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Catskills N.Y. Castle Milky Way Photography

THERE IS NOW A POLICE PATROL AT THIS LOCATION. There are now cameras all around the castle. 

The Catskill Mountains, or the Catskills, are a large area in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of New York. They are located approximately 100 miles north-northwest of New York City and 40 miles southwest of Albany.

The Catskill Mountains contain some of the darkest skies on the east coast. When we turned our flashlights off at this castle, we could not see a thing! We literally could not see our hands in front of our faces. This is a Milky Way Photography Hot Spot. If you don’t already know, you need dark skies to see and photograph the Milky Way at night. Go to our other pages to learn more about Milky Way photography and get more details and resources. Check out the dark sky map – Go to Dark Sky Photography Info. For information on how to do night sky photography, go here.

Don’t go to this castle alone! – We highly recommend you go here with someone. There are entities here, for sure! Check out our new Ghost Hunting Photography Section in October. This trip inspired the new section. I assure you, we were not alone!

Another tale in the dark, haunted castle.

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Very dark castle with the milky way above it in the dark

When to Go: WARNING THERE IS NOW POLICE PATROL AT THIS LOCATION. The week before the new moon is when the moon rises very late at night so that you can do photography before the moonrise. Check the new moon and moonrise charts before you plan your trip.  We are going back in October. We didn’t get this quite right. Any excuse to travel, and we now want to document the entities that reside within! Always shoot the milky way when no moon is visible to get the darkest skies.

Please also see our Dark Sky Photography Information page to learn more details.

castle ghost hunt with Paranormal Page looking at her Ghost Detector.

Catskill N.Y. Dark Sky Photography Hot Spot Location

Haunted Castle in New York

Dundas Castle, located in New York, is said to be haunted by the ghost of a young girl. The girl, said to have died in a fire at the castle, is said to haunt the castle’s grounds and has been seen by visitors and employees alike. The castle is also said to be home to other ghosts, including that of a woman who was murdered on the property. You can see the entity in the castle window during our photo shoot. Paranormal Pam believes it is the young girl. Please view our other article, which has the image where we captured the entity. We loved this journey so much that we accidentally wrote two articles. We have been here several times.

Milky Way Photography at the Castle

If you are looking for a breathtaking spot to photograph the Milky Way, look no further than Dundas Castle! This Scottish castle is set against the stunning backdrop of the night sky, making it the perfect place to capture some truly magical photos. But there are now Security and Security Cameras, so we do not suggest you travel here.

Whether you’re a seasoned astrophotographer or a beginner just getting started, Dundas Castle offers plenty of photographic opportunities. So grab your camera and tripod, and head to the castle for an unforgettable night under the stars!

Ghost Hunting in New York

Are you looking for a little bit of excitement? Why not go ghost hunting at Dundas Castle? This Scottish castle is said to be home to several ghosts, including that of a young girl who died in a fire. Visitors have reported seeing her ghostly figure roaming the halls. Other spirits said to haunt the castle include a man wearing 18th-century clothing and a woman in a white dress. If you’re feeling brave, explore the castle at night and see if you can spot any of these ghosts!

Dark Skies of New York State

New York is home to various natural attractions as one of the country’s largest and most popular states. From the city’s bright lights to the stunning Adirondack Mountains, there is something for everyone in the Empire State.

But did you know that New York is also home to some of the best stargazing opportunities in the country? New York offers incredible night sky views thanks to its large size and diverse geography.

Whether you’re in the heart of Manhattan or exploring the rural countryside, look up and enjoy the dark skies of New York State.

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PHOTOGRAPHY INFO AT A GLANCE

Lens:

Wide Angle, but you may find a bird or two. Not much wildlife here.

Gear:

Circular polarizing filter, neutral density filter, tripod, shutter release, wide-angle lens.

When to Go: 

The only time not to go is when they close the road down due to winter conditions. Fall is ideal.

PHOTOGRAPHY BASICS

Shutter Priority:

If you have moving subjects, you will want to shoot in shutter priority to ensure your shutter speed is high enough to have your subject in sharp focus. Approximately 1/250th of a second is appropriate for people walking by, and adjust your ISO accordingly. If they are moving fast, increase your shutter speed to about 1/500th of a second. A fast bird flying by would be shot at about 1/1000th of a second. If it’s a bright sunny day, go as high as  1/1200th of a second. Remember, the higher your shutter speed, the less light comes into the camera. It should not be an issue outside during daytime hours. For More Details, see our Shutter Priority Page.

