This is my favorite for two reasons: it was the first time I ever saw hoodoos, and after three workshops with Brad, this the first photo I actually finished editing.
I went out to try and find an old spot where the workshop was and ended up driving past it. Searching the area i found a nice view of Factory Butte. I want to go back and try this one again. Canon EOS R, RF 15-35mm f/2.8, 20 sec exposure, 4000 iso.
Jacob’s Ladder from Barcroft I traveled to the University of California’s Barcroft Field Station in August 2023 for three nights of astrophotography high in the White Mountains at an altitude of 12,500 ft. The first night was setup only, the second night was crystal clear but was a wash due to mechanical difficulties with my imaging telescope, and the third and last night was almost a wash due to a weather system that had moved in suddenly.
Aurora Borealis – where the sky paints its own masterpiece! In February of 2023 my husband and I spent seven days chasing the dancing colors while vacationing in Alaska. This was our first time traveling the Dalton Highway, going well above the Arctic Circle…a phenomenal experience! It was COLD (-20 °F to -30 °F, at night), but the night skies above the Brooks Mountain Range just exploded with color. Of the many images I captured during our trip, this is one of my favorites – I love the colors, the shapes, the textures and the memories it brings to mind!
I captured this image in June during a very hot weekend in Joshua Tree National Park. It was my first attempt at taking an image during blue hour and blending with an image of the Milky Way taken a few hours later. I like the result but it was a lot of work in PS to figure out the blending, and I still have much to learn. It was another spectacular night under the stars!
I don’t normally do blue-hour comps, but I found these amazing flowers in Bisti and knew that I would never be able to capture them sharply in total darkness. In a seemingly lifeless desert, the bright, colorful flours stood out and begged to be captured against the stark desert.
I chose this image as it’s my first (what I consider) successful tracked deep sky image. It is a composite image; the sky was taken prior to moonrise, while the foreground was taken after the moon rose close to midnight. It’s in the Mesquite Sand Dunes in Death Valley, CA – one of my happy places.
I finally got to Norway for Aurora. I had the fortunate experience of 3 nights out of 6 with fabulous aurora. This is called a Corona Aurora – all the pillars converge into the Zenith. As well this has the red colors, which is even more unique. I have worked on many dark sky locations in 2023 and have just shot night sky in Lake Manley which is unusual, but the dramatic colors of the aurora with the stars was amazing.
I have never seen a sundog/halo down south. I was under the impression that I had to travel to a colder climate. So, when I saw it as I was traveling down the interstate, I got excited. I took the first exit and searched for a place where I could stop to have a clear view.