These are amazing! I'll have to try your 3rd tip next time I'm out in the dark.
I took my first Milky Way picture in June from the Grand Canyon:
I took my first Milky Way picture in June from the Grand Canyon:
It might just be the image quality at Flickr, but it looks like you could have focused a little better. Sometimes it's moisture in the air (I've had really light fog ruin things), but at the Grand Canyon that's not likely the case.