Ships on the Horizon - A shot of the Milky Way from Folly Beach, SC last March with the lights of the many container ships parked off of Charleston Harbor glowing on the horizon.The season is over for me know and I find myself thinking back to cold beach morning gone by and looking forward to whatever next season holds.
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#milkyway #dawn #follybeach #astrophotography #stars#milkywaychasers #southcarolina #explorecharleston #sigma#southcarolinaphotographer #nikon #night #nightimages#charlestonsc #nikonartists #YourShotPhotographer#Nikonz6 #NikonUSA #discover_carolinas #nightscaper#longexposure #longexpohunter #milkywaygalaxy#newmilkyway #lonelyplanet #astrophotographer#nightskyphotography #chs #lowcountry

As I'm Leaving - Last Saturday on Ocracoke was rainy, windy and cool with a worse forecast for Sunday so at about 1230 my son and I decided to try and hop on the 130 ferry to Swanquarter and leave a day early. We were at the north end so we had to get back in time to hopefully get a spot but I couldn't leave the island without stopping by lighthouse to grab a few shots. I have images of the lighthouse from every trip I've made out since as long as I can remember.
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#ocracoke #obx #outerbanks #ocracokelighthouse #capehatterasnationalseashore #nccoast #lighthouse #ocarcokeisland #nclighthouses #discovernc #southcarolinaphotographer #discoverearth #nikon #nikonartists #visitnc #YourShotPhotographer #northcarolina #exploretocreate #sigmaphoto #obxphotos #visitocracokenc #outerbankslighthouses #nationalparkservice #nps

Lake Mattamuskeet Lodge - Rain and wind cut our trip to Ocracoke Island short this past weekend so I was able to finally check out Lake Mattamuskeet when we got off the ferry at Swanquarter. It's been on my list of spots to shoot nightscapes and this daylight scout was all I needed to move it to the top. The remote dark skies and the unique early 1900s pumping station turned hunting lodge are just begging to be captured. Not even the cold steady rain falling Saturday afternoon could keep me from venturing out of the truck to grab a few quick shots.
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#lakemattamuskeet #nationalwildliferefuge #historicplaces #mattamuskeetlodge #northcarolina #onlyinnorthcarolina #visitnc #explorenc #southcarolinaphotographer
#nikon #sigma #nikonartists #exploretocreate #lonelyplanet #abandondplaces

Cedar Island Sunrise - I was able to get a few shots of sunrise before we boarded the 730a ferry from Cedar Island to Ocracoke Friday morning. I was amazed at how calm the Pamlico Sound was compared to the pounding we took just 36 hours later when we left Ocracoke under a slow drizzle and 20+mph winds. Make sure you keep a weather eye when your on the OBX.
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#cedarislandnc #sunrise #reflection #chasingsunrises #outerbanks #northcarolina #pamlicosound #ncbeaches #obx #ocracokeisland #nikon #sigma #nikonartists #lonelyplanet #sunrisephotography #southcarolinaphotographer #landscapephotography #nightscapephotographer #clouds #cedarislandranch

The Harsh Sea - Never forget that the sea is beautiful but harsh, small issues can quickly become life threatening. This sailboat experience electrical problems and ended up aground near the Ocracoke Inlet on a stormy morning in early November. The Graveyard of The Atlantic claims yet another victim. 

I tried to get in one final Milky Way shoot on the Outer Banks this weekend but of course the clouds and rain rolled in, so I tired some daylight long exposures. 
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#sailbox #outerbanks #ocracoke #outerbanksnc #capehatterasnationalseashore #obx #ocracokeisland #shipwreck #longexposure #blackandwhite #ocean #clouds #southcarolinaphotographer #northcarolina #ncbeaches #nikon #sigma #lonelyplanet #exploretocreate

