to ask if you have any more questions.

Here's hoping for clear skies, a great meteor show, excellent photos and lots of fun ! 

8 hours ago, Gaurav said:

Thanks for all the assurance with backed up data and research. 

BUT with ongoing cloud cover I couldn't see a single star right now  in Dubai. 

@samamara hows the cloud situation in RAK at your side?

@Gaurav it's not too bad, actually...the skies are pretty clear this morning. I've just checked windy.com (great site for checking the weather) and the forecast is clear skies over Buraq Thursday night/Friday morning. A forecast is just that but it can help us hope for the best at least  !

3 hours ago, Gaurav said:

11 night in US means 12 daytime here. Hope I'm reading it correctly.

Waiting for all Einstein's, Pundit's and Guru's to verify please - @Mikhail Lukichev, @Frederic, @Niki, @samamara

Definitely Thursday night to Friday morning from all I've checked  

3 minutes ago, Joseph Sebastian said:

@samamara that is a really fantastic shot, I am sure you are being very modest and a lot of planning and work went into it. Even the dune in the foreground is perfectly lit and without any blemishes like footmarks...really well done!

Will be grateful if you could share some data while you have already shared some info...Lens focal length ~16mm (very clear for a zoom lens!) and ISO 3200 (impressive low level of noise still, says a lot about your sensor and camera)

Could you also let us know what you used for shutter speed and aperture? White balance? guess you used a tripod and a remote shutter release? any tips to get the right focus? Was it a single shot or blended a foreground shot with the sky shot...could you give some details if and how you light painted the foreground (perfectly done)..... Location I guess you aced it with Rub Al Khali - doubt if we can find a similar low light pollution area within Dubai or Sharjah...there is a glow from the horizon right side but even that adds to the picture rather than detracts from it as it contrasts against the part of the dune which is in shadow...

Sorry for the many questions,,,but If I can get a shot as good as this I would consider my lifes work done  Thanks!

 

@Joseph Sebastian Thank you - you are so kind 🙏🏼😊. You're right, it wasn't a quick point and shoot but the planning wasn't so difficult or time-consuming.

The point of the footprints is a good one; I looked for a dune that had a nice ripple pattern and then made sure not even to sneeze near it to disrupt it, let alone walk on it 😂.

So yes, it was a 16mm focal length (this lens is a real trooper that while for a crop sensor does great on my full frame as I said), 8s exposure, f/2.8 and 3200ISO. I definitely used a tripod and a shutter release. The white balance is not in the Exif data and I can't remember exactly but I generally I keep the kelvin level between 3200 and 4000 depending how dark the sky is. White balance is the easiest thing to change in Photoshop though and while it's always best to get what you can straight out of the camera, there isn't a single MW photo on the planet that isn't edited so you can always keep that in mind later. 

For the focus, I focused on the stars and because it was such a big aperture the dune was fortunately crisp as well - so it is a single shot, not a composite ❤️. To focus on the stars it's best to use the live view of your camera, get one star, magnify and focus on that star (manually) and that should do it. Once you know your lens, this becomes easier. 

The foreground is lit with a small video light off to the left, at a low (looww) setting (since it's a longer exposure), and it only took a shot or three to get it to the right place and strength.

And a final note on exposure: this was 8s but that's a 'first calculated, then adjusted' number. You need to calculate how long you can keep the shutter open without getting star trails if you want crisp star points (as opposed to trails). You can use the 500 rule but I would highly recommend using the NPF rule instead (you can google these for more info and let me know if you need any clarity). 

Yes, it is Rub al Khali - one of my favourite places in the country and I can't wait to go there next month (and October - the picture I shared was shot in October ❤️) and yes, it's hard to beat that. If I went deeper into the desert, closer to the Saudi border, there'd be even less light but I agree the light here adds to it. That said, the second darkest place in the country is Wadi Showka (not the dam area but the actual wadi, and the place we're going on Thursday, Wadi Buraq, is also good as it's quite near to Showka. I've shared these photos before in another thread but I'll post them again (I'm sorry for the repeat all and that they are so big 🙏🏼). The MW shot is from Buraq and the star trails are from Showka. So don't worry, there's plenty of dark there to enjoy some astro shooting when we can't quite hit up the Empty Quarter 😍🤩!

