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Show Off Your Scenic Jeep Photos

jadewolf

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After seeing a few of your photos I have to say your photography skills are amazing!
Thank you!!

love the Alabama Hills, discovered them on our way back from picking up the JLUR in Idaho...
Can't believe I never stopped by there after taking 395 to Tahoe for years!!!

beautiful pics!! what are you using and how the hell do you get those night sky shots like that???
Yeah, that whole stretch of 395 is one of my favorite places in the state! I go up there a bunch.

As for the photos, I shoot primarily with a Nikon D500, with an old couple of Nikons as backup bodies. These shots were with a wide zoom lens, a Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8. Just recently picked that one up and really liking it so far. I use a Manfrotto BeFree tripod w/ball head, with the plate swapped for an Arca-Swiss plate and an RRS L-bracket on the D500. I haven't ponied up for the super expensive tripods yet, nor for a fancy star-tracking rotator mount. They're out of my budget when I've still got Jeep parts to buy, lol. If I ever want to get serious, though, that's probably something to consider.

Astrophotography is tricky business and I'm still perfecting my skills, but there's a couple key things. First, is calculating the proper shutter speed / aperture. Old school is the 500 rule, but modern techniques are updated and can provide better results: https://photographylife.com/500-rule-vs-npf-rule Either way, I'm shit at math, though, so I use the PhotoPills app to calculate it for me. Super easy.

The other trick.. the one nobody tells you about at first.. is doing multiple exposures and then compositing them in post. The Jeep / Milky Way shot was multiple photos. First I did one, exposed for the Jeep and foreground. Then, from the same position on the tripod, I did another couple that were exposed for the stars. In post processing, you layer these together and use layer masks to blend the exposures together.

This is especially important for astrophotography, as you can clear out a lot of the heavy grain by stacking multiple exposures. It'll help clean up the image a lot. It's a ton of work, though, and requires very precise manual adjustments to get the stars in all exposures lined up right. But very rewarding in the end!

Hit me up via DM and I can go into more detail, if you want. Don't want to clog up the thread here with photography lessons, but happy to share what I know!
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Olga

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As for the photos, I shoot primarily with a Nikon D500, with an old couple of Nikons as backup bodies. These shots were with a wide zoom lens, a Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8. Just recently picked that one up and really liking it so far. I use a Manfrotto BeFree tripod w/ball head, with the plate swapped for an Arca-Swiss plate and an RRS L-bracket on the D500. I haven't ponied up for the super expensive tripods yet, nor for a fancy star-tracking rotator mount. They're out of my budget when I've still got Jeep parts to buy, lol. If I ever want to get serious, though, that's probably something to consider.

Astrophotography is tricky business and I'm still perfecting my skills, but there's a couple key things. First, is calculating the proper shutter speed / aperture. Old school is the 500 rule, but modern techniques are updated and can provide better results: https://photographylife.com/500-rule-vs-npf-rule Either way, I'm shit at math, though, so I use the PhotoPills app to calculate it for me. Super easy.

The other trick.. the one nobody tells you about at first.. is doing multiple exposures and then compositing them in post. The Jeep / Milky Way shot was multiple photos. First I did one, exposed for the Jeep and foreground. Then, from the same position on the tripod, I did another couple that were exposed for the stars. In post processing, you layer these together and use layer masks to blend the exposures together.

This is especially important for astrophotography, as you can clear out a lot of the heavy grain by stacking multiple exposures. It'll help clean up the image a lot. It's a ton of work, though, and requires very precise manual adjustments to get the stars in all exposures lined up right. But very rewarding in the end!

Hit me up via DM and I can go into more detail, if you want. Don't want to clog up the thread here with photography lessons, but happy to share what I know!
I wish I did more astrophotography, but I'm usually so tired by the end of the day from all the daily activities that I just don't have the energy for this. Though I did try to do some simple night sky shots (without tracking or compositing), like this one:

Jeep Wrangler JL Show Off Your Scenic Jeep Photos 2020-07-20_DSC3342_web


I also use Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 and Manfrotto BeFree tripod for night sky shots, but I have a more lower-level and older Nikon D5300 camera. I usually just go for 30s at f/2.8 at ISO 1600. As for my daytime photography I'm starting to rely more and more on my... phone. Phones are getting more and more adequate for web purposes, like in the Chaos Crags shot above.

P.S.: Yes, I'm aware that this is a jeep forum and not astrophotography forum, so let's pretend there's a jeep in the deep shadow in the lower right corner of the image. ;)
 
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viper88

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I wish I did more astrophotography, but I'm usually so tired by the end of the day from all the daily activities that I just don't have the energy for this. Though I did try to do some simple night sky shots (without tracking or compositing), like this one:

Jeep Wrangler JL Show Off Your Scenic Jeep Photos 2020-07-20_DSC3342_web


I also use Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 and Manfrotto BeFree tripod for night sky shots, but I have a more lower-level and older Nikon D5300 camera. I usually just go for 30s at f/2.8 at ISO 1600. As for my daytime photography I'm starting to rely more and more on my... phone. Phones are getting more and more adequate for web purposes, like in the Chaos Crags shot above.

P.S.: Yes, I'm aware that this is a jeep forum and not astrophotography forum, so let's pretend there's a jeep in the deep shadow in the lower right corner of the image.
For a great photo like that I am willing to pretend it was taken from a Jeep with the top off.
 

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dennis2society

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Northern NJ - Not the most scenic - but did witness a rare Jeep-Oreo sighting over weekend.

Jeep Wrangler JL Show Off Your Scenic Jeep Photos 1626102822572


My white Willys is the cream, between a sahara and another brand-new Willys. I blacked out license plates but both of us still rocking temp dealer plates.)
 

MSteeves

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Hermit Pass road, near Westcliffe, CO.

Jeep Wrangler JL Show Off Your Scenic Jeep Photos hermit2


Overlooking Horseshoe Lake; Hermit Pass far background.

Jeep Wrangler JL Show Off Your Scenic Jeep Photos HorseshoeLakeHermitPass


Pikes Peak

Jeep Wrangler JL Show Off Your Scenic Jeep Photos pikespeak


County Road 2, out of Silverton

Jeep Wrangler JL Show Off Your Scenic Jeep Photos silverton


Near Animas Forks

Jeep Wrangler JL Show Off Your Scenic Jeep Photos forks


At Billings Lake, near Shavano Peak, over by Salida, CO.

Jeep Wrangler JL Show Off Your Scenic Jeep Photos billings1
 
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