I was initially reticent to post this image. This is not a single exposure – you’re looking at four stacked long exposures of landing airplanes. While there’s nothing wrong with editing or touching up photos, this represents my first attempt to do something other than adjust some levels here and there (or use the occasional filter).

My hesitation, then, was that this photo is assembled rather than edited. While I don’t want to tamper with reality by adding or removing elements, I was curious to see if I could capture the wonder of watching a sequence of planes come into SYD. The four exposures that are stacked here were taken over about 20 minutes and I feel the stack better communicates that feeling than would scrolling through the four separate exposures. Something would be lost in the latter case.

Ultimately, I decided (with the help of The Girl) that stacking these exposures doesn’t tamper with reality – the scene that I saw with my own eyes – any more than the use of long exposure did. I didn’t see streaking lights in the sky – that’s an effect created by the camera. So while this isn’t an accurate facsimile of the scene, it is a creative interpretation of the feeling stirred by the scene. I hope that works for you guys.