Deep Sky @ Narrabri (Australia Telescope Compact Array)

[biggerry]

I think I am now addicted to another expensive hobby. I recently traveled to lovely Narrabri (which i quite like besides the mozzies) and had a little visit to the telescope out there. This is one location that I am heading back to armed with current knowledge and a whole swath of crazy ideas...

The sunsets up there are amazing, leave the rubbish we get in Sydney for dead, that said, I missed the best one but there was some nice colour out at teh telescope





try exposing this in one shot...now there's a challenge, it involves black cards and fingers...



this is where the D7000 just excels, single shot, no filters iso 2000, 30 dollar telescope adapter..

[dviv]

Massively jealous Jerry!

Love the last one - just beautiful.

[CraigVTR]

Great shots. Cannot see the fingers or the black card , well done on the widely varing exposures.

Love the last, what was the telescope adaptor you bought? My son has a telescope, I have a camera; will have to have a talk with him.

[norwest]

Nice shots, Jerry.

When shooting these you were only about 15 mins away from my home. And yes, the sunsets to die for are the rule rather than exception, with or without cloud to add effect. The night sky, as you've seen, is eye popping. And I'm ashamed to say i don't take advantage of this as much as i should.

I've been to the telescopes numerous times when showing visiting family and friends around the region, but never taken the time to get shots or stay around till sunset. The old story of one doesn't appreciate what one has in his own backyard.

Yarrie lake is 5 mins up the road from the telescopes and worth a look with the camera gear. Also, in a few months we'll have the cotton starting to open ( that which wasn't destroyed by last week's floods) with white fields to the horizon. If you're coming up again I can guide you to our local pub for the best and biggest feed our side the black stump (the best side) and get you on to the biggest farms in the area. Just give me a cooee if you're interested.

[zafra52]

They are all good shots, but the last one is
superb. I guess is going to be a very expensive
addiction..., but a healthy one.

[Remorhaz]

I really like the perspective in the first - it looks like you might have had to rescue some exposure on the trees, etc?

Mustn't look at the last... can't afford to get encouraged to try another thing... must resist....

[biggerry]

Love the last one - just beautiful.

yeah, not really much skill required here, composition is already made..just press a few buttons to adjust and done

Great shots. Cannot see the fingers or the black card , well done on the widely varing exposures.
Love the last, what was the telescope adaptor you bought? My son has a telescope, I have a camera; will have to have a talk with him.

check ebay for the appropriate sized adapter for your tele, really its a pretty cheap to get into, however if you only do it one in a blue moon I reckon it ain;t worthwhile spending heaps...

Nice shots, Jerry.

When shooting these you were only about 15 mins away from my home. And yes, the sunsets to die for are the rule rather than exception, with or without cloud to add effect. The night sky, as you've seen, is eye popping. And I'm ashamed to say i don't take advantage of this as much as i should.

I've been to the telescopes numerous times when showing visiting family and friends around the region, but never taken the time to get shots or stay around till sunset. The old story of one doesn't appreciate what one has in his own backyard.

Yarrie lake is 5 mins up the road from the telescopes and worth a look with the camera gear. Also, in a few months we'll have the cotton starting to open ( that which wasn't destroyed by last week's floods) with white fields to the horizon. If you're coming up again I can guide you to our local pub for the best and biggest feed our side the black stump (the best side) and get you on to the biggest farms in the area. Just give me a cooee if you're interested.

Hey Norwest, i did actually think of you but thought you were alot further away from Narrabri, I am heading back up early next year so I will take you up on that offer..

I understand about not taking advantage of the conditions cause you live there, well, you will just have to show me all teh good spots...

We went to Yarrie lake for a swim, man that place is busier then Pitt street in sydney. It is quite a nice place though, the mozzies where not too bad out there also.

That cotton is big money! I would be keen to see some fields in real life..

I am gonne need to take two weeks off to come up there now..farms, sunsets and telescopes...I am gonna get no sleep.

I guess is going to be a very expensive
addiction..., but a healthy one.

