Milky Way over Rae Lakes
Rae Lakes is an iconic spot on the Pacific Crest Trail and John Muir Trail in California's Sierra Nevada mountains. When I did a fast-paced trip through the area last fall, I scouted potential photo spots and found this angle which aligned the lakes and the Milky Way.
I returned in the spring when the mountains were still snowy. I scheduled the trip around the waxing moon (40% at the time of this photo) so that compositing twilight foregrounds under nighttime skies wouldn't be needed. I carried an ice ax and microspikes because Kearsarge and especially Glen Passes were still under major snow. I was prepared for snow camping, but the temperatures were unexpectedly warm and only around freezing at night.
I spent two nights shooting this angle and exploring the surrounding areas. I was treated to a thunder hail storm and--for the first time in my life--an aurora.
Milky Way over Rae Lakes
Rae Lakes is an iconic spot on the Pacific Crest Trail and John Muir Trail in California's Sierra Nevada mountains. When I did a fast-paced trip through the area last fall, I scouted potential photo spots and found this angle which aligned the lakes and the Milky Way.
I returned in the spring when the mountains were still snowy. I scheduled the trip around the waxing moon (40% at the time of this photo) so that compositing twilight foregrounds under nighttime skies wouldn't be needed. I carried an ice ax and microspikes because Kearsarge and especially Glen Passes were still under major snow. I was prepared for snow camping, but the temperatures were unexpectedly warm and only around freezing at night.
I spent two nights shooting this angle and exploring the surrounding areas. I was treated to a thunder hail storm and--for the first time in my life--an aurora.