The Time Traveler

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This is an image that I've been meaning to take for the past three years. Back in 2009 I was suppose to go to the Bristle Cone Pine forest in California's Eastern Sierra Range but at the last minute I had to back out of the trip.

 

So the past couple of years I just never managed to squeeze this location into my travels...then, in the winter of 2011 on my way home from shooting in the desert southwest I learned that Tioga Pass was open unusually late in the season. Bells went off...if Tioga Pass is open then maybe the Bristle Cone Pines are too, and sure enough!

 

So, I bring you an hour long star trail exposure with a 4700 year old Bristone Cone Pine tree as the subject. This was taken about 9pm at night under a half moon, at 20 degrees. Yes, it gets awfully cold standing out there waiting for the exposures to finish!

 

Technical details:

 

- Canon 1Ds Mark III

- ISO 400

- 16mm

- f/6.3

- 10,400 foot elevation

- 12 five-minute exposures, stacked for trails

- Magic lantern light paint to help fill in shadows on the tree and add color on the first frame

- 20 degrees, calm, no clouds

- Half moon but at at the elevation and location, really lit things up! (thus the f/6.3)

Done