Whenever photographers arrive at the Bodie Ghost Town in California the biggest draw is this lovely rusted relic gradually becoming one with the earth. I’d always wanted to capture a nightscape of this scene with the Milky Way framing the car in a timeless embrace.
Imagine my disappointment when I learned that the park cannot be accessed at night.
Behind The Shot
This was one of those shots that called for a bit of Photoshop trickery. Seeing as I wasn’t going to get my chance at a night time visit of the park I decided to capture my super sharp daytime shot at f/16 as the sun beat down on the weather worn body work.
In post processing I combined the car exposure with a Milky Way shot that I’d taken a week earlier in Death Valley. The final composite that you see now closely resembles the shot I had in mind but was denied.
One day I’ll make friends with someone that can sneak me in at night and I’ll nail that perfect shot in one take. Till then, enjoy this much less noisy composite.
Thanks for looking
Gavin Hardcastle
Great compromise (and I do enjoy your photography and videos) BTW,last year a ranger out of Bridgeport told me the Friends of Bodie do have one or two nights per year for nighttime photography – and that it costs about $600 for a short window of time to shoot. So, nope.