Starry Skies and a Lone Tree

The night of a New Moon with so many stars in the sky off West Summerland Key, The Florida Keys

The night of a New Moon with so many stars in the sky off West Summerland Key
West Summerland Key – 2018_03_17 – IMG_0762

The Milky Way over West Summerland Key

I traveled three hours south to West Summerland Key to catch the Milky Way in the darkness of the Florida Keys

The Milky Way over West Summerland Key
WestSummerlandKey – 2018_03_17 – IMG_0839

The trip started off with a traffic jam on i-75 with a truck that flipped onto its side. The drive through Broward, Miami and Monroe county otherwise went well.

I arrived first to the location around 2:30am to see if my favorite tree survived the Hurricane last year. It did, it was still standing on the shallows of the petrified mangrove roots while so much had been destroyed. The tree stood starkly against the starry night sky.

I eventually met up with Capt Kimo and William Leonard around 3am, then the fun began. the lights from our flashlights splashed the landscape, some times bright sometimes red, sometimes extremely bright. Claudia and Ivan eventually made it down around 5:30am, but they had stopped at several other locations – I am guessing at their arrive time.

We shot together, separately and through the early morning hours. The Milky Way slowly rose from the east around 4:00am and we continued shooting at different angles and locations till about 6:30am. It was a long time night and a long drive, but well worth the effort

Location: West Summerland Key, FL
Taken: 03/17/2018
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Lens: Canon EF 16-35mm F/2.8L USM II
Aperture: f/2,8
ISO: 3200
Shutter Speed: 30 secs
Focal Length: 19mm

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#FloridaKeys #WestSummerlandKey #MonroeCounty #Florida #MilkyWay #nightphotography #Canon #optoutside #LoveFL

Kibry Storter Roadside Park, Big Cypress

Photos by Lee Smith

I traveled with my friend Ivan to visit Kirby Storter Park in the Big Cypress Preserve of Highway 41. It was a long ride to the interior region of the Everglades.  After waiting till the sun went down, the stars started to shine through the blue skies. The darker the skies got, the more stars appeared. It was amazing. This is my first attempt at a Milky Way capture and it was a challenge. The key is to focus your camera before it gets dark, otherwise you have to do it by feel.

Be sure you got some really great mosquito repellant – I highly recommend a product called Repel – Lemon Eucalyptus – Repel 94109 Lemon Eucalyptus Natural Insect Repellent, 4-Ounce Pump Spray – Order it from Amazon

Click on an image for a larger view
The Warm Glow of a Sunrise - Coral Cove Park Kirby Storter Walkway Sunset at Kirby Storter Roadside Park IMG_1503

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This is a definite must for being in the Everglades at night!
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Coghlan’s Bug Jacket, Medium

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