Thank you again for your kind words and don't at all feel badly about the questions. I love talking shop when it comes to photography and am always super happy to help ❤️ !

25 minutes ago, Gaurav said:

@samamara on a very serious note, why don't you literally write down first your full requirements and then put a percentage wise need of those requirements. What I mean to say that initially you needed a powerful 4x4 that can go further than your 3.5 Jero, then you added 4 passengers, then they become 4 photographer who would need window access, and now camping.

So now you also need to factor ton of camping and advance photographer gear space in the boot and I'm seeing if this is your ultimate requirement then you would need LWB Patrol or Land Cruiser (I think). No Xterra, JL, Pajero boot can through with all camping and photographer gears.

I know I may sound fussy here, but every little detail in you car shopping requirement keep changing the final outcome and you might make a wrong purchase eventually.

And what I mean with percentage wise if you use 70% on-road, 25% off-road and 5% with 4 photographers then ask your yourself if its worth sacrificing power weight, nimble 4x4 that can take you lot higher than  ULTRA-LWB people carrier. If its other way around go with your choice.

Why I'm mentioning this, because many people came here before to buy overlander for once in a lifetime trip they want to plan and end up buying xterra and then rubicon. Fast forward if people can foresee things ahead of time, they can make a better decision and be more happy with the final outcome - "much sooner".

Similarly many of my friends made a mistake of buying LWB 4x4 as they are expecting their parents in town and want to take them off-road. After a month, they have gone and he is still stuck with LWB that is def not a climber. He could have simply rented a LWB for a month or a week when wish to take them off-road.

So you need to list all your requirement first and then put an honest percentage to really make a logical decision than any brand affinity of people saying "my car" is the best.

Think it hard, think it through for at least 5-10 years of possible and probable requirements first, then add the percentage.

@Gaurav - that is very sound advice, thank you ❤️ 🙏🏼. It's true, beyond all of the advice here - which has been great - I need to think of my specific needs. I will say, though, that the Pajero trunk/back/boot has been stellar for all of my camping needs even when I have people with me and we take a lot of gear. The backseat is usually reserved for photography gear and guests (which is why the FJ just can't work really, but enough on that I think. You're absolutely right...I need to weigh not only what I need but the priorities and now that I am armed with all of this information I think I need to take a few of the options out for a test drive, see how they actually are on the inside for space and options, and then go from there. All of this, though, really has ensured that the decision I make will be much more well-informed, which is always a good thing. Thanks to you and all 😊🙏🏼! 

3 minutes ago, Ashok chaturvedi said:

It is now my favorite too.. Bless you. 

😍🙏🏼 Thank you!

2 minutes ago, PaoloMaraziti said:

a roofless wrangler then is the way to go from that standpoint... 

And with no windscreen...now I just need someone to drive it for me always so I can be ready. But, part of my passion is also the drive, so maybe I can get the best of both worlds 😍!

Just now, PaoloMaraziti said:

hey I heard here that that FJ is the best Offroader , right @Nikiand @Hisham Masaad ? I just want to second that 😂

@varunmehndiratta indeed a great car for the offroad, but when I read your comment about photographers... well , let's say that the FJ has the visibility of an armoured military vehicle especially in the back

Then it's definitely not for me 😂💔. This photographer needs access to all windows all the time...you never know what's around you in the desert and you have to be ready to shoot anywhere 😂❤️📷!

4 minutes ago, Ashok chaturvedi said:

@samamara @Fredericdear do u accept startup students like me? this foto of yours is out of this world. 

I'm glad you like it 😍 it's one of my favourites. Don't worry...we'll all work together to get the best shots we can as a team ❤️!