Skyscape - David Mathre Photography

Friday (24-August-2018) — New Jersey

Summer Nighttime Sky Over New Jersey.

Composite of nearly full moon images. Rather than an in-camera composite image (as I have done in the past), these were created during post processing (Photoshop CC Pro, statistics, maximum). I set a Nikon D5 camera up with a 600 mm f/4 VR telephoto lens to take images every 1 second. I was hoping to catch a jet pass in front of the moon, as I had seen the previous night — but no joy. When I get some time I will make a time-lapse video of the moon crossing the screen.

Seven Moons. Composite of images taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 600 mm f/4 VR telephoto lens (ISO 100, 600 mm, f/11, 1/250 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Thursday (23-August-2018) — New Jersey

Backyard Summer Nighttime Sky Over New Jersey.

For the first time since I returned from Germany, the sky was predicted to be clear overnight. I have been wanting to try the 8-15 mm fisheye lens (that I borrowed from my brother) for doing some star trail images, and night sky time-lapse videos. I did have an issue with condensation on the very wide lens in the early morning hours. I have had the condensation problem on other wide lenses (14 mm, 14-24 mm) in the past, and may need to fashion a small tape heater on the lens.

Star trails over New Jersey. Composite of images taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 8-15 mm fisheye lens (ISO 100, 8 mm, f/4, 30 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro, and the composite generated using Photoshop CC (statistics, maximum). Individual images from the slide show can be viewed here.

Four-Years Ago (14-August-2014) — Poland

Gone to See Europe 2014. Day 75: Semester at Sea, Summer 2014 Semester Voyage. Gdansk, Poland.

Sunset through the barbed-wire fence at Westerplatte. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/16, 1/125 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC.

Sunset at Westerplatte in Gdansk, Poland. Semester at Sea, Summer 2014 Voyage. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/16, 1/125 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC. (David J Mathre) — Sunset at Westerplatte in Gdansk, Poland. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/16, 1/125 sec). (David J Mathre)

Eight-Years Ago (06-August-2010) — California

Gone to See America August 2010 Road Trip. Day 6: Eastern Sierra Photography Workshop with Michael Mariant. Bodie State Historic Park.

Images taken on my second visit to Bodie State Park in 2010. California maintains the park in a state of arrested decay. The park is a National Historic District, and is known as a wild-west gold mining ghost town. I also got an image of the Schoolmarm’s hat on my first visit to Bodie.

Schoolmarm's Hat. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 70-200 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 800, 200 mm, f/2.8, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre) — Schoolmarm’s Hat. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 70-200 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 800, 200 mm, f/2.8, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)

Individual images in the slideshow can be viewed here.

Five-Years Ago (05-August-2013) — Iceland

Gone to See Iceland 2013 Photography Safari with Mike Hagen. Day 7: Cape Ingolfshofdi (ingólfshöfði) Along the South East Coast.

Angry Great Skua letting me know that I was too close to its chick. These are very large seabirds, and we saw several Puffin skeletons near the nests. Cape Ingolfshofdi (ingólfshöfði) an isolated headland and private nature preserve on the coast half way between Skaftafell in Vatnajokull National Park and Jökulsárlón ice lagoon in Iceland. Image taken with a Nikon D4 camera and 80-400 mm VR II lens (ISO 140, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec).

Angry Great Skua (David J Mathre) — Angry Great Skua. Image taken with a Nikon D4 camera and 80-400 mm VR II lens (ISO 140, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)