Date Taken: 05/13/2016
Location: Milepost 357 just above Mt. Mitchell SP entrance.

Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: Nikon 14-24 mm f2.8 zoom
Focal Length: 14mm
ISO: 800
Shutter: 30 seconds
Aperture: f5.6
Filters: None
Exposure: Manual
How I Got This Shot: I was waiting for the moon to set so I could shoot the Milky Way from various locations along the BRP near Mt. Mitchell. I got up there a bit early so while I was scouting potential locations, I decided to shoot straight at the moon – which was about 3/4 full – rather than the opposite direction.

This particular frame had the best color at 800 ISO, but was underexposed. I boosted it in Photoshop by +1.00, or the equivalent of 1600 ISO. I also enhanced the shadows and vibrance and brought the highlights down, enough to bring out the stars against the very bright moon, which also allowed more detail in the starburst effect.

It was very windy with strong gusts, as evidenced by the motion blur in the tree to the left. Even with the camera mounted to sturdy tripod and using a remote release cable, the shot suffered from a bit of camera movement, but the I like the overall result.

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