{"id":200374,"date":"2025-07-09T06:51:49","date_gmt":"2025-07-09T13:51:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=200374"},"modified":"2025-07-09T06:51:50","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T13:51:50","slug":"night-sky-photographer-dave-green","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/hike\/night-sky-photographer-dave-green","title":{"rendered":"From Coal Mines to the Milky Way (and Beyond)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A heavily bundled Dave Green gazed through his pickup\u2019s frosted windshield into the silent West Virginia night, at the massive, eerily illumined Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Radio Telescope<\/a>. He glanced at his laptop, which showed a time-elapsed image of the 100-yard-wide dish surrounded by snow-dusted fields set against dark green conifers and the undulating Allegheny Mountains. Iridescent, Milky Way stars fanned across the sky like a tapestry. The constellation Orion smoldered in the upper left corner.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was 3am, but I felt wide awake,\u201d says Green, reflecting on that night in 2021. \u201cIt was solemn, stunningly beautiful. Part of me was like, \u2018Have you lost your mind? It\u2019s negative 5\u00b0 outside and you\u2019re staying up all night to take pictures of the sky for fun<\/em>?\u2019 But the biggest part of me was just so awed and grateful to be there seeing what I was seeing.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Green had spent months studying star maps and weather patterns, waiting for the perfect photo opp. He arrived just before sunset to set up his gear. His camera perched atop a tripod, its wide-angle lens aimed slightly upward and left of the famed deep-space telescope. Green sat in the truck, cozied under an REI Co-op Magma 15 sleeping bag<\/a> with a laptop and remote control, while an automated star tracker device adjusted his camera\u2019s position to snap hundreds of long-exposure shots until sunrise. Later, he used editing software to manually weave hundreds of photos into a composite image that showcases the enigmatic beauty of Orion setting over the telescope throughout the night.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA lot of astral photographers focus on [isolated celestial objects],\u201d says Green, whose night sky photography has been featured by the likes of NASA and the National Park Service, and shown in art galleries across his home state of West Virginia. However, Green\u2019s goal is to create images that capture the awe-inspiring experience of gazing up into the night sky from a point of reference that he says, \u201cfor me, feels equally mysterious and incredible.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Green shoots almost exclusively in West Virginia, and he calls his work a \u201ccelebration of the beautiful wild spaces I grew up surrounded by, but didn\u2019t fully appreciate until I was much older.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Green\u2019s journey to prominence as a night sky photographer began on the cusp of middle age\u2014and totally by accident.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing up outside West Virginia\u2019s 70,000-acre New River Gorge National Park and Preserve<\/a>, Green spent most of his childhood afternoons and weekends hunting, fishing and playing in the nearby expanse of forests, streams and mountains. Reading the work of astronomer and planetary scientist Carl Sagan inspired a deep fascination with starry night skies. That led him to seek out and devour more books and documentaries about space.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Green’s family wasn\u2019t wealthy and didn\u2019t do a ton of traveling, \u201cso, while I recognized I lived in a beautiful place with amazing starry skies, I didn\u2019t really have anything to compare it to,\u201d he says. \u201cIt took me decades to grasp and appreciate that access.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Childhood passed; Green married and became a young parent. Confronted by adult responsibilities, he looked for a career. Virtually everyone he knew worked in or around coal mines, so he chose to take advantage of those connections. A decade later, his work ethic and knack for technology helped him earn a position with a regional mine safety team. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dave Green, REI Co-op Member since 2015<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Life chugged comfortably along. Then Green\u2019s boss threw him a curveball, asking him to create safety training videos for mine personnel\u2014and the seemingly oddball request sparked a new purpose.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was strange because, for one, I didn\u2019t consider myself a visually creative person at all,\u201d he says. Now Green was tasked with making instructional films about, say, how to activate emergency fire suppression systems or properly wear a respiratory device. And the thing was, \u201cI had zero experience with digital cameras or editing software.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, a gig\u2019s a gig, and he was determined to produce quality results (see: that diehard work ethic). A natural tinkerer, Green set about learning photography\u2019s nuts and bolts. He explored camera settings, asked questions in online forums, watched countless tutorials and tracked down local pros for tips. Relentless experimentation yielded incremental improvements.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI stunk, but I could see I was getting better, and that was unexpectedly exciting,\u201d says Green. He especially enjoyed snapping stills of workers for posters or videos. \u201cYeah, the work was cheesy, but I was really enjoying myself. I started thinking, \u2018What if I try to push the envelope and get a little more creative?