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse - An image of the lighthouse and the Milky Way from 2022. I didn't make it out to Cape Hatteras near as much this year as I had hoped. Fingers crossed for next year.
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#CapeHatteras #capehatteraslighthouse #milkyway #capehatterasnationalseashore #OuterBanks #OBX #astrophotography #OuterBanksNC #milkywaychasers #northcarolina  #sigma #southcarolinaphotographer #nikon #nightshooterz #nikonartists #YourShotPhotographer #NikonZ6 #NikonUSA #discover_carolinas #nightscaper #longexposure #milkywaygalaxy #newmilkyway #lonelyplanet #astrophotographer #nightskyphotography #VisitNC

Wishful Thinking - As the Milky Way season draws to a close for me I can't help but let my mind wander back to the cold late January morning on the north end of Pawleys Island watching the core rise for the first time this year. I've still got a couple more short windows but I'm already thinking about next year.
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-#milkyway #pawleysisland #astrophotography #stars #milkywaychasers #southcarolina #natgeospace #sigma #southcarolinaphotographer #nikon #night #nightimages #nikonartists #YourShotPhotographer #NikonUSA #discover_carolinas #ocean #nightscaper #longexposure #longexpohunter #milkywaygalaxy #newmilkyway #lonelyplanet #astrophotographer #nightskyphotography #lowcountry

Lift Off - Found an image of the Antares NG-19 launch on August 1st that I hadn't shared yet.  I can't wait for the next Wallops Island launch.
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#cygnus #ng19 #antares #wallopsisland #nasa #iss #virginia #northropgrumman #rocketlaunch #nikon #sigma#natgeospace #nightphotography #nightscaper #southcarolinaphotographer #astrophotographer #nightsky #nikonartists #nightshooterz #nasawallops⁠

Just One Shot - I managed to get one sequence of images with a single good frame of yesterday's eclipse. As soon as I set my camera up the clouds rolled in heavy. It took me about an hour but I was able to get a small momentary hole just long enough to get a shot. Can't wait for April.
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#eclipse #partialeclipse #astrophotography #sun #clouds #southcarolina #milkywaychasers #nikonartists #nikon

Watching the Dark Horse - There are few things more captivating that watching the Milky Way drift across the sky from the shores of the Outer Banks. I shot this image about a month ago from the beach at Frisco just south the hook at Cape Hatteras. On a clear dark night out here you can actually see some of the dark structures at the core of the galaxy.
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#capehatteras #milkyway#capehatterasnationalseashore #outerbanks #obx#astrophotography #milkywaychasers #northcarolina#natgeospace #sigma#southcarolinaphotographer #nightscapephotography#nightphotography #nikon #sigmaart #nightshooterz#nikonartists #YourShotPhotographer #nikoncreators#NikonUSA #discover_carolinas #nightscaper #longexposure#milkywaygalaxy #newmilkyway #lonelyplanet#astrophotographer #nightskyphotography

Dawn on the Edge - One of my entries in this years South Carolina State Fair Fine Arts Competition took 1st in the Professional Color Photography Division. Make sure you stop by and check it out while you are at the fair! Imaged captured on a cold late January morning at the north end of Pawleys Island. The bright point of light just above the horizon is actually not a star but a rare shot of Mercury.
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#SCStateFair #milkyway #pawleysisland #astrophotography #stars #milkywaychasers #southcarolina #natgeospace #sigma #southcarolinaphotographer #nikon #night #nightimages #starfish #nikonartists#YourShotPhotographer #NikonUSA #discover_carolinas #ocean #nightscaper #longexposure #longexpohunter #milkywaygalaxy #newmilkyway #lonelyplanet #astrophotographer #nightskyphotography #lowcountry

Watching - A smaller bull watching the dominate one through the early morning fog in Cataloochee Valley a couple of weeks ago. This has not been the week off that I had planned but that’s how it goes some times. I won’t be headed back into the valley this weekend like I thought but there is always next weekend.
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#elk #elkrut #cataloocheevalley #cataloochee #bullelk #northcarolina #wildlifephotography #greatsmokymountains #gsmnp #nikon #sigma #nikonartists #elkphotography #naturephotography #naturephotographer #wildlifephotographer #southcarolinaphotographer #discover_carolinas #visitncsmokies #visitnc #greatsmokymountainsnationalpark #nps

