ASTRO
“A camera exposes us to things the eye can’t see.”
– David Morring
CELESTIAL PINES – Thumb Butte is the signature geological feature in Prescott, Arizona. I wanted to capture The Milky Way towering vertically above the mountain as if it were a volcanic eruption of stars. Thumb Butte was illuminated by the city lights only a few miles away, and the Lodgepole pines added a perfect framing for the image.
BLUEWATER MILKY WAY – (International Photography Awards Winner) Route 66 is the iconic highway of the America West. But with the modern Interstate system, many of the businesses and attractions along Route 66 have been left to deteriorate and decay. I began this project to preserve in pictures the remnants of a bygone era under the magnificent nighttime skies of New Mexico and Arizona.
NIGHTWATCH – On the upper banks of the Santa Maria river east of Bagdad, Arizona stands an ever-vigilant Saguaro watching the stars as they make their nightly foray across the heavens. Using two strobes and an 11-second exposure, I captured this cactus on its “Nightwatch” beneath The Milky Way.
FIRST STRIKE – Pounded by hail and wind, I weathered the elements while perched atop a mountain ridge to capture this singular bolt of lightning over Thumb Butte in Prescott, Arizona.
A SIGN - While waiting to shoot the sunset on the shore of Watson Lake, a perfect rainbow manifests itself in the looming clouds.
NAVAJO NIGHTS – Silhouettes of Totem Pole and Yei Bi Chai pierce the Milky Way while windswept waves of sand carpet the floor of Monument Valley.
LOST ARROW - The original Twin Arrows Trading Post Ruins on Route 66 had two arrows but has now been reduced to one. I wanted to preserve this landmark in a photograph under the stars before the last one disappears. The Big Dipper aligned perfectly over the northern horizon as I shot this late one summer evening.
NIGHT CLIMBER IN THE DELLS (Published in Alpinist Magazine Issue 87) – Erin Connery climbs The High Rappel Wall under The Milky Way in Prescott, Arizona. I positioned myself with a tripod on a narrow ledge on the opposite side of the canyon. Erin and I communicated via walkie-talkie and I instructed him when to flick his headlamp on and off and so as to not over-expose him while I took the long-exposure. He also had to remain as still as possible to not be blurred in the image.
The Moon and The Meteor – It wasn’t until after reviewing my images of the beautiful moonset over the eastern horizon of The Valley of the Gods that I realized I’d also captured a meteoroid burning through Earth’s atmosphere. What a magical surprise!