Selected Regions of The Milky Way

[Nightfly]

Greetings SGL members.

It has been some time since I have posted any new film images. It is true that I have been having a fling with a mistress named DSLR, but my heart is in these images done in the way I learned thirty years ago.

My last imaging session according to my Log book was October 11, 2012. I had just finished a roll of Superia that night and I almost never returned. I began experimenting with digital. It was fun and productive but I missed my old film images. I was delayed further about one year ago. Without warning I suffered a severe heart attack. It was quite the scene. I was a goner for sure if not for the help of some cracker jack EMT's that kept CPR going. I was gone for over 15 minutes. The ER got me back and the chopper flight to an emergency heart catheterization lab placed a stent and after several months of rehab I am back and good as new!

I had one great session in late June. For several back-to-back nights the weather cooperated enough to image with a new lens and I wanted to share with you all.

The images below are taken with the Pentax 67 and the 400mm F/4 SMC Takumar lens. I used apertures of f/4.8 or f/5.6 for 40-50 minute exposures on Fuji Neopan Acros 100 black and white negative film.

You can read about my project plan and inspiration here:

http://nightflyphotography.blogspot.com/2014/07/recapturing-ee-barnards-legac...

You can view the images and read about them here:

http://nightflyphotography.blogspot.com/2014/07/selected-regions-of-milky-way...

Here is a legend to the several images taken in June.

Pictures at Eleven by Nightfly Photographic, on Flickr

Below are some of the results.  These are preliminary images that were scanned rather hastily, but these results look promising.  I need to go back and remaster each image, something that will take me awhile.  A good task for winter when I am shut indoors. 

Messier 24 Region by Nightfly Photographic, on Flickr

Region of Dark Lanes in Ophiuchus by Nightfly Photographic, on Flickr

The Southern Scutum Star Cloud by Nightfly Photographic, on Flickr

The Dark Nebulae Around Theta Ophiuchi by Nightfly Photographic, on Flickr

Apologies for the smaller sized image here:

The Great Star Cloud in Scutum by Nightfly Photographic, on Flickr

Messier 22 Region in Sagittarius by Nightfly Photographic, on Flickr

The Great Sagittarius Star Cloud by Nightfly Photographic, on Flickr

Thanks for looking.  I hope you enjoyed them.

Jim

[Pete Presland]

what an excellent collection of images, very nicely done!

[SkyJamie]

Hey Jim, great to hear your doing well and are back posting again! Fantastic images

All the best

[m.tweedy]

Nice to see you back in style with proper film.

keep up the good work with both film and dslr.

[Mr Bergman]

Nice presentation and impressive images! Nice to see some "real" photos!

[ollypenrice]

Delicious.

I particularly love the region between the Swan and the Trifid with M24 in the middle. This is an under-photographed bit of sky.

Olly

[Nightfly]

Thank you all.  It was fairly difficult work and I was pleasantly surprised that all frames came out as expected.  Guiding for each frame was corrected manually and there was some issues with nighttime insects, so I am glad I did not bump the system during exposures.  Aircraft was a concern and several exposures had to be capped during their presence around the field.  Fireflies (or lightning bugs) seemed to like where I was pointed!  I thought I missed a few of them, but the films did not record any occurrences.   

Overall it was great fun and I am hoping for good weather for another round.  Color this time.  We'll see.  The current dark run is about over.  Late August should be promising.

It's good to have the strength and energy to get back at it.  It has been good therapy.  Looks like years of imaging to come.  

Thanks again.

Jim

[Fay]

What a wonderful collection. glad you are up and running again, you've had a bad time. looking forward to more on film!!

Fay

[Mr Spock]

It's nice to see so many fine images. You have a great collection there.