Greg Milunich

Congratulations to our Top Pic of the Week, Greg Milunich for his starry captures. Carrying his Canon 6D, Sigma 15mm f/2.8 fisheye lens, Greg visited Sky Lake, a Camp and Retreat Center, located in Windsor, New York.  Using his Manfrotto tripod to steady his shots, each exposure was 30 seconds. Check out the production of these amazing photos. 

Milkyway Over Sky Lake

I have been chasing the Milky Way for about two years now.  Shooting at night brings peaceful moments that awakens my soul.  Sky Lake is a soulful place for me, so it was natural for me to want to combine them. I grew up going to summer camp there where we would lay on the grass and gaze at the stars.  I hadn’t been there in a while.  I decided it was time to visit the stars over the lake again.  The weather was optimal with clearing skies, so I rolled the dice and went.  I knew exactly where on the lake I wanted to be. The swimming area gave a wide open view across the lake. I wanted some interest in the foreground. To my dismay the sky was mostly clouded over so I tried some shots to just get the breaks in the clouds first. As I saw it start to clear I positioned myself on the dock over the water and shot facing the south/west. I at first under exposed and then corrected to get the Milky Way shot.

I use a travel Manfrotto tripod it is small enough to carry frequently and sturdy enough for even the coldest night shoots. I have to be careful to not process too much because to avoid the star trails I have to increase my ISO to between 1600 and 3200. I always tend to overexpose them and bring it down in post to make sure I get the stars shining.

Stars over the dock

Ironically, I shot this almost exactly a year after my Canon 60d and Sigma 10-20mm were stolen. I had been night shooting and they were taken out of my car. I turned to KEH to get back shooting again. I recommend everyone try night shooting at some point. It can give you a new perspective on the world. I was working with another photographer that night and helping him to learn some of my night shooting tricks. My biggest advice is to never stop learning or challenging yourself.

Thank you Greg, for allowing us to share your awesome photos. Check out more photos on his Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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