Taking It All In - As much as I enjoyed our trip to the mountains this past weekend nothing beats standing at the edge of the ocean on the Outer Banks staring up at the Milky Way. I captured this image near Ramp 55 at the south end of Hatteras Island. The faint glow of Ocracoke Village can be seen on the horizon.
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#capehatteras #milkyway #capehatterasnationalseashore #outerbanks #obx #astrophotography #milkywaychasers #northcarolina #natgeospace #sigma #southcarolinaphotographer #nightscapephotography #nightphotography #nikon #sigmaart #nightshooterz #nikonartists #YourShotPhotographer #nikoncreators #NikonUSA #discover_carolinas #nightscaper #longexposure #milkywaygalaxy #newmilkyway #lonelyplanet #astrophotographer #nightskyphotography

A few shots from Saturday afternoon in Cataloochee Valley. The big bull had to chase the smaller one off several times. He finally retreated to the far end of the valley and waited for it to get dark. The cows were more interested in eating and watching us.
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#elk #elkrut #cataloocheevalley #cataloochee #bullelk #northcarolina #wildlifephotography #greatsmokymountains #gsmnp #nikon #sigma #nikonartists #elkphotography #naturephotography #naturephotographer #wildlifephotographer #southcarolinaphotographer #discover_carolinas #visitncsmokies #visitnc #greatsmokymountainsnationalpark #nps

In Charge - Finally made it to Cataloochee Valley this past weekend. I grabbed this image of the dominate bull bugling his authority  to the valley Saturday afternoon.
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#elk #elkrut #cataloocheevalley #cataloochee #bullelk #northcarolina #wildlifephotography #greatsmokymountains #gsmnp #nikon #sigma #nikonartists #elkphotography #naturephotography #naturephotographer #wildlifephotographer #southcarolinaphotographer #discover_carolinas #visitncsmokies #visitnc #greatsmokymountainsnationalpark #nps

Taking a Toll - As Hurricane Lee passed off-shore of the Outer Banks heavy surf began pounding the shore. I captured this image of a huge piece of driftwood below the Milky Way on Old Lighthouse Beach at Cape Hatteras. The water was as high as I've ever seen it washing at the edge large dune over looking the sea wall. I got a little wet shooting this image but it was worth it.
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#capehatteras #capehatteraslighthouse #milkyway #capehatterasnationalseashore #outerbanks #obx #astrophotography #milkywaychasers #northcarolina #natgeospace #sigma #southcarolinaphotographer #nightscapephotography #nightphotography #nikon #sigmaart #nightshooterz #nikonartists #YourShotPhotographer #nikoncreators #NikonUSA #discover_carolinas #nightscaper #longexposure #milkywaygalaxy #newmilkyway #lonelyplanet #astrophotographer #nightskyphotography

Milky Way Over Frisco Beach - The lure of clear skies on the Outer Banks led me out this past weekend and I was not disappointed. Since the core is nearly vertical and more south to west this time of year I ended up on the south side of the cape at Frisco Beach. I am always stunned by how well you can see the Milky Way out on the OBX. People often ask me if you can really see the sky like it is in my images, a clear night at Cape Hatteras is a close as I've even seen.
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#capehatteras #milkyway #capehatterasnationalseashore#outerbanks #obx #astrophotography #milkywaychasers #northcarolina #natgeospace #sigma #nikoncreators #southcarolinaphotographer #nightscapephotography #nightphotography #nikon #sigmaart #nightshooterz #nikonartists #YourShotPhotographer #NikonZ6 #NikonUSA #discover_carolinas #nightscaper #longexposure #milkywaygalaxy #newmilkyway #lonelyplanet #astrophotographer #nightskyphotography

At Days End - A hint of the crescent moon above Pamlico Sound as light slowly fades from the sky Saturday evening. There was a bit of rain in the mountains this weekend so I ended up on the Outer Banks under some amazing clear skies. It feels good to be back out on this narrow strip of sand.
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#outerbanks #buxtonnc #moon #crescentmoon #capehatterasnationalseashore #nps #sunset #sunsets #clouds #discoverearth #obx #clouds #nikon #nature #nikonartists #sunsetsunday #YourShotPhotographer #chasingsunsets #sky #exploretocreate #sunset_hub #ncbeaches #sunset_stream #sigmaphoto #northcarolina #nikoncreators #southcarolinaphotographer #nikonusa #discover_carolinas #agameoftones