Manual Mode:

You have moving waters here. You can do your long-exposure running and milky water shots. You will have to use a tripod for this effect. Your settings will vary depending on the lighting and your neutral density filter. You will shoot in manual mode for the milky waters. ISO is always 100 or as low as your camera will allow. The aperture is f22, or the highest f-stop your camera will allow. Your shutter speed will be the only variable depending on the light. Roll your shutter speed until your meter reads zero. (In the center)  Use your shutter release or 2-second timer to prevent camera movement when exposing. You will want at least a 2-second exposure for milky water. If you don’t have a neutral density filter, you may not get more than 1/15th of a second in the sun. 

You can buy a ND filter here.  We highly suggest you do not go anywhere without one. Long exposure for moving waters makes all the difference between lifeless images and outstanding, dynamic images.

Aperture Priority:

Aperture Priority is often used to blur the background of your images and control your depth of field (how much from the subject to the background is in focus). For more information on this – see our Aperture page 

ISO:

The higher you set it, the more light is when exposing an image. The higher the number, the more digital noise, so stay below 800. If you need to go higher to get the shot, you can use Topaz Denoise to filter out the digital noise later. See the ISO page here.

BEST TIME TO GO

Not really a great place to go to anymore due to the cameras and security.

HOW LONG TO PHOTOGRAPH

If you risk it, set aside at least two hours and if the milky way is in the sky even more.

WHAT ESLE TO BRING

Hiking boots. This castle is on the side of a steep area and not an easy climb at all. Bring flashlights and back up flatshlights!! It’s crazy scary here and as dark as it can get. Bring some bug spray seasonlly.

OTHER PHOTOGRAPHY NEARBY

This is a dark sky photograpy area. You can do Milky Way photography anywhere you can see the Milky Way here.

HOW BUSY IT GETS

Not many ever dare go here!

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GEAR LIST FOR SHOOTING MILK WAY

Light pollution map:

Light pollution map

Camera:

You will need a camera to manually control your ISO, shutter speed, and aperture.

Lens:

A fast, wide-angle lens of 1.4 – 2.8 is ideal. If you use a 3.5 or higher (slower lens), you must increase the ISO. The higher the ISO, the more grain or digital noise or grain will appear in your photos.

Tripod:

A good, sturdy tripod is essential for night photography. If it gets windy, you will need a sturdy one. Remember that when you buy one, it should be sturdy enough to withstand the wind but small enough to fit in your suitcase.

Sky Map:

Sky Guide is available through the iTunes Store for $1.99. It has a 5 out of 5-star rating on both the current (3.2) version (1200+ ratings) and all previous versions (8600+ ratings).

Flashlight:

Our choice is Coast brand for flashlights. The ideal flashlight will have high lumens, and you can zoom in and out on the light emitting from the flashlight. Get the HP7, PX45, or the G50. Ideally, go with the  HP7.

Moon Phaze Map:

The best time to go is during a new moon; you want to be in the darkest area possible. The week before the new moon, when the moon has not risen, is a perfect time to go, so be sure to check the moonrise chart to see when the moon will be up.

Remote Shutter Release:

When painting with light and over a 30-second exposure, you must have a shutter release to use your bulb mode. When exposing your pictures in general, you can use the remote release or use your camera’s built-in two-second timer.

CAMERA SETTINGS FOR MILKY WAY

ISO:

Start with ISO 1600 – 3200.  This is just a common starting point, and you will adjust from here.

Shutter Speed – Remember, the earth is rotating. If you leave the shutter open for too long, you will see star trails that will not make for a crisp image. We want crisp, non-star trail images. Here is the formula to avoid star trails—the 500 rule – Divide 500 by the focal length of your lens. So, if you have a 24mm lens on a full-frame camera, you will set your shutter speed to 20 sec. (500/24 = 20.83). If you are using a crop sensor camera, first do the math of the crop sensor to find the focal length. Cannon is 1.6, Nikon is 1.5. Convert to full-frame focal length, then use the formula. Nikon 18mm x 1.5= 27mm – 500/27 = 18.51 seconds.

Aperture:

Depth of field isn’t critical on these shots, but letting the light into the camera is; therefore, you should shoot wide open if. If the depth of field is essential to you, try not to go too high. (wide open =the lowest aperture your camera will allow). You will have to increase the ISO some, giving you digital noise.

Shutter Speed:

Now that the ISO and aperture are set in manual mode, roll your shutter speed until your meter reads (0) zero. Take a test shot and adjust from there. Remember, the earth is rotating. If you leave the shutter open for too long, you will see star trails that will not make for a crisp image. You can make star trails specifically, but that’s not what we are going for here since we started with Milky Way photography. We want crisp, non-star trail images when doing this.