I plan on borrowing..gear that is

I really like the perspective in the first - it looks like you might have had to rescue some exposure on the trees, etc?
Mustn't look at the last... can't afford to get encouraged to try another thing... must resist....

I few options with that first one, its almost straight into the sun so the tree shadows are going ot be tricky to work with without making them look silly.

The problem with astro stuff is that its worse than sunrises, loks of waiting and retrys just to get the right conditions...

Some of us just were not interested in teh telescope... sigh..

[norwest]

Hey Norwest, i did actually think of you but thought you were alot further away from Narrabri, I am heading back up early next year so I will take you up on that offer..

I understand about not taking advantage of the conditions cause you live there, well, you will just have to show me all teh good spots...

We went to Yarrie lake for a swim, man that place is busier then Pitt street in sydney. It is quite a nice place though, the mozzies where not too bad out there also.

That cotton is big money! I would be keen to see some fields in real life..

I am gonne need to take two weeks off to come up there now..farms, sunsets and telescopes...I am gonna get no sleep.

Don't forget Sawn Rocks, 20 mins east of Narrabri on Bingara road. Mt. Kaputar N. Park ( i hate heights) Or Lightning Ridge, a little over 2 hours if inclined.
ect ect ect.

Give me a buzz when you want and i'll send my mobile #

[radar]

Great shots Gerry, what a great place to visit.

As others have said, wonderful shot on the last one. I assume there was tracking on the telescope side of things??

I really like the second one as well.

Thanks for sharing and adding to my list of places to visit

André
(PS) great shot on the recent post of your daughter, classic

[biggerry]

Don't forget Sawn Rocks, 20 mins east of Narrabri on Bingara road. Mt. Kaputar N. Park ( i hate heights) Or Lightning Ridge, a little over 2 hours if inclined.
ect ect ect.

Give me a buzz when you want and i'll send my mobile #

cheers mate, definitely will do!

I was meant to go to mt kaputar one evening for a sunset, however duties called - that was the day the its was a stellar sunset ;( I have seen sawn rocks, but I think a spin out to lightning ridge would be cool.

Great shots Gerry, what a great place to visit.

As others have said, wonderful shot on the last one. I assume there was tracking on the telescope side of things??
I really like the second one as well.
Thanks for sharing and adding to my list of places to visit
André
(PS) great shot on the recent post of your daughter, classic

there was trackign on teh scope albeit a bit dodgy, you still got some movement in teh super long exposures, however this one at 40 odd seconds was pretty stable.

One day that little girl will appreciate the 7 hours of painful driving it took to get there...

[chrisk]

The last is a pearler. Lucas has been begging me for a telescope. Can't help but feel it would be wasted in the city. What sort do you have ?

[Big V]

Biggerry - welcome to the club and yes the cost only keeps increasing!!!! Nice set of shots.

[surenj]

#2 Love those tones indeed!~!

#3 How did you light paint those monsters???

Finally, any light trail shots to share??

Love that bums up shot! Make sure you get some video as well. I think video ages a little better than photos and other non-photogs can appreciate it much easier...

[norwest]

Don't forget Sawn Rocks, 20 mins east of Narrabri on Bingara road. Mt. Kaputar N. Park ( i hate heights) Or Lightning Ridge, a little over 2 hours if inclined.
ect ect ect.

Give me a buzz when you want and i'll send my mobile #

cheers mate, definitely will do!

I was meant to go to mt kaputar one evening for a sunset, however duties called - that was the day the its was a stellar sunset ;( I have seen sawn rocks, but I think a spin out to lightning ridge would be cool.

Okie. Invitation is open to any of you blokes or group adventurous enough to leave the city behind for a weekend on the red soil, crystal clear skies, amazing sunsets, Aboriginal culture and the bird and animal life of the north west plains. Something for all discerning photographers. You know you want to.
(I should be in promotions )

[biggerry]

The last is a pearler. Lucas has been begging me for a telescope. Can't help but feel it would be wasted in the city. What sort do you have ?

one that sits in a big building at Narrabri that does not belong to me I got no idea about telescopes, besides the fact that bigger is better, especially when it comes to the mount.

