With sunset at 4pm up here at 53°N latitude, winter is a great time for photographing the night skies, as you can finish a shoot before teatime!
The only problem in my home region of North Wales is the weather at this time of year, with grey clag the usual fare.
But occasionally we get a burst of cold clean air and clear skies, and then it's game on for some astrophotography.
Such was the case one weekend in late November, when my wife Liz and I took advantage of a beautiful afternoon to head along the coast for a stroll around the walls and harbour at Caernarfon.
Once the sun had set we had a bite to eat in the Galerie café before heading back to our car.
With the sky now fully dark, and a new crescent moon on the verge of setting, we could make out the milky way arching over the waters of the Menai Straits in a most glorious fashion.
So we put our plans to head home on hold for an hour or so while I shot the hundreds of still images needed to create this time lapse video.
The conditions weren't perfect, with the moon, lights from Caernarfon and car headlights all brightening the sky, but even so the milky way was clearly visible for the duration of the filming.
And then it was finally time to head home, buzzing at having watched and photographed such a marvellous night time spectacle.
Filename - menai straits night timelapse 01
Camera - Canon EOS 6D
Lens - 14mm zoom prime
Exposure (start of sequence) - 10 secs @ f2.8, ISO6400
Exposure (end of sequence) - 10 secs @ f2.8, ISO6400
Filters - None.
Shooting interval - 10 seconds
Location - Caernarfon, North Wales
This clip - HD 720p, 30fps (4K+, and 1080p HD formats also available)
Clip duration - 15 seconds
All content copyright © Howard Litherland 2009-2024 unless otherwise stated.