\u2019\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The revelation led Green to try his hand at photographing other things: portraits of his wife and kids, action shots at sporting events, snaps of wildlife along hiking trails and more. A buddy at the gym heard about this new hobby and introduced Green to night sky photography. Green was moved as he swiped through photos on social media filled with scenes of constellations blazing like bright smoke, strewn across black, star-peppered skies.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was like, \u2018Holy cow, this is the coolest thing I\u2019ve ever seen. I\u2019ve got<\/em> to try this,\u2019\u201d says Green. He picked his friend’s brain, got a basic overview, then ventured out into the night to capture time-elapsed photos in dark, remote locations like Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park<\/a>. He set up on hilltops or in secluded landscapes overhung with rapturous eruptions of stars. Shutters clicked, and Green watched his backscreen in amazement.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“A setting Milky Way core, a comet, a meteor, autumn leaves and a roaring West Virginia waterfall! The universe gave me an awesome opportunity with this shot. Sandstone Falls was the first place that I ever took a long exposure. I remember how excited I was to see the water smooth out like glass in the photos. I still love it, especially paired with an action-packed sky!”<\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat awe and wonder I\u2019d felt as a kid came rushing back,\u201d he says. \u201cThat\u2019s when I knew this was going to be a major part of my life.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Green returned home and threw himself into a whirlwind of research. He learned about crucial gear like DSLR cameras, star tracking heads, light painting equipment, denoising software and wide-aperture lenses\u2014then found affordable used models on websites like eBay. Apps like Dark Sky Map<\/a> helped him scout locations with low to no light pollution; Stellarium<\/a> taught him to identify celestial objects and when and where they would appear in the night sky.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Green began targeting astrological events, planning images weeks or months in advance. He obsessed over weather patterns, watching for ideal windows to shoot. Most weekends and vacation days revolved around photos, and he developed his own unique style of astral photography. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI like to feature familiar natural landmarks but place them in the framework of an astrological event unfolding across the night sky,\u201d says Green.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take his composite \u201cSeneca Cygnus,\u201d for example, shot in the Spruce Knob\u2013Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area<\/a>. First, a 2-mile hike to the summit of the park\u2019s namesake 1,568-foot rock formation, to scout the perfect location for photographing it at sunset. Next, lugging 60 pounds of gear into a roadside field about a half mile west of the summit. Green took time-elapsed photos of the grass and cliffs as the sun dipped below the horizon. The images were later stitched together with hundreds of others snapped throughout the night. The result features a gravel road that curves through vibrant, spring-green grass toward ghostly stands of white sycamore, dark green hemlock and the jagged, chimney-esque rock formation. The cliffs are bathed in an otherworldly pink glow and jut into a vast, three-dimensional sky strewn with nebulae that hang like fiery clouds of dust and ember.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy goal is to anchor my work in a sense of human perspective,\u201d says Green, who\u2019s been an REI Co-op Member since 2015. In doing so, he invites viewers to experience the miraculous overlap of micro and macro, the timeless wonder of contemplating the unfathomable cosmos from terra firma.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Friends and family initially considered Green\u2019s all-night photography hobby a bit nutty, but when he started to share the results, their tune quickly changed. The resoundingly positive reaction pushed him to create dedicated social media pages<\/a> and a website<\/a> in early 2020.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t think it would do anything,\u201d says Green. But what was the worst that could happen? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Follows and likes trickled in along with requests to purchase prints. Then national stargazing pages and agencies like NASA began to feature and repost images. Local and regional galleries discovered Green\u2019s work and reached out about exhibitions. Photography clubs and state parks invited him to lead night sky workshops, which are currently in the planning stages.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe response took me completely by surprise,\u201d says Green. \u201cIt feels kind of surreal, but I\u2019m stoked to be able to play a small role in introducing people to the beauty of this region and hopefully highlighting the importance of preserving it for future generations.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Green doesn\u2019t foresee his work shifting away from West Virginia any time soon. He says the state is home to the best and most abundant dark sky viewing opportunities east of the Mississippi River, and he hopes to raise awareness around that.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is one of the few places in the eastern U.S. where you can drive 15 minutes from just about anywhere and find world-class star viewing,\u201d says Green. And that\u2019s especially true for the eastern mountain regions. \u201cI take [visiting photographers] out and they\u2019re blown away,\u201d he says. \u201cThey can\u2019t believe what they\u2019re seeing.