Here is the formula to avoid star trails—the 500 rule – Divide 500 by the focal length of your lens. So, if you have a 24mm lens on a full-frame camera, you will set your shutter speed to 20 sec. (500/24 = 20.83). If you are using a crop sensor camera, first do the math of the crop sensor to find the focal length. Cannon is 1.6, Nikon is 1.5. Convert to full-frame focal length, then use the formula. Nikon 18mm x 1.5= 27mm – 500/27 = 18.51 seconds.

White Balance :

In live view mode, you can change your white balance settings and see what it will look like. You can shoot in shade or cloud mode as a standard setting and adjust things later when editing.

Live View:

To focus in the dark, use your camera’s live view, hit the zoom button, and focus on a bright star. You can also use the infinity setting on your lens but do several test shots to determine accuracy. It can be off a little on some lenses. You can also light it up with a flashlight, focus, then gently, without touching the focus ring, put the camera in manual focus so it will not search for the focus. You must do this each time you move your camera to take your next angel.

When to view the Milky Way:

The best images are usually of the dense part of the Milky Way. We can see this part of the milk way in the southern sky. During March, April, and May, the Milky Way rises above the horizon in the pre-dawn hours. In June, at about 10:00 p.m., you will see the Milky Way.  From July until October, you can see the Milky Way as soon as it sunsets, and it becomes dark enough to see about an hour after sunset. In November, the Milky Way no longer comes above the horizon. You will have to wait until March if you want to stay away really late or get up early to see her again.

See our Milky Way Hot Spot Locator and our Night Photography Information. 

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Catskills Area Information

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AREA

INFORMATION

Entrance Fees:

This has no entrance fee.

Most New York State Parks charge a vehicle use fee of between $6 and $10 dollars for day use. Parks may also charge additional fees for such amenities as pools and picnic shelter reservations. Historic sites generally charge an admission fee of between $1 and $6. For more information about park and historic site fees and hours, including when fees are charged, please contact the facility directly. Contact information for our facilities can be found on the park and historic site pages of our website. New York State Parks offers certain discounts through the admission programs listed here. For more information, please visit the following links:

Admission Programs:

Empire Passport – Your key to all-season enjoyment at New York State Parks. Passports are available for different lengths of time, choose from one year, multiple-year or, the Lifetime Empire Passport. All Empire Passports provide unlimited day-use vehicle entry to most state parks and recreation facilities.

The best hotels while doing photography

HOTELS

Catskills Hotel Information

Add your hotel here! Do you want us to send our photography and ghost hunting friends to your hotel for their ghost hunting trip? Put your hotel information here. We will put a picture of your hotel, the website link, the phone number and your information on your hotel.

Would you like to be a featured hotel like this article or this one?  Please send us an email.  You will be surprised at how affordable our prices can be.

FOOD & DINING

FOOD & DINING

Catskills Restaurant Information

Add your Restaurant here! Do you want us to send our photography and ghost-hunting friends to your restaurant after their ghost-hunting trip? Put your restaurant information here. We will put a picture of your establishment, the website link, the phone number, and the information on your restaurant to make it easy for our photographers and ghost hunters to find you. They are really good at getting there in the dark.

 

GOOD CAMPING

CAMPING

Catskills Camping Information

Add your campground here! Do you want us to send our photography and ghost-hunting friends to your campground to stay at during their ghost-hunting trip? Put your campground information here. We will put a picture of your establishment, the website link, the phone number and your information on your campground to make it easy for our photographers and ghost hunters to find you. They are really good at getting there in the dark.

Would you like to be featured in an article as a place to stay while doing photography or ghost hunting? If so, please send us an email.  You will be surprised at how affordable our prices can be.

Why not consider staying in one of New York’s beautiful state parks? Imagine pitching a tent near the St. Lawrence River or one of the beautiful lakes or waking up in your recreational vehicle surrounded by the majesty of the woods or cooking breakfast in a cabin overlooking the “Grand Canyon of the East.”

Did you know you save 15-20% by reserving a weeknight* campsite?
(*Sunday-Thursday, excluding holidays)

For information about camping in the Adirondack and Catskill Parks, visit

Reservations

Arranging a stay at a New York state park is easy! Reservations can be made from 1 day – to 9 months in advance by calling toll-free 1-800-456-CAMP for a spur-of-the-moment trip; rentals are also available on a walk-up basis.

WEATHER

 WEATHER

 Catskills Weather 

Click here to see what the weather in the Catskills

Don’t forget that you can use a rain sleeve on your camera if it is raining. If it is bright and sunny, you want to use a low ISO, such as 100.

If you are doing photography along with your ghost hunting on cloudy days, you can do running water or waterfall photography to avoid the glaring sun. You can also use an ND filter to get a long exposure for dramatic effects, even in the sunshine. If you ghost hunt indoors in abandoned places, be careful!

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