Derrick Kosea (@d_kosea_kaptures) is a member of the Navajo Nation Tribe located in the Four Corner Region of New Mexico. “I have been shooting landscape photography for five years now,” he says. “Currently I am a full-time student starting my junior year studying electrical engineering, but during my spare time/no homework days I go out hiking and photographing areas around the Four Corner states. I am thankful that so many of these beautiful locations are just a quick drive from home. Being able to share my art with others brings joy into my busy school life and allows me to find a sense of peace.” We came across this astro image Kosea brought to life and wanted to learn more about how he captured it. Keep reading as he shares his story behind the shot.

Product Preview – In This Article You'll Find:
–Sony Alpha 7 IV
–Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master

Photo by Derrick Kosea. Sony Alpha 7 IV. Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master. Sky: 20-sec., f/2.8, ISO 2000. Foreground: 30-sec., f/8, ISO 2500

When An Idea Sparks

I was showing some friends this area and the idea sparked to get a photo with one of the tents. We were out shooting sunset the day before and got up early the next morning for the Milky Way. Hiking out into the darkness required headlamps and a good sense of direction. I use Photo Pills to help prepare myself for the Milky Way location. This app comes in handy when I am out scouting around for compositions. During sunset shooting at locations when I have a chance to capture the Milky Way, I have that in the back of my mind and use the app to determine which spot would be perfect for the shot. 

Once blue hour comes, I scout out more locations with the Milky Way at the forefront of my idea for a photo. I then again use the app to hone in on a better composition that I find unique and intriguing. When I finally get my blue hour photo, I play the waiting game or come back to the marked location once the Milky Way is in view of my comp. Thank goodness for all the technological tools that are at our disposal to help bring our ideas to life.

Working With The Gear You Have

I shot this with my Sony Alpha 7 IV paired with the Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master lens. The Sony Alpha 7 IV is my daily camera that I shoot with and I really enjoy it. It has an incredible dynamic range that helps produce sharp raw images that I can edit with a breeze in my post-processing.

The Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master is my go-to lens. Eventually I would like to get the Sony 12-24mm f/2.8 G Master, but for now I work with what I have. The Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master is a great lens. It’s fast and 24mm helps me get wide enough shots of my foreground during blue hour and then the Milky Way when it is visible in the moonless sky.

Getting The Shot

We moved the tent into this spot, and it lined up perfectly with the Milky Way. I continued to shoot the Milky Way and then waited for some of blue hour to arrive just before sunrise. With blue hour in place, I put one of our lamps into the tent but then some wind rolled through so my wife crawled into the tent to help stabilize it. I continued to shoot the tent with some blue hour and thought it would blend in great with the Milky Way photos I took.

I put my Sony Alpha 7 IV on a tripod to help get my long exposures of the foreground and sky. I utilized the wide-open aperture of the Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master to capture the Milky Way. I photographed it at 24mm and my settings were 20-seconds, f/2.8, ISO 2000. I then stacked 10 shots to reduce noise in the sky. I shot the foreground at blue hour after shooting late at night and into early morning. I shot it at 24mm and my settings I used for the foreground were 30-seconds, f/8, ISO 2500.

Finishing Touches

My editing process starts in Lightroom. I do basic adjustments such as highlights, shadows, exposure, WB or any noise reduction. Once I am satisfied with my adjustments, I then bring the photo in Photoshop to do some more editing. I use The Pro Panel that was developed by my good friend John Weatherby. It is a plug-in that aids my editing process and speeds up my workflow. Highly recommended if you want to check it out. Once I am complete, I save it back in Lightroom for the finishing touches and then export to my phone to share with the world or possibly get it printed.

See more of Derrick Kosea’s work on Instagram @d_kosea_kaptures.