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking back, Green chuckles at the irony of his artistic journey\u2014how a seemingly farcical assignment opened the door to a life-changing passion. The fact that others dig the results? That\u2019s just icing on the cake. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI never thought I\u2019d become a photographer, much less totally reorient my life around it, but here I am,\u201d he says. \u201cI just feel so profoundly grateful to have found a way to express the love and admiration I feel for this amazing corner of the planet.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How to Take Night Photos Like a Pro <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here are some of REI Co-op Member Dave Green\u2019s tricks to help you explore night photography (without breaking the bank). Peruse his art, buy prints and learn more at his website, dave-has-a-camera.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also learn more by reading Photographing Stars at Night<\/a> and Headlamp Painting: Illuminate Your Nighttime Photos<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start Simple<\/em><\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

With so much info available online, it\u2019s easy for beginners to get bogged down in the high-tech elements of night sky photography. \u201cYou start doing research and it gets into the scientific weeds pretty quick,\u201d says Green. Furthermore, \u201ceverywhere and everyone is trying to push you to buy expensive, high-end gear.\u201d It can be discouraging.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, Green urges novices to start with a basic setup and see what happens. His early-outing toolkit included no more than a basic, hand-me-down Canon Rebel, cheap wide-angle lens and used tripod.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s all you really need,\u201d says Green. He\u2019s taken newbs out with that setup, \u201cand they\u2019re blown away by what they can capture.\u201d 
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Timing Photos and Finding Spots<\/em><\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t need to drive a million miles or hoof it into swamp-thick backcountry darkness to get a decent image. In fact, Green says it\u2019s more about orientation and quality conditions than location.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start by checking the moon cycle and looking for a night when it\u2019s a new moon. Then use a weather app to find a couple-hour window of clear skies. Consult a website like Dark Sky Map<\/a> to identify a spot near you that\u2019s within reasonable distance and offers comparatively dark and unobstructed southward views.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On clear, moonless nights during July, says Green, \u201cyou can drive 15 minutes from a major source of light pollution just after sunset, aim away from it toward the southern sky and capture the rising Milky Way core.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tweak Your Basic Setup<\/em><\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When you arrive at the shooting location, position your tripod and camera so the lens is pointed away from all light sources. Firmly securing the camera to the tripod will ensure it doesn\u2019t shake and distort your images.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adjust your lens to the widest viewing angle possible (preferably one lower than 24). Set your exposure between 20 to 30 seconds, your f-value or aperture (the opening in a photographic lens that lets in light) between 1.4 and 2.8 (or the lowest available number), and the ISO (your camera\u2019s light sensitivity) to 3200 or 6400. Use the camera\u2019s timer to trigger the shutter and avoid wobbles.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Follow this advice and \u201cyou\u2019re sure to get something pretty cool,\u201d says Green. And if you love the experience? \u201cThen you can start thinking about ramping things up from there.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Photo credit: Rob Butler<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A heavily bundled Dave Green gazed through his pickup\u2019s frosted windshield into the silent West Virginia night, at the massive, eerily illumined Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Radio Telescope. He glanced at his laptop, which showed a time-elapsed image of the 100-yard-wide dish surrounded by snow-dusted fields set against dark green conifers and the undulating […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30740,"featured_media":200480,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,387,685],"tags":[28,53,109,931,66],"internal-tag":[2010],"class_list":["post-200374","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-camp","category-hike","category-news","tag-diy","tag-photography","tag-member-stories","tag-stars","tag-tips","internal-tag-home-lead"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/hike\/night-sky-photographer-dave-green","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"From Coal Mines to the Milky Way (and Beyond)","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/hike\/night-sky-photographer-dave-green","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/hike\/night-sky-photographer-dave-green"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Dave-Green-bio-photo_jpeg.jpeg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Dave-Green-bio-photo_jpeg.jpeg?fit=3000%2C2000"},"articleSection":"Camp","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Ever Meister"}],"creator":["Ever Meister"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["diy","photography","rei co-op member stories","stars","tips"],"dateCreated":"2025-07-09T13:51:49Z","datePublished":"2025-07-09T13:51:49Z","dateModified":"2025-07-09T13:51:50Z"},"rendered":"