Early Spring Night Sky over New Jersey. NASA ATREX Mission. Early Morning Sky Lit Up By Five NASA Sounding Rockets.
Early this morning NASA launched five sounding rockets from Wallops Island, Virginia over a seven minute period to study the jet stream in the upper atmosphere at the edge of space. Once the rockets reached the thermosphere they were set to release trimethyaluminum that would react to create a cloud of aluminum oxide. This mission has been canceled several times waiting for clear skies from New Jersey to South Carolina. I set up a Nikon D3x camera with a 14-24 mm f/2.8 wide angle lens and pointed it south-east to capture an image every minute starting just after midnight to see if I could to catch something from the mission. The rockets were launched starting just before 5 AM (EDT).
The following is a composite of 40 images combined using the startrails program showing the release from all 5 rockets. You see the star trails, a couple of jet trails, all five of the ATREX rocket cloud releases and as a bonus a meteor trail.
NASA ATREX Jet Stream Study Lights up The Night Sky. Composite of 40 images taken with a Nikon D3x and 14-24 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 100, 14 mm, f/2.8, 59 sec) processed using DxO Pro, and Startrails. (David J Mathre)
Gone to See California. Day 8: Death Valley Spring 2011 Photography Workshop with Michael Mariant.
Early Morning Panorama of the Sand Dunes at Mesquite Flats in Death Valley National Park. I used four images taken during the Spring Workshop in Death Valley last year to create a panorama view. The raw images were initially processed using Capture One Pro and then sharpened using Focus Magic. The first panorama was created using AutoPano Giga. The resulting file was 16205 x 3420 pixels (54″ x 11.4″ @ 300 dpi). The image was enhanced with NIK Color Efex Pro (Pro Contrast) and converted to jpg with Photoshop CS5. When examined closely there was a problem at the transition between images. The second panorama was created using PTGui Pro. In this case the resulting file was 14539 x 3894 pixels (48.5″ x 13 ” @ 300 dpi). The image was enhanced with NIK Color Efex Pro (Pro Contrast) and converted to jpg with Photoshop CS5. The third version was converted to B&W with NIK Silver Efex Pro (Fine Art) and converted to jpg with Photoshop CS5. Images best viewed in full screen mode.
Early Morning Sand Dune Panorama. Composite of 4 images taken with a Nikon D3x and 45 mm f/2.8 PC-E lens (ISO 100, 45 mm, f/16, 1/60 sec). Images processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, AutoPano Giga, NIK Color Efex Pro 2, and converted for web with Photoshop CS5.Early Morning Sand Dune Panorama. Composite of 4 images taken with a Nikon D3x and 45 mm f/2.8 PC-E lens (ISO 100, 45 mm, f/16, 1/60 sec). Images processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, PTGui Pro, NIK Capture Efex Pro 2, and converted for web with Photoshop CS5.Early Morning Sand Dune Panorama. Composite of 4 images taken with a Nikon D3x and 45 mm f/2.8 PC-E lens (ISO 100, 45 mm, f/16, 1/60 sec). Images processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, PTGui Pro, NIK Silver Efex Pro 2, and converted for web with Photoshop CS5.
Gone to See California. Day 5: Death Valley Spring 2011 Photography Workshop with Michael Mariant.
Comparison of Panorama Programs. There are several commercial programs that will combine digital images to provide panorama views. During a recent Nikonians Academy Workshop in Death Valley, I took several images from Dante’s View that I have now processed with Autopano Giga and PTGui. Photoshop CS5 was not able to successfully process the images into a panorama view. Notice the snow from the previous storm under the cactus in the foreground. The four images were acquired with a Nikon D3x camera and 24 mm f/3.5 PC-E lens (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/16, 1/100 sec).
Panorama from Dantes View in Death Valley National Park. Composite of 4 images taken with a Nikon D3x and 24 mm PC-E lens (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/16, 1/100 sec). Panorama created using PTGui 7816 x 6812 pixelsPanorama from Dantes View, Death Valley National Park. Composite of 4 images taken with a Nikon D3x and 24 mm PC-E lens (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/16, 1/100 sec). Panorama created using AutoPano Giga Pro 9294 x 7337 pixelsPanorama from Dantes View, Death Valley National Park. Composite of 4 images taken with a Nikon D3x and 24 mm PC-E lens (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/16, 1/100 sec). Panorama created using AutoPano Giga Pro including the Neutralhazer plugin 9276 x 7327 pixels
Gone to See Norway 2007 Family Vacation. Day 9: Hurtigruten Coastal Voyage Traveling North.
