Interesting Photo of the Day: Dreamy Astro Boardwalk

Interesting Photos

The Lake District in North West England is a popular destination known for its forests, mountains and, of course, lakes. But that’s not where the list ends. The area’s dark night sky also makes it ideal for astrophotographers. Photographer Dom Reardon shows us this potential in today’s fascinating photo:

“Spectacular View of the Milky Way From Coniston Water in The Lake District, UK” by Dom Reardon (Via Reddit. Click image to see full size.)

Reardon shot the image using a Nikon D500 and an astro-modded Nikon D5600 with a Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 lens. He also used an iOptron SkyGuider Pro star tracker with a K&F Concept TC2534 tripod for the process.

To photograph the sky, he used the modified Nikon D5600 camera and shot seven exposures, each 214 seconds long, at ISO 640, f/3.5 and 17mm. As for the foreground, he used the Nikon D500 and shot two 60-second-long exposures, plus an additional 120-second exposure at ISO 400, f/5.6 and 17mm.

It’s beautiful how there’s a stark contrast between the upper and the lower halves of the image. While the sky appears bustling with the numerous stars and a section of the Milky Way, the lake is a totally different story. The long exposure has obliterated any details of the lake and given it a misty, even dreamy look.

By placing the boardwalk in the foreground, Reardon has used it beautifully as an engaging leading line. It draws us powerfully into the image and takes us right into the photo. The photograph is undoubtedly so beautiful that it almost seems unreal.

Have you been lucky enough to visit this heavenly place? We’d love to hear about your experience.