The Arch Of Time
OK…so technically I was still getting over the flu and bronchitis and Eric was still dealing with a kidney stone, but there was a new moon and both of us had been stuck at home for two weeks…and our doctors didn’t really SAY we couldn’t pull an all nighter while shooting in 20 degree temps….so...of course... off we went.
Last Friday, we headed out around noon to beat the traffic and even though we got stuck in the holiday malaise and had to fight our way out of the Cajon Pass, we pulled into Lone Pine around 4 PM and grabbed some early dinner at Carl’s Jr while we strategized. It was decided that we should bail on the Alabama Hills as it would most likely be a zoo on a holiday weekend and head instead to the White Mountains. I was kicking myself at this point for not remembering that we would be shooting above 9000 feet and while I remembered the big jacket, I left the warm socks, gloves and cap at home.
We made it up to Shulman Grove just before sunset and had an epic view of the snow capped Sierras across the valley as the beams of the sun died away. After scouting our favorite tree to see when we could expect the Milky Way, we thought we should explore a bit more. We were bummed to see that the road to Patriarch Grove was closed due to “Heavy Snow” but we were in the FJ and figured the park rangers were just being overly cautious. So….we MAY have driven around a barricade or two. After driving in about 2 miles or so, we could see very clearly that the rangers weren’t exaggerating with their warning. The drifts were now at least 5 feet high and what wasn’t covered in snow was buried in mud. Not wanting to be the idiot who drove past all the warning signs only to get stuck, I shifted into 4 wheel drive and cautiously made my way back to Shulman Grove. As a side note, it you are planning to shoot the Patriarch grove this Summer, it might be a bit of a wait as there was a TON of snow up there after only 2 miles in. And it’s almost June!
One of my main goals in shooting in the white mountains on this trip was to get the full arch of the Milky Way above a Bristilecone pine. Many of the trees in this area are over 3000 years old. I was freezing my butt off as we began shooting, and it steadily got colder as the night wore on. Eric and I shot for around an hour or so before we saw some headlights. About 15 minutes later we were joined by Mike Kukucska who was a fellow landscape photographer from Ontario, Canada. Mike was also into low level lighting and he and Mike began to experiment while trying to get the right glow on the tree we were shooting. We shot until almost 2 AM and then it was time for the long drive home.
I love the juxtaposition in this particular shot as this tree, which has been alive for most of recorded human history, is set against the arch of the Milky Way, which has been glowing for billions of years. The ancient against the eternal.
In terms of settings, I took this shot with the Rokinon 12mm 2.8 fisheye which has been my go-to lens on many of my recent Milky Way trips. Single exposure, F2.8, ISO 3200 at 25 seconds.
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Thank you so much for your views and comments! If you have specific questions or need to get in touch with me, please be sure to send me a message via flickr mail, or feel free to contact me via one of the following:
Blog | Website | Facebook | Instagram | 500px | Twitter | Google +
The Arch Of Time
OK…so technically I was still getting over the flu and bronchitis and Eric was still dealing with a kidney stone, but there was a new moon and both of us had been stuck at home for two weeks…and our doctors didn’t really SAY we couldn’t pull an all nighter while shooting in 20 degree temps….so...of course... off we went.
Last Friday, we headed out around noon to beat the traffic and even though we got stuck in the holiday malaise and had to fight our way out of the Cajon Pass, we pulled into Lone Pine around 4 PM and grabbed some early dinner at Carl’s Jr while we strategized. It was decided that we should bail on the Alabama Hills as it would most likely be a zoo on a holiday weekend and head instead to the White Mountains. I was kicking myself at this point for not remembering that we would be shooting above 9000 feet and while I remembered the big jacket, I left the warm socks, gloves and cap at home.
We made it up to Shulman Grove just before sunset and had an epic view of the snow capped Sierras across the valley as the beams of the sun died away. After scouting our favorite tree to see when we could expect the Milky Way, we thought we should explore a bit more. We were bummed to see that the road to Patriarch Grove was closed due to “Heavy Snow” but we were in the FJ and figured the park rangers were just being overly cautious. So….we MAY have driven around a barricade or two. After driving in about 2 miles or so, we could see very clearly that the rangers weren’t exaggerating with their warning. The drifts were now at least 5 feet high and what wasn’t covered in snow was buried in mud. Not wanting to be the idiot who drove past all the warning signs only to get stuck, I shifted into 4 wheel drive and cautiously made my way back to Shulman Grove. As a side note, it you are planning to shoot the Patriarch grove this Summer, it might be a bit of a wait as there was a TON of snow up there after only 2 miles in. And it’s almost June!
One of my main goals in shooting in the white mountains on this trip was to get the full arch of the Milky Way above a Bristilecone pine. Many of the trees in this area are over 3000 years old. I was freezing my butt off as we began shooting, and it steadily got colder as the night wore on. Eric and I shot for around an hour or so before we saw some headlights. About 15 minutes later we were joined by Mike Kukucska who was a fellow landscape photographer from Ontario, Canada. Mike was also into low level lighting and he and Mike began to experiment while trying to get the right glow on the tree we were shooting. We shot until almost 2 AM and then it was time for the long drive home.
I love the juxtaposition in this particular shot as this tree, which has been alive for most of recorded human history, is set against the arch of the Milky Way, which has been glowing for billions of years. The ancient against the eternal.
In terms of settings, I took this shot with the Rokinon 12mm 2.8 fisheye which has been my go-to lens on many of my recent Milky Way trips. Single exposure, F2.8, ISO 3200 at 25 seconds.
--------------
Thank you so much for your views and comments! If you have specific questions or need to get in touch with me, please be sure to send me a message via flickr mail, or feel free to contact me via one of the following:
Blog | Website | Facebook | Instagram | 500px | Twitter | Google +