
Photo by Michael Fitzpatrick
Montauk Milky Way
My wife’s family grew up on Long Island and spent their summers with all the cousins for a few weeks at Hither Hills campground near Montauk at “The End” of Long Island. Many years later, that tradition continues which, for me, includes a cross-country drive we use as an opportunity to visit other East Coast family. This photo from 2026 was after the campfires had died down, people drifted off to their tents or trailers and I grabbed my gear to head over the dunes to the beach.
The Milky Way is rising behind a bank of clouds with sky glow from the Hamptons to the right and the Hither Hills lifeboat in the foreground. It was the only cloudless night of my visit.
Post processing notes:
Edited with ON1 Raw 2026 to adjust tones, noise removal and white balance. Manual curve manipulation for better control over tone and contrast. Canon 6D II, 14mm f2.8, 30 sec exposure, ISO 1600Exif information:
| Copyright: | Michael Fitzpatrick |
| Camera: | Canon EOS 6D Mark II |
| Aperture: | f/0 |
| Focal Length: | 0mm |
| ISO: | 1600 |
| Shutter Speed: | 30/1 sec. |
| Created: | June 12, 2026 21:14:27 |