The 5 billion star hotel

I'd rather sleep under this 5 billion star sky than in any 5 star establishment in the world...

Many folks who see these images want to know how they are captured.
Here is a quick run-down of the process used to capture this photo.

1. Get to a place where there is minimal light pollution. Nearby towns and settlements exude enough light to feasibly affect your shot and the amount of stars visible.
2. Scout around for decent compositions during daylight, bearing in mind your main compass directions and suitable compositional elements.
3. Use a sturdy tripod.
4. Use a wide-angle lens with a large maximum aperture (think 1.4 or 2.8).
5. Make sure what time the moon rises and sets, and what phase it is in - this will also affect star visibility.
6. If you want more stars - wait for there to be no moon or new moon.
7. If you want more landscape illumination, shoot with a subtle moon at a low position in the sky.
8. Use your torch and camera "live view" to pre-focus on a clear object at least 10 meters in front of you, or manually set your lens to the hyperfocal distance.
9. Set your ISO to something between 1600 and 6400, depending on your camera's low light capability and your expected ambient light.
10. Set your exposure time to somewhere between 20 and 30 seconds (anything more will start to induce "star trails" as the earth rotates around its axis.
11. Use a strong torch to "paint" the foreground during the exposure. I find it works best to bounce the light source off your hand and use your hand to direct the light (your hand also diffuses the light and adds some warmth to colder/blue light sources).
12. Check the resulting shot and make adjustments to composition, focus point or settings as you deem necessary.

The settings for this image?

Nikon D800

Nikkor 14-24mm f2.8 (focal length 14mm)

f2.8

20 seconds shutter release

ISO-3200

Location?

The Mountain Zebra National Park in the Karoo desert, South Africa.

Have fun experimenting!

Morkel Erasmus

In Memoriam: Basie van Zyl

Nobody can look up at the magnificence of the stars in the sky and feel untouched or unmoved by them. 

Perhaps you feel very small when gazing up at them. 
Perhaps you feel very insignificant. 
Perhaps you feel that there's so much still to discover.

I look up at the heavens and I see a chorus of praise for God our Creator. I find comfort in the fact that despite the fact that the universe is vast and the stars are beyond a number that the human mind can count to, He has chosen us and loved us and rescued us from ourselves in His Son.

f3.5  |  25 seconds  |  ISO-1600

Yesterday, one of the brightest stars in South African photography circles faded out. +Basie van Zyl was an immense inspiration to countless up-and-coming and professional photographers in the nature photography community in our country. He wrote the definitive star photography guide, he was a soul of the Kalahari sand, he was a gentleman and an all round great guy. After a sudden diagnosis of a severe form of leukemia not even 2 weeks ago, Basie passed away peacefully on Monday 10 February 2014. I count myself fortunate to have known him, laughed with him and shared a meal with him. I never got round to actually taking photos alongside him, and I will regret that for sure.

Life is short and it can all be over in an instant - make sure you love the people close to your heart fully. Remember that the best things in life are not things! Please take a moment to explore the links below...

To purchase Basie's star photography ebook (you will assist his family greatly) - CLICK HERE

To get an idea of his commitment to his craft and his passion for nature, do yourself a favour and read the following blog posts detailing how he managed to obtain an amazing series of photos showing Malachite Kingfishers at their nest:
Part 1
Part 2 


Thanks for your time! Please keep his wife and son and his close family and friends in your prayers during this time of grief.


Morkel Erasmus

Death under the Stars

Few things in the African bush evoke such awe and nostalgia as standing under a moonless clear sky at night and gazing up at the starry expanse above. How many other explorers and adventurers before us have done the same at night (while shuddering involuntarily at the roar of a lion that sounds closer than it is). 

This image was photographed in Etosha (Namibia) at a private research waterhole where I was privileged to spend some time earlier this year with my friend Hans Rack. Needless to say, this shoot was kind of interesting as elephants and rhinos would move ultra-silently and walk past us within a few meters (and the lions weren't too far by the sound of it). We remained within a reasonably safe radius from our sleeping structure...but it remained a bit unnerving and exciting at the same time. Gotta love these adventures!

On this flat featureless terrain there wasn't much I could use as a foreground anchor in this shot - but luckily some Kudu remains helped to give this an ominous feel. What do you think?

Techs:

Nikon D800

Nikkor 14-24mm f2.8

f2.8  |  30 seconds  |  ISO-3200

click on the photo to display properly

I am off to Etosha with my family on Friday - and though I won't be able to repeat this excursion I am looking forward to another trip to the African wilderness!

Morkel Erasmus