AstroLandscapes #64 - Milky Way from the Marshes

[FenlandPaul]

Over the bank holiday weekend I was feeling rather sombre, having learned on the Friday about the sudden passing of Alyn Wallace.  I just wanted to be on my own under the stars.  I had a few people message me to ask if I wanted to head out shooting on the Saturday night, when we were expecting some decent skies in part of East Anglia, but more than ever I needed the solitude so I politely declined (always feel bad about that, and I don't mean to be unsociable, but I don't think I would have been particularly entertaining company anyway).  If you're one of those people - sorry.

So a couple of hours before dusk I started the 2 hour drive up to the North Norfolk coast to Brancaster Staithe, the marshy harbour separated from the majestic Brancaster Beach by a complex web of tidal creeks, marshland topped with tufts of grass, and mudflats.  I'd visited only very briefly at night before, to suss out the harbour area, but never been on the marshes, so some intense Google Earthing earlier in the day had indicated some potentially promising areas from which to shoot, albeit I wasn't entirely sure how the Spring tides would impact access.

As with many of these coastal locations, I was accompanied through the night by the most amazing sounds of the wildlife - exotic sounding birds and, at one point, a sustained gurgling noise whose origin I couldn't fathom.  Clouds came and went, but that didn't matter as I wasn't after any award-winning shots - I just wanted to be immersed under the heavens, taking it all in and allowing the previous day's news to slowly sink in.  

In the early hours of the morning I noticed some pinks on camera towards the north, and sure enough we had a brief aurora display, which I was able to timelapse; it looks like I missed the best of the display by 20 minutes or so, but I was pleased to have captured something at least.  I'm amazed how many times I visit north Norfolk and end up with capturing a display - I think my hit rate for that is well over 50%!  I began to head home at about 2am, through thick fog all the way.  I was tired, yet completely restored.

As always, I'm grateful for your comments and CC on the images, and if you fancy coming along for the adventure vicariously I made a video of the night, linked at the bottom.

Clear skies!

✨Last Resting Place✨

📷 Canon 6D (astro-modified) with Sigma Art 24mm f/1.4 lens and Skywatcher StarAdventurer tracker

🔧 Sky: 11x 120s exposures at ISO800 and f/4. Foreground: 2x 30s exposures at ISO1600

🎞️ Sky stacked in Sequator.  Edited and blended in PhotoShop and Starnet++

 

✨The Creek✨

📷 Canon 6D (astro-modified) with Samyang 14mm f/2.8 lens
🔧 Sky: 54x20s exposures at ISO2000 and f/2.8.  Foreground: 120s and 60s exposures at f/4 and ISO2000
🎞️Sky stacked in Sequator.  Edited and blended in Photoshop and Starnet ++

 

✨Time and Tides✨

📷 Canon 6D (astro-modified) with Sigma Art 24mm f/1.4 lens
🔧 Sky: 92x 18s exposures at ISO6400 and f/2.8.  Foreground 2x 60s focus-stacked exposures at ISO 6400 and f/3.5
🎞️ Sky stacked in Sequator. Edited and assembled in Photoshop and Starnet++

 

✨Depth✨

📷 Canon 6D (astro-modified) with Sigma Art 24mm f/1.4 lens and Skywatcher StarAdventurer tracker
🔧 Sky: 11x 120s exposures at ISO800 and f/4.  Foreground 1x 30s exposure at ISO 6400 and f/3.5
🎞️ Sky stacked in Sequator. Edited and assembled in Photoshop and Starnet++

 

✨The Buoy and the Aurora✨

📷 Canon 6D with Samyang 14mm f/2.8 lens
🔧Single 20s exposure at ISO4000 and f/2.8
🎞️ Edited in PhotoShop

 

✨The Jetty and the Aurora✨

📷 Canon 6D with Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens
🔧Single 6s exposure at ISO6400 and f/1.8
🎞️ Edited in PhotoShop

 

 

[josefk]

They are lovely pictures Paul. I know that area well (in the daylight). 👍

[davew]

Wonderful once again Paul.

Those shots bring back nice memories of North Norfolk during the Kelling weeks.

Thanks,

Dave.

[FenlandPaul]

1 hour ago, davew said:

Wonderful once again Paul.

Those shots bring back nice memories of North Norfolk during the Kelling weeks.

Thanks Dave - I'd love to get to Kelling one of these years!

 

 

3 hours ago, josefk said:

They are lovely pictures Paul. I know that area well (in the daylight). 👍

Thanks Josef - I would like to have explored it properly during daylight first!

[clarkpm4242]

Mud!

Love the feel.  A great set of images.

The video is even better.

[AstroNebulee]

Beautiful Paul. Just watched your journal and I'm blown away as usual. 

I just want to say a huge thank you for your journals, advice given on them and your enthusiasm for Widefield astrophotography that keeps me going and I'm sure many others of us.

All your images are superb but last resting place is just sublime. 

Clear skies and look forward to your next journal. 

Lee 

 

[FenlandPaul]

4 minutes ago, AstroNebulee said:

 

I just want to say a huge thank you for your journals, advice given on them and your enthusiasm for Widefield astrophotography that keeps me going and I'm sure many others of 

 

Really appreciate that, Lee - thank you. It means a lot.

I think Last Resting Place is my favourite too. Still can’t fathom how the boat managed to get there. I’m sure there’s a story there somewhere.

13 hours ago, clarkpm4242 said:

Mud!

Welcome to East Anglia!!

[AstroNebulee]

1 minute ago, FenlandPaul said:

I think Last Resting Place is my favourite too. Still can’t fathom how the boat managed to get there. I’m sure there’s a story there somewhere.

During the video as you were wandering up to the houseboat with your headtorch on, I expected a grumpy old man to twitch the curtains, open the window and shout at you. 

The houseboat would make a lovely place to live with those views. 

Lee