That said, i hear you can get pretty respectable setups for 1500 bucks (tracking).

I know a few peeps who do astro stuff and live at campbeltown so it can't be all that bad, I would look at http://www.iceinspace.com.au/ they are the bees knees..

Biggerry - welcome to the club and yes the cost only keeps increasing!!!! Nice set of shots.

Love that bums up shot! Make sure you get some video as well. I think video ages a little better than photos and other non-photogs can appreciate it much easier...

very true, but i have always balked at parents following their kids around with a video camera 24/7 - i will make more of a effort though, i think i also need more practice..

Finally, any light trail shots to share??

i did a test timelapse, but it was not really appropriate for a star trail, that is however on teh agenda.

http://youtu.be/QcYxD7dDix4

Okie. Invitation is open to any of you blokes or group adventurous enough to leave the city behind for a weekend on the red soil, crystal clear skies, amazing sunsets, Aboriginal culture and the bird and animal life of the north west plains. Something for all discerning photographers. You know you want to.
(I should be in promotions )

plenty of birds out there now i hear too!

[norwest]

Galahs, Cockatoos and red rump parrots are a literal road hazard and always breaking windscreens and it only worsens in grain harvest season. Even had pair of Wedge Tails fly up from eating road kill and almost hit the screen. It caught me off guard and scared the hell out of me. They are bloody enormous.

[aim54x]

Great shots Gerry...looks like it would have been worth the drive to get out there. Any more pics to share?

[colin_12]

Yes I want to see more from the $30 telescope adaptor. Will it come up to play?

[Matt. K]

Gerry
Love the images....what a great trip! Are the first 2 shots HDR? They look kind of unatural in the lighting? The last 2 shots are just beautiful. Oh......and you are to be complimeted on your horizons.

[biggerry]

Great shots Gerry...looks like it would have been worth the drive to get out there. Any more pics to share?

just finished editing most of the under five shots, but i will not make ya's suffer any more

Yes I want to see more from the $30 telescope adaptor. Will it come up to play?

so do I, just need a fat telescope

Gerry
Love the images....what a great trip! Are the first 2 shots HDR? They look kind of unatural in the lighting? The last 2 shots are just beautiful. Oh......and you are to be complimeted on your horizons.

first image is HDR, the second is a single shot.

actually the horizons are not perfect, close, but not perfect..

here is another version of teh first, single shot

[norwest]

No idea where else to put this post. Your above shots would now include a great deal of water. Narrabri copped it pretty bad as is the whole region for the third time in two years. My cricket shots would now include the bow of a boat in the foreground with the bails floating away and landscape shots would be waterscapes. We are flooded in and waiting inside the town levee bank after a pre evacuation warning, but the rain eased overnight and the river is steady at the moment, so with a bit of luck we'll be fine.

That's not the case for my son, whom only a two weeks ago moved into Moree from Colly to start a teaching position. This morning his street and those all around around, including the main CBD has about 2 to 3 feet of fast flowing water running through it, but he's lucky enough to be in a home elevated about a metre above street level. Not so the majority of homes around him with water flowing through them. The poor buggers have not long ago finished repairs from prior floods. After about a decade of drought prior to a couple of years ago, everyone has had a gutful of feast or famine and rain, rain and more bloody rain.

If anyone is familiar with Moree, my son tells me that after he spent all day yesterday helping sand bag his street and the CBD shops, only about 6 inches of the hedges in the shot below (a wikipedia shot of part of the Moree CBD/main street) are now visible above water. I might go out later and see if i can get some shots of the local floods. Perhaps it will be camera shy and recede

[the foto fanatic]

The poor buggers have not long ago finished repairs from prior floods. After about a decade of drought prior to a couple of years ago, everyone has had a gutful of feast or famine and rain, rain and more bloody rain.

Best wishes to your family and everyone else, Hope there is a quick recovery.