Tag Archives: Garden of the Gods

Sometimes you take what you’re given

The original plan was to capture a long-exposure shot of the International Space Station passing over Garden of the Gods. This cloud had other plans.
The original plan was to capture a long-exposure shot of the International Space Station passing over Garden of the Gods. This cloud had other plans.

There was a small piece of paper outside the door to my graduate student lab that read, “sometimes the best laid plans of mice and men are about equal.” When it comes to night photography, you have to have a plan. My plan was to capture a long exposure image of the International Space Station (ISS) as it passed over Garden of the Gods park in Colorado Springs, CO. Continue reading Sometimes you take what you’re given

Long Exposure Creativity in Garden of the Gods

Long exposure (265s) captured in Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, CO. Nikon D800e with 16-35mm f/4 Nikkor lens and Singh-Ray Mor-Slo filters (15 stops)
Long exposure (265s) captured in Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, CO. Nikon D800e with 16-35mm f/4 Nikkor lens and Singh-Ray Mor-Slo filters (15 stops)

My latest addition to my photo kit is a set of Singh-Ray “Mor-Slo” solid ND filters. I got these filters in both the 10 and 5-stop varieties in 4×4″ square glass. Continue reading Long Exposure Creativity in Garden of the Gods

Photo of the Day: Kissing Camels with the Nikon 1 V2

Kissing Camels. Nikon 1 V2 with 18.5mm f/1.8 1-Nikkor lens (click to enlarge).

I took my new Nikon 1 V2 mirrorless camera out to Garden of the Gods park in Colorado Springs. I wanted to see how the camera performed in the field in good light and with the new 18.5mm f/1.8 1-Nikkor lens. This shot is of the famous “Kissing Camels” formation. I used the 18.5mm lens and had the camera on my Gitzo traveler tripod. Continue reading Photo of the Day: Kissing Camels with the Nikon 1 V2

Photo of the Day: ISS over Garden of the Gods

International Space Station (ISS) over Colorado Springs, CO

The International Space Station (ISS) is the third brightest object in the sky (behind the sun and moon) and is readily visible with the naked eye. When the station does pass overhead, it’s usually only visible for a few minutes before it goes over the horizon.

This image is a 30″ exposure of the ISS over Garden of the Gods park in Colorado Springs, CO. The trick to getting a shot like this is to know when and where the ISS will appear. By signing up for alerts from NASA’s Spot the Station website, you can get advanced warning of viewing opportunities in your locale. Once you know the time and location, you can plan a good viewing spot.

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Photography Guides by Jason P. Odell