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

Light It Up - The launch of Cygnus NG-19 on the final Antares rocket from Wallops Island, VA. on a resupply mission to the ISS. It's difficult to convey how blindingly bright the engines burn on a rocket launch, almost like watching a huge welders torch rise into the sky. This was the launch we had been waiting for. An evening shot that we could setup less than 2 miles away from. Unfortunately the Canadian forest fire smoke struck again and were weren't really able to see the jellyfish effect. Can't wait for our next launch adventure.⁠
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#cygnus #ng19 #antares #wallopsisland #nasa #iss #virginia #northropgrumman #rocketlaunch #nikon #sigma #natgeospace #nightphotography #nightscaper #southcarolinaphotographer #astrophotographer #nightsky #nikonartists #nightshooterz #nasawallops

Bodies Island Lighthouse - I wish I could say this was a recent capture but it just hasn't worked out for me this year. This image was shot during a trip out last September. Really hoping I can find some clear skies soon, I miss being out under the stars.⁠
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#bodieislandlighthouse #milkyway #bodieisland #capehatterasnationalseashore #outerbanks #obx #astrophotography #uscg #milkywaychasers #northcarolina #natgeospace #sigma #scphotographer #nikon #sigmaart #nightshooterz #nikonartists #YourShotPhotographer #NikonUSA #discover_carolinas #nightscaper #longexposure #milkywaygalaxy #lonelyplanet #astrophotographer #nightskyphotography

Apollo 11 - 54 years ago today men from Earth first landed on the Moon. 2 men in a craft called Eagle landed near the bottom edge Mare Tanquillitatis, the darkest of the 2 flat areas in the top center of the image. I was almost a year old so I never really got a chance to see the launch of a Saturn V rocket but hopefully I will be soon be able to watch men once again ride a fiery rocket to the moon.⁠
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#moon #apollo11 #luna #astrophotography #southcarolina #sigma #southcarolinaphotographer #nikon #night #nightimages #nikonartists #YourShotPhotographer #NikonUSA #discover_carolinas #nightscaper #longexposure #longexpohunter #milkywaygalaxy #newmilkyway #lonelyplanet #astrophotographer #nightskyphotography

Ride of the Dark Horse - The Milky Way and the Great Dark Horse Nebula hanging over fishermen parked on along the point of Cape Hatteras. This is an image from April when vehicles were still allowed out on the beach after dark.⁠
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#capehatteras #milkyway #capehatterasnationalseashore #outerbanks #obx #astrophotography #milkywaychasers #northcarolina #natgeospace #sigma #southcarolinaphotographer #nightscapephotography #nightphotography #nikon #sigmaart #nightshooterz #nikonartists #YourShotPhotographer #NikonZ6 #NikonUSA #discover_carolinas #nightscaper #longexposure #milkywaygalaxy #newmilkyway #lonelyplanet #astrophotographer #nightskyphotography

Summer Squall - This storm dumped rain on Pawleys Island and then headed out to sea yesterday evening. There was another behind it and it was already starting to drizzle so I was only able to capture a few frames. I really like the sunlight reflected in the clouds from the sunset somewhere behind me. ⁠
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Images available for purchase at https://buff.ly/3WWPElG⁠
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⁠#thunderstorm #pawleysisland #stormphotography #clouds #sunset #nightscaper #southcarolina #lumixg7 #southcarolinaphotographer #YourShotPhotographer  #discover_carolinas #ocean #lonelyplanet #astrophotographer #exploretocreate

Sunset Sunday - This sunset is dedicated to my beautiful wife, the shape of the ripples in the sand reminded me of a heart. Happy Anniversary, thanks for being your patience when I'm out chasing images. I shot this on the south end of Ocracoke Island back in April.⁠
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#outerbanks #ocracokeislandnc #ocracoke #sunset #sun #capehatterasnationalseashore #nps #sunsets #discoverearth #obx #clouds #nikon #nikonartists #surffishing #sky #YourShotPhotographer #chasingsunsets #exploretocreate #sunrays #sunset_hub #ncbeaches #sunset_stream #sigmaphoto #northcarolina #southcarolinaphotographer #nikonusa #sigmaart #discover_carolinas #agameoftones

Caught this neat rainbow, actually a double rainbow but the top one had begun to fade, this afternoon near my house. #rainbow #doublerainbow #thunderstorm #rain #sunshine #summerstorms @edpiotrowskiwpde

Is That A Rocket Launch? - One of the first rocket launches I photographed and it was totally by accident. In June of last year I was on the Outer Banks shooting Milky Way and I noticed an odd red splotch  in the top right corner of my images that I mistook for some type of moon flare. It was actually the launch plume from a SpaceX Falcon 9 on a polar trajectory. You can see the streak of rocket in the top right of the shot just to the left of faint reddish cloud.
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#spacex #rocketlaunch #nasa #capehatteras #capehatteraslighthouse #milkyway#capehatterasnationalseashore #outerbanks #obx #astrophotography #milkywaychasers #northcarolina #natgeospace #sigma #southcarolinaphotographer #nikon #nightshooterz #nikonartists #YourShotPhotographer #NikonUSA #discover_carolinas #nightscaper #longexposure #milkywaygalaxy #newmilkyway #lonelyplanet #astrophotographer #nightskyphotography

Sunset Beach Pier - One of my favorite images from 2019. I can't tell you how much I've missed the clear skies. It's almost painful for me to not be able to get out under the stars.
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#milkyway #sunsetbeachnc #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⁣⠀

Happy 4th of July! - This is my kind of fireworks display, shot from the Marriott Courtyard on the Indian River at the NASA Causeway. One of three storm cells that passed over us a few weeks ago shortly after photographing a SpaceX launch. This is a composite of about 20 images taken over 15 minutes.
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#4thofjuly #thunderstorms #lightning #kennedyspacecenter #titusville #nasa #spacecoast #nightscape #nightsky #nightscape r#indianriver #nikon #nikonartist #marriott #YourShotPhotographer #nightphotography #lonelyplanet #exploretocreate #southcarolinaphotographer #florida #exploreflorida

Unbelievably Bright - The flames from a SpaceX Falcon 9 are so bright it almost doesn’t seem real. It really needs to be seen up close in person. A few more images from yesterday's SpaceX launch of the ESA Euclid Mission. Hazy, smoky, overcast skies have kept me from shooting much night sky lately so I've made up for it with rocket launches.
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#spacex #falcon9 #nasa #esa #spacecoast #rocketlaunch #euclid #telescope #eculidtelescope #natgeospace #capecanaveralnationalseashore #florida #sigma #capecanaveral #southcarolinaphotographer #nightphotography #nikon #nightshooterz #nikonartists #YourShotPhotographer #NikonUSA #nightscaper #longexposure #lonelyplanet #astrophotographer

Lift Off - The SpaceX Falcon 9 Euclid mission lifting off from Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Base at 11:12a this morning. We ere able to watch from the LC-39 Observation Gantry just 3.4 miles away. It was an amazing experience and I can't wait for our next launch adventure.
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#spacex #falcon9 #nasa #esa #spacecoast #rocketlaunch #euclid #telescope #eculidtelescope #natgeospace #capecanaveralnationalseashore #florida #sigma #capecanaveral #southcarolinaphotographer #nightphotography #nikon #nightshooterz #nikonartists #YourShotPhotographer #NikonUSA #nightscaper #longexposure #lonelyplanet #astrophotographer

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

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