Fingers crossed for good weather, it looks like we are headed back up to Cataloochee Valley this weekend to see if we can get some shots of the elk rut. It's amazing to hear the bulls bugling, especially at night when I'm trying to capture some stars.
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#elk #elkrut #cataloocheevalley #cataloochee #bullelk #northcarolina #wildlifephotography #greatsmokymountains #gsmnp #nikon #sigma #nikonartists #elkphotography #naturephotography #naturephotographer #wildlifephotographer #southcarolinaphotographer #discover_carolinas #visitncsmokies #visitnc #greatsmokymountainsnationalpark #nps

2024 Nightscape Calendars are now available! Images from North Carolina to Florida, link in bio. #nightscapes #christophernealphotography #milkyway #milkywayphotography #nightscaper #southcarolinaphotographer

Ocracoke Light Across Silver Lake - Mornings on Silver lake can be magical. I really miss this place when I'm not there. Fall fishing season will be here soon and we'll be headed back out to the pure bliss of Ocracoke Island in the off season.
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#ocracokeislandnc #ocracoke #silverlake #visitocracokenc #sunrise #ocracokelighthouse #capehatterasnationalseashore #sun #clouds #discoverearth #obx #nikon #nikonartists #nikoncreator #YourShotPhotographer #chasingsunrises #sky #exploretocreate #ncbeaches #sigmaphoto #northcarolina #southcarolinaphotographer #nikonusa #sigmaart #discover_carolinas #agameoftones #visitnc

Night on the Banks - I'm always amazed at how you can just look up and see the Milk Way on clear dark nights on the Outer Banks. I shot this during the peak of the Perseid so I thought I had caught one but it's actually a satellite flare. There was also a large boat just offshore that was shining very bright lights across the front of the old life-saving station.

The Oregon Inlet Life Saving Station has occupied this sandy corner on the south side of the inlet since it was built in 1898. There is a plan to possibly move it to a safer location so I really wanted to get some nightscape shots before it's too late. You can feel the history of this place when you sit quietly among the dunes at night.
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#capehatterasnationalseashore #milkyway #oregoninletlifesavingstation #outerbanks #obx #astrophotography #uscg #milkywaychasers #northcarolina #natgeospace #sigma #dunes #scphotographer #nikon #sigmaart #nightshooterz #nikonartists #nftartist #YourShotPhotographer #nightskyphotography #NikonUSA #discover_carolinas #nightscaper #longexposure #sigma1424mmart #milkywaygalaxy #newmilkyway #lonelyplanet #astrophotographer #satelliteflare

Cleared the Tower - Tomorrow morning at 349a a manned mission will launch from Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The SpaceX Crew Dragon Endurance will be on top of a Falcon 9 rocket. It's trajectory will take it up the East Coast of the US so some of you may be able see it shortly after launch. This is an image of the Cygnus NG-19 Antares launch from August 1st at Wallops Island, Va.
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#cygnus #ng19 #antares #wallopsisland #nasa #iss #virginia #northropgrumman #rocketlaunch #nikon #sigma #natgeospace #nightphotography #nightscaper #southcarolinaphotographer #astrophotographer #nightsky #nikonartists #nightshooterz #nasawallops⁠

Iridium Flare - We captured an iridium flare while shooting some Milky Way on Sunset Beach this past Saturday night. These bright flares are often mistaken for meteors but they typically last longer and can span multiple images. I wonder if anyone found my assistant's sand angel Sunday morning?
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#milkyway #sunsetbeachnc #iridiumflare #astrophotography #stars #milkywaychasers #northcarolina #natgeospace #sigmaphoto #southcarolinaphotographer #nikon #night #nightimages #nightshooterz #nikonartists #YourShotPhotographer #NikonUSA #discover_carolinas #photopills #nightscaper #longexposure #longexpohunter #milkywaygalaxy #newmilkyway #lonelyplanet #moonrise #astrophotographer #nightskyphotography⁣ #ncbrunswickislands⁣⠀

