Pines & Stars Wide Angle Zoom

From I-40 near Waynesville, take US 74 south to the Blue Ridge Parkway at Balsam, then head North (towards Asheville) for approximately 12 miles to the overlook near BRP Milepost 431.

A high ISO was used to achieve the effect but also introduces quite a bit of digital noise. Gaussian Blur was used to reduce some of the noise but still show the individual stars.

Night sky view from Richland-Balsam Gap (highest point on the Blue Ridge Parkway, ~6053'), looking south from the overlook area. The zoom effect was achieved with a Nikon 14-24mm f2.8. The 30 second exposure was fixed at 24mm for about 25 seconds, then zoomed out to 14mm for the remaining 5. The resulting starburst effect from the brighter stars and the streaks of the city lights below resembles a bit like a fireworks burst. The motion blur of the pair of pine trees and thin clouds adds a bit of additional drama.