Whilst visiting the Northern Drakensberg earlier this year I decided to brave a few sub zero temperatures during the evenings to capture some star trails over the peaks of Mont Aux Sources at the Drakensberg Amphitheatre in the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park and was pleasantly surprised with this final image.
The Natal Drakensberg buttresses and mountain peaks sweep south-eastwards in a great semi-circle along the Lesotho border. The Drakensberg forms the escarpment of South Africa.
The dramatic cliff faces of the Drakensberg Amphitheatre are the most beautiful in the world and a real sight to behold for any traveler.
Most notable in this image is Sentinel Peak and the Eastern Buttress which sit either side of the main Amphitheatre lit up by the moon in Africa’s Night Skies.
Being an icy cold winter’s evening, it meant crisp, clear skies. Of course, being mid-winter, the positioning of the center pole was quite different and made for a superb image.
In the foreground, one can see the local village bordering the Royal Natal National Park. The entire scene lit by the full moon sitting in the sky behind me. The Royal Natal National Park is a great place to embark on any number of hiking trails ranging from beginners to the more advanced hiker.
I’ve always had a passion for photographing Star Trails and spent many evenings out in
This image was made up of 54 single frames each shot at f/6.3, ISO 100 and each photo spanning 180 seconds. A final star trail image spanning 162 minutes, just shy of 3 hours was the result.
The Drakensberg Amphitheatre is truly a breathtaking and spectacular part of South Africa, and I will certainly be making many more trips there in 2018.
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