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Migrants from Astronomy Forum may recognise this image. Taken on the island of Java in Indonesia 3.5 years ago. I have spent some time reprocessing the image from my original files this weekend. Changes are subtle but I feel important. No change to the sky rendering but I have processed it to lift the shadow detail on the dark landscape which I always felt I left a little too dark..
My mate Bengt and I left our hotel rooms at about 2am. We had booked a 4wd to take us down from the escarpment down over the lava flow and part way up this hill until the driver had to stop due to the narrow road being choked with parked cars. We then walked a couple of miles up the road ascending about 1000ft in the process until we arrived at the lookout where this photo was taken. I captured seven 30s exposures ISO3200 12mm f4 with a Pentax K5 and Pentax ED12-24 f4 lens.
The dark lower part of the landscape is all seven exposures stacked. The volcanic fumes from Mt Bromo, the red puff from Semeru, the lightning in the clouds and the Milky Way all come from just one of those exposures. We spent more than an hour there just enjoying the dawn view before descending. At sunrise, our driver took us to the base of the Mt Bromo rim walk. It was the first day the walk was opened after some months of eruptions. Bengt looked at the rim and asked if I was ready. I looked at the fumes drifting down the hill and knowing how toxic SO2 fumes are said that nobody told the volcano the walk was opened and that I didn't think it was a good idea. Bengt said, "you only live once." He walked up to the rim and I stayed down to shoot landscapes on the lava flow. While he was up there, someone climbed the safety fence and was backing up to the rim to get a selfie. He lost balance and started teetering on the edge and almost fell in. Bengt jumped the fence and pulled him back. After about 90 mins, Bengt descended feeling very nauseous from the fumes. He continued feeling ill for the remainder of the day.
Joe Cali
Amateur astronomer since 1978...................Web site :http://joe-cali.com/ Scopes: ATM 18" Dob, Vixen VC200L, ATM 6"f7, Stellarvue 102ED, Saxon ED80, WO M70 ED, Orion 102 Maksutov, ST80. Mounts: Takahashi EM-200, iOptron iEQ45, Push dobsonian with Nexus DSC, three homemade EQ's. Eyepieces: TV Naglers 31, 17, 12, 7; Denkmeier D21 & D14; Pentax XW10, XW5, Unitron 40mm Kellner, Meade Or 25,12 Cameras : Pentax K1, K5, K01, K10D / VIDEO CAMS : TacosBD, Lihmsec. Cam/guider/controllers: Lacerta MGEN 3, SW Synguider, Simulation Curriculum SkyFi 3+Sky safari Memberships Astronomical Association of Queensland; RASNZ Occultations Section; Single Exposure Milky Way Facebook Group (Moderator) (12k members), The Sky Searchers (moderator)
Hi Joe.
I cannot remember what this image looked like on AF, but what you have here is very good. The light in the forground terrestrial seems perfect to me.
Your account of the capture and the detail of the shoot is a treat to read.
Thank you for posting and sharing your adventure.