Light The Way - For over 150 years this faithful beacon has been standing guard on the Outer Banks of NC. Bodies Island Lighthouse is my favorite to shoot. The Milky Way seems to rise right out of the the lighthouse. It was crowded Saturday night but I managed to get a few decent images before we headed back to the campground to setup for the Perseids.
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#bodieislandlighthouse #milkyway #bodieisland #capehatterasnationalseashore #outerbanks #obx #astrophotography #uscg #milkywaychasers #northcarolina #natgeospace #sigma #southcarolinaphotographer #nikon #sigmaart #nightshooterz #nikonartists #YourShotPhotographer #NikonUSA #discover_carolinas #nightscaper #longexposure #milkywaygalaxy #lonelyplanet #astrophotographer #nightskyphotography

Perseids Over the Outer Banks - After shooting at the old Life Saving Station and Bodies Island Lighthouse I setup a camera behind our tent at Oregon Inlet Campground. It captured almost 1500 images from just before midnight until almost 530a. A bit of haze had moved in so I didn't get as many meteors as I had hoped but I did get several bright ones, the moon, the Pleiades and Orion the Hunter. Not a bad night at one of the best night sky spots on the east coast.
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#perseids #meteorshower #oregoninlet #capehatterasnationalseashore #outerbanks #obx #oregoninletcampground #astrophotography #orionthehunter #milkywaychasers #northcarolina #natgeospace #sigma #southcarolinaphotographer #nightscapephotography #nightphotography #nikon #sigmaart #nightshooterz #nikonartists #YourShotPhotographer #NikonUSA #discover_carolinas #nightscaper #longexposure #lonelyplanet #astrophotographer #nightskyphotography

Anticipation - Finally, after several months of cloudy skies and smoke plumes, I was able to make it to the Outer Banks on a night clear enough to capture some stars. This image of the Oregon Inlet Life Saving Station under the Milky Way was shot just before astro-twilight so there is still a hint of purple in the sky. I wanted to wait until it was full dark but I just couldn't help myself. 
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#capehatterasnationalseashore #milkyway #oregoninletlifesavingstation #outerbanks #obx #astrophotography #uscg #milkywaychasers #northcarolina #natgeospace #sigma #dunes #scphotographer #nikon #sigmaart #nightshooterz #nikonartists #nftartist #YourShotPhotographer #nightskyphotography #NikonUSA #discover_carolinas #nightscaper #longexposure #sigma1424mmart #milkywaygalaxy #newmilkyway #lonelyplanet #astrophotographer

Raw Power - One of my favorite images from Tuesday nights Cygnus NG-19 Antares launch. Just imagine the kind of raw power it takes to lift the more than 16,000lbs of rocket and payload off the ground and accelerate it to over 17,000mph. It's no wonder rocket launches are so captivating to watch.⁠
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I'm slowly working my way through the all the shots I got at Wallops Island. Really hoping I find some clear skies soon, I miss shooting the Milky Way.⁠
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#cygnus #ng19 #antares #wallopsisland #nasa #iss #virginia #northropgrumman #rocketlaunch #nikon #sigma #natgeospace #nightphotography #nightscaper #southcarolinaphotographer #astrophotographer #nightsky #nikonartists #nightshooterz #nasawallops⁠

Ignition - The final Antares rocket, carrying Cygnus NG19, slowly begins to rise from Pad 0A at MARS, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island, VA. One of the best places get a close look at a rocket launch. ⁠
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#cygnus #ng19 #antares #wallopsisland #nasa #iss #virginia #northropgrumman #rocketlaunch #nikon #sigma #natgeospace #nightphotography #nightscaper #southcarolinaphotographer #astrophotographer #nightsky #nikonartists #nightshooterz #nasawallops

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Christopher Neal Photography landscape photographer specializing in nightscapes based on the Carolina Coast

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