Frosty Hollow B & B at Cherry Springs State Park

Frosty Hollow B & B & Cherry Springs State Park

Dark Sky Photography Heaven

READ ALL THE DETAILS OF CHERRY SPRINGS STATE PARK

FROSTY HOLLOW BED AND BREAKFAST

Located just a short distance from the Park, the charming Frosty Hollow Bed and Breakfast is conveniently close and one of the top B and Bs in the area. Its cozy and inviting atmosphere is exactly what we look for when searching for accommodations. In fact, we had such a great stay that we didn’t want to leave!

This beautiful property consists of a remodeled barn and farmhouse in a tranquil valley, only a three-minute drive from US Highway 6 and less than a mile from a country club and golf course. The Ayers family has been welcoming guests since 1992, decorating the barn with their personal collection of antiques and heirlooms passed down through generations.

In 1998, they renovated the farmhouse on their 10-acre property where Joe grew up. With Gail’s unique touch, each of the ten guest rooms is decorated uniquely, leaving no expense spared. You won’t want to leave the luxurious beds and pillows that will make you wish you would never move a muscle. However, once you get out of bed and go to breakfast, you’ll be glad you did.

WHEN IT ALL BEGAN

This was one of our first Photography journeys, and when a photography magazine extra was created. This is where it all began.

72 Cherry Springs State Park - Best B & B, Best Hotels

Gail’s presence had a profound impact on me. Did you ever meet somebody that you’ll always remember? Well, that was Gail for me. Her warmth and support as I captured the beauty of her bed and breakfast for my magazine were unforgettable. To top it off, she generously gifted us with a complimentary room. As I was just getting the magazine off the ground that boast of confidence to me was something I’ll never forget and I am eternally grateful. Could you imagine if Gail said, oh, no, I’m not interested in being in your magazine? Would I have had the courage to try again at the next hotel or bed and breakfast? You see, I have to confess, I wasn’t very confident initially. But I can tell you one thing. I was driven. I’m still driven. In over a decade, I have come a long way both as a photographer and as a person and running this magazine. We’re now coming up on 300 pages. Most of our articles are on page one, and we have encouraged millions of photographers and guided them to the greatest photography locations and some of the best places to stay.

For nearly a decade, we have featured Frosty Hollow Bed and Breakfast on three pages of our publication, and every word is genuine. I am enamored with this Bed and Breakfast. I still remember the conversation about the pillows. This has got to be the very best pillows I’ve ever experienced! I’ve experienced a lot of pillows. (Don’t spread that around.) All kidding aside, this is one of our all-time favorite places we have stayed in during our journies.

Cherry Springs State Park

Astronomers and stargazers appreciate Cherry Springs State Park’s darkness and clarity, making it “perhaps the last best refuge of the natural night sky” in the eastern half of the United States. The sky at Cherry Springs has been classified as a two on the Bortle Dark-Sky Scale, meaning it has almost no light pollution. With optimum conditions, 10,000 stars are visible to the naked eye at the park, clouds appear only as black holes in the starry sky, and the Milky Way is so bright that it casts a discernible shadow.

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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.