Life First! Exploring New Zealand for Milky Way Compositions | Episode 176

I’m counting down my top five favorite Milky Way shots of all time - up to now at least. Each one’s a story of what went well and what could have gone better chasing the stars at these brilliant locations. Sometimes an image is in my Top Ten because of my work nailing the perfect frame and learning from the times I totally botched it. But sometimes these images are in the Top Ten just thanks to where they are and how easy it is to get something amazing there! From the wild southern skies of New Zealand to the rugged canyons of Utah, these locations have shaped how I see the night sky through my lens. You’ll get the highs and lows of each shoot, plus some solid tips to help you snag your own killer Milky Way pic. Oh, and if these spots get you stoked, my upcoming eBook "Photog Adventures' Milky Way Field Guide has ALL of my favorite locations and helpful tips on how to get there. Tune in for the full scoop or click here when ready to grab your copy: https://bit.ly/45YC4FL

In this one, I dive into what went well nailing Aurora shots even with low-KP activity and what could’ve gone better waiting for that perfect light to hit. You’ll get my first impression favorite spots, stories on dealing with Lofoten’s fast-moving clouds and the reality of Lofoten Islands' limited pathways & parking. This podcast is all about scouting this jaw-dropping Arctic spot, chasing the Aurora Borealis and seeing some unreal landscapes celebrating the wondrous look of Norwegian Fjords. Think near-misses over Hamnoy Bridge’s iconic red buildings balanced with pure wins like stumbling on the green grass water pools off Havveringen Road. This episode is packed with the highs and lows of photographing in a place that DEFINITELY needs to remain on your Bucket List!

Hear what it was like going to New Zealand and seeing the Southern Hemisphere Milky Way sky for my VERY FIRST TIME! The Southern Island of New Zealand has no shortage of beautiful views but what if the most iconic locations are covered in clouds? In this episode, you will hear the successes and challenges we met while hunting for compositions in a world entirely new to us, a milky way orientation incredible but foreign to us and how we dealt with the weather keeping us away from the expected main targets.

This week on the podcast I am joined by my first guest in a very long time, Jeroen Linnenkamp! Jeroen and I were talking about star color and he had the question about whether shutter could ruin star color the way that high ISO will blow out star color. I wasn't sure if there was a threshold when the exposure would start clipping the star color by shutter alone and so Jeroen did an experiment and shared the results with me for Milky Way Wednesday and today he talks about what those results mean to him. Along with that Jeroen shares adventures of Milky Way Photography from the Netherlands and a story about a beast that could have killed him while out enjoying fields of heather. Whether you are in the southwest of the United States or the low lands of Holland, Astrophotographers are always risking life and limb for the shot! Say thanks to Jeroen for joining the podcast by subscribing to his YouTube channel and following his instagram! Links below! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StarScaperPhoto Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeroenlin/

This week on Milky Way Wednesday I was joined by Clarence Spencer of SpencersCamera.com to answer all questions about Astro-modified cameras that the Milky Way Wednesday crowd could think up! In case you missed it and thousands of you most certainly did, here is a replay of the awesome breadth of knowledge that Clarence shared with my YouTube audience! This winter we all have been challenged to capture a Winter Milky Way Panorama and one of the most critical steps to a successful one is using an Astro-modded camera. Thanks to Clarence's business SpencersCamera.com we all have an affordable way to get that camera to use this winter! In between questions from the audience, Clarence also showed us how he edits his astro-modded images to give you a head-start once you capture your own astro-modded Milky Way image! Link to YouTube Video Version: https://youtu.be/OBblwHSoEYM

This week on the Photog Adventures Podcast I give you the FIVE TIPS you need for Winter Milky Way Panoramas! I won't tell what they are here so you still have to listen to me :D but I cover everything from the perfect window of opportunity for panorama as well as what hours during the night you can expect to be out there to be able to capture that perfect panorama window. The absolute best news is what is happening in February and March and what incredible fun challenge those months are bringing! I hope you will all join me in taking on the challenge of Winter Milky Way and what we get to do in February and March!

The challenges and successes of Milky Way Photography in North Carolina! I just got back from my first Milky Way Workshop out on the East Coast and enjoyed some successes and crazy stories while out there! In this episode, I will go over FIVE THINGS: 1- Depressing Meal 2- First Night Near Fatal 3- Blue Ridge Parkway Milky Way "The Good and the Bad" 4- Rocks at Fort Fisher Milky Way "The Good and the Bad" 5- Final Goodbye to the Milky Way core at Caswell Beach Next week's episode: Winter Milky Way Panorama!

WORKSHOP DEAL: https://bit.ly/3uiLNCs Buckhorn Wash Pictograph Panel: https://bit.ly/3TlT7YX Arches Trailhead: https://bit.ly/3S1H7KX Hoodoo Village Parking: https://bit.ly/3MwT3TS In this episode I share my FIVE FAVORITE less traveled locations here in Utah. Often we go to the famous landmarks but wish we were somewhere with less people! These five locations will provide amazing views and easy to love compositions for either Milky Way or Landscape Photography. Throughout the episode, I share stories from each location while also describing the terrain, challenges and benefits of photography in these off-the-beaten-path locations that are still nearby classic Utah destinations.

Aaron Martinez joins me to give us the inside info on his rise from Hobbyist photographer to having a FULL-TIME CAREER as a "Visual Journalist" or Staff Photographer for one of USA Today's Circulation of Austin, Texas Newspapers. He shares what worked and what he was missing in his interview process and spills some secrets on how one can join him as a career Journalism Photographer in an industry that is getting tougher and tougher to find a good paying job in. We also here his story of a potentially life-threatening wildlife encounter while in New Mexico and the story behind my absolute favorite picture out of White Sands National Park that Aaron captured years ago! I just LOVE his image! See Aaron's Portfolio here: https://aaronmartinez.myportfolio.com/ See that White Sands image: https://aaronmartinez.myportfolio.com/chasing-light SAVE 50% OFF TEN OF MY WORKSHOPS HERE: https://bit.ly/3pJbhFb This is a 1-DAY sale only, so if you are reading this on Friday, August 20th then CLICK ON THE LINK ASAP! Sale ends at Midnight Friday night! :D -Aaron

Perseids are going to be great this year! The timing with the moon is working out really tremendous for us this year and so the annual Perseid Meteor Shower is going to be the best we have had in several years! So let's get ready for it! Know the best mornings to go out and tips on how to take advantage of it as best as possible! Kirk Keyes and Rhonda Pierce joins me on the podcast to talk the Perseid Meteor Shower and Rhonda's transition to a mirrorless Canon camera. Read Kirk's Perseid Meteor Shower article over on MilkyWayPhotographers.com: https://bit.ly/3CbbS9P