Mongolia
Between sky and earth…
Baga Gazriin Chuluu
Cooking the evening meal. ©2012 Robert Prior
This was possibly my favourite ger camp. No electricity, and the showers were intermittently available, but the setting was wonderful. Not only was the landscape interesting, but a couple of nomad families had set up their gers just beside the camp.
The official reason we were here was to photograph the interesting rock formations. Personally, although I got up early to do just that, I found the local nomad family more interesting.
The official reason we were here was to photograph the interesting rock formations. Personally, although I got up early to do just that, I found the local nomad family more interesting.
Baga Gazriin Chuluu
Baga Gazriin is an area of granite outcroppings in Middle Gobi province, covering about 300 square kilometres. According to the guidebooks it contains many ancient graves, petroglyphs, khirigsuurs and other monuments, although I didn't see any. Many of the remains date from the time of the Khunnu Empire (better known as the Xiongnu Empire).
The rock formations, which were what we had come here to photograph, are an intrusion of Late Triassic A-type granites: the Baga-Gazriin Chuluu pluton, which was extruded after the Mongol-Okhotsk Ocean closed.
The rock formations, which were what we had come here to photograph, are an intrusion of Late Triassic A-type granites: the Baga-Gazriin Chuluu pluton, which was extruded after the Mongol-Okhotsk Ocean closed.
Sunrise at Baga Gazriin. ©2012 Robert Prior
QTVR Image
Granite outcroppings at Baga Gazriin. ©2012 Robert Prior
QTVR Image
Astrophotography
David wanted to take pictures of the Milky Way with something Mongolian in the foreground. Gers are Mongolian, and as the rocks didn't illuminate very well a ger it was. So under his direction we set up in a line behind my ger and waited for the camp to turn out the lights, while David explained how to take decent pictures of the night sky. Using the Rule of 600* I needed a 20 second exposure, which meant even ISO 1600 was pretty dim.
The ger was illuminated with a hooded LED flashlight for a second. Even then it was too bright, and I had to do a lot of burning and selective curves to make the sky pop. The colours really were visible! Once again Mongolia made me miss the Canadian Prairies; Ontario has beautiful colours, but its skies are pallid and paltry compared to the West.
*Divide 600 by your lens size (in mm), and the result is the maximum exposure time before you get motion blur in the stars.
The ger was illuminated with a hooded LED flashlight for a second. Even then it was too bright, and I had to do a lot of burning and selective curves to make the sky pop. The colours really were visible! Once again Mongolia made me miss the Canadian Prairies; Ontario has beautiful colours, but its skies are pallid and paltry compared to the West.
*Divide 600 by your lens size (in mm), and the result is the maximum exposure time before you get motion blur in the stars.
Milky Way over Mongolia. ©2012 Robert Prior
Midnight in Mongolia. ©2012 Robert Prior
More Virtual Baga Gazriin
I made more QuickTime VR movies at Baga Gazriin. Click here to view them.