The extended family was on a winter vacation in Norway, traveling north on the Hurtigruten ship M/S Kong Harald. This was day 6 of the voyage traveling north along the Norwegian coast. The stops on this day were in Øksfjord (02:15), Hammerfest (05:15-06:45), Havøysund (09:45) Honningsvåg (11:45-15:15), Kjøllefjord (17:45), Mehamn (20:00), and Verlevåg. During the stop in Honningsvåg we took a bus to North Cape (Nordkapp) traveling through the North Cape Tunnel. Later that night, the Captain announced that Auroras (Northern Lights) were visible.
Moon at Dawn Over Havøysund Norway. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 85 mm f/1.4D lens (ISO 200, 85 mm, f/1.4, 1/180 sec). Modified using Nik Color Efex. (David J. Mathre)
Gone to See Norway 2007 Family Vacation. Day 8: Hurtigruten Coastal Voyage Traveling North.
Five years ago the extended family was on a winter vacation in Norway, traveling north on the Hurtigruten ship M/S Kong Harald. This was day 5 of the voyage north along the Norwegian coast. The stops on this day were in Stokmarknes (01:00), Sortland (03:00), Risøyhamn (04:30), Harstad (06:45-08:00), Finnsnes (11:45), Tromsø (14:30-18:30), and Skjervoy (22:45). During the stop in Tromsø, several of us went for a dog-sled ride. Even though only early afternoon, it was already dark out. At the end of the day, there was a baptism ceremony for passengers that crossed the Arctic Circle for the first time officiated by the Captain and King Neptune.
Freighter Loading and Gisund Bridge (Gisundbrua) in Finnsnes Norway. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 80 mm, f/4.5, 1/40 sec) (David J Mathre)The Cargo Ship NARDJARL Listing While Unloading Containers in Finnsnes Norway. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 80-400 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 80 mm, f/4.5, 1/25 sec) (David J Mathre)Winter View of Finnsnes Norway from the M/V Kong Harald. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 35 mm f/2 lens (ISO 200, 35 mm, f/2, 1/60 sec) (David J Mathre)Winter View of the Finnsnes Lighthouse in a Snowstorm. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 85 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 200, 85 mm, f/1.4, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)Mary Cleaning her camera on the M/V Kong Harald. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 85 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 200, 85 mm, f/1.4, 1/60 sec).. (David J Mathre)Lars on the M/S Kong Harald. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 85 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 200, 85 mm, f/1.4, 1/20 sec). (David J Mathre)CANIS Stretching Before Taking us on Dog Sled Ride in Tromsø. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 85 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 200, 85 mm, f/4.8, 1/60 sec).. (David J Mathre)Brave Staying Warm. He was Not Included in the Dog Sled Ride. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 85 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 200, 85 mm, f/4.8, 1/60 sec). (David J Mathre)Dogs Being Prepared for a Dog Sled Ride Outside Tromsø. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 50 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 1000, 50 mm, f/1.4, 1/8 sec).. (David J Mathre)Dog Sledding Outside Tromsø. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 50 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 800, 50 mm, f/1.4, 1/6 sec).. (David J Mathre)Mary after the Dog Sledding Trip in Tromsǿ. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 85 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 200, 85 mm, f/4.8, 1/60 sec). (David J Mathre)Dan After the Dog Sled Ride in Tromsø. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 85 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 200, 85 mm, f/4.8, 1/60 sec). (David J Mathre)Coffee Pot on a Wood Fire. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 85 mm f/1.4D lens (ISO 200, 85 mm, f/1.4, 1/60 sec) and fill flash. (David J. Mathre)Christopher warming up after the Dog Sled Ride Outside of Tromsø. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 85 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 200, 85 mm, f/1.4, 1/60 sec).. (David J Mathre)King Neptune at the Crossing the Arctic Circle Ceremony. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 12-24 mm f/4 lens (ISO 200, 24 mm, f/6.3, 1/200 sec). (David J Mathre)King Neptune and the Ship Captain Performing a Baptism at the Crossing the Arctic Circle Ceremony. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs and 12-24 mm f/4 lens (ISO 200, 24 mm, f/6.3, 1/200 sec). (David J Mathre)
