Meet Bryan Goff, our November 2016 #DryTortugas Photo Contest winner. We had the chance to ask him a few questions about his experience at the Dry Tortugas National Park. Read on to learn how he captured his amazing photo!
1. When did you visit the Dry Tortugas National Park? Did you arrive by seaplane, the Yankee Freedom ferry or another way?
Me and my girlfriend, Pam, visited Dry Tortugas National Park on October 4th, 2016. Both of us are in the US Coast Guard and we were fortunate enough to get a ride with the Park Rangers on the MV Fort Jefferson.
2. If you arrived by the Yankee Freedom, how was your ferry trip?
We did not arrive on the island with the Yankee Freedom. However, we did meet the Captain of the ship and he graciously offered us access to the Yankee Freedom. On board the Y.F. we indulged in the sandwich buffet. The food was amazing and the ship was in really good shape. All of the passengers were having a great time.
3. How did you capture your winning photo? What inspired you to take it? Did you use any cool camera gear?
I captured my winning photo by luck I guess, lol. I am hugely involved in astrophotography and ever since I was young I loved looking at the stars at night. It wasn’t until 2 years ago that I started taking photographs of the stars. My inspiration came from searching the internet. I always check out places that I visit and see if they have any astro photos of the place. I noticed that Dry Tortugas NP did not have that many astro photos. On the night that I took the photo the skies were clear and you could easily see the Milky Way. Pam and I were walking around the grounds of the park just looking for interesting things to photograph. I did not use any special gear. All of the gear I used was basic stuff that anyone can buy off of amazon. The gear I used was a Sony a6300, Samynag 12mm f/2 lens, and a tripod.
4. What made your trip to the Dry Tortugas memorable?
What made my trip to the park memorable? Spending two of the best nights of my life with the woman who I love with all my heart.
