AWARDS: ENGLAND / WILTSHIRE / LAKE DISTRICT / WALES / SCOTLAND / COAST OF S.W. ENGLAND / COAST / STORMS / LAKES & MOUNTAINS / WINTER LANDSCAPES / DESERTS / ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY / BRITISH BIRDS 1 / BRITISH BIRDS 2 / BRITISH MAMMALS / BRITISH INSECTS / WORLD BIRDS / WORLD MAMMALS / NATURE
MILKY WAY ARCH AND AURORA, ELAN VALLEY
The Elan Valley in mid-Wales is protected from development to safeguard its water catchment and has some of the darkest skies to be found in southern Britain. This is the first time I have managed to capture both the Milky Way and an aurora in the same picture. They are reflected in the calm waters of Garreg Ddu reservoir, with its Victorian water intake structure in the centre of the composition.
This 180 degree panorama represents seven overlapping panels taken with a 14mm lens. Each panel comprises 15 stacked frames of 15 seconds at f/2 and ISO 12,800 for the sky and one frame of 8 minutes at f/2.8 and ISO 3,200 for the foreground. Total exposure time 84 minutes. Processed in Lightroom, Sequator for stacking and PTGui for stitching.
F/2, 15 seconds, ISO 12,800 (sky, stacked), F/2.8, 8 minutes, ISO 3200 (foreground), stitched panorama.
Accepted: Smethwick 2025
