My Six Favorite Michael Goh Milky Way Photos

"The Light Within" - Milky Way over the Pinnacles in Australia. This is a 29 image panorama with zodiacal light and front lit by a crescent moon to cast shadows from the front. More information on APOD. This image was also the winner of the PNA 2015 Nightcape Category.~ © Michael Goh (Click on any image to enlarge)

Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) for 17 Feb 2016: Yesterday, Michael Goh, had the great honor of being featured in this prestigious NASA photo showcase. However, many have followed "AstroPhotoBear", as he is often called on social media, for over a year now —especially right after he won the Best Astrophoto in the Astrofest 2014 Astrophotography Exhibition, with his "Cosmic Balance" photo, shown below.

"Cosmic Balance" is a panorama of 15 photos (8 top, 7 bottom) at the Pinnacles in Nambung National Park, Western Australia. Moon luminosity was 13% located about 25 to 30 degrees right of the frame (visible in the top right due to the panorama). Images stacked in PTGui, straightening of the Milky Way (vs having an arch) causes the framing with the clouds. Additional post processing in Photoshop to highlight the Milky Way and for noise control. ISO 2000, F2.8 16mm, 15 x 30s exposures. ~ © Michael Goh

My other four favorites all have a central theme. The foregrounds are all illuminated by Michael, while he is standing near the middle of the image, holding a light in his outstretched arm. Many have tried to copy this unique style, but none have come close to pulling it off as well as Michael.

"Distant lands". For landscape astrophotography, light pollution is often seen as a bane. However you can use it for effect. For this image Michael positioned light pollution glow behind him to enhance the scene. ~ © Michael Goh

.                                            “Alone in the Dark” is a 21 image panorama. ~ © Michael Goh                                               .

.                      “The Dying Earth” is a 27 image panorama at salt lake in Western Australia. ~ © Michael Goh                    .

. “Nightmare” is another panorama self portrait image taken at Lake Dumbleyung in Western Australia. ~ © Michael Goh .

Michael Goh and "AstroPhotoBear"

Michael Goh or “Astrophotobear” is primarily a landscape / wide-field astrophotographer. Michael purchased his first DSLR in November 2010 and has been self taught with reading, websites, YouTube and a lot of experimentation.  Through his journey he has also been shooting fauna, flora, liquid macros, off camera flash, macros, and some portraiture.

Michael keeps no photographic secrets. If it is reasonably within his capacity to help others, he will.  He believes that blogging with his techniques and his experiments is one of the better ways of effectively of sharing his knowledge. More of Michael's images can be found on his website.