ST Road Trip: Night Sky Update
Photography is a form of art.... though most people don't think they are making artwork when they whip out their cell phone cameras. But for those of us who study light, texture, contrast, color and who obsess over capturing that one decisive moment.... it's art. Picasso took many liberties with the human form, MC Escher bent the laws of physics, and so - sometimes - as a photographer, I too "break the rules". This photograph breaks a few rules.... but it's all real. Everything you see here was captured by me with my @leica_camera SL.... but it's not possible to make this photograph in a single click of the shutter. A little photographers magic is required, and that's okay. I am not trying to present this as a documentary of reality, rather as an expression of what my eyes and mind saw.
Brrrr.... A cold front has moved through Moab, and with it came some ice and snow. Of course this made for some interesting photographs of snow on the brilliant orange arch rock formations of Arches National Park, but it also tested my resolve for photos like this! Since a clear night was in the forecast, we stayed at an area called "The Windows" until darkness fell. We were the only idiots out there in the freezing temps, but the view of the nights sky helped keep us warm. Thousands of stars, constellations and even the Milky Way were out, and the silhouette of the crazy rock formations was the perfect framing for some star trails. Thanks to the WiFi capability and Leica SL app, I was able to setup the camera for this 10 minute exposure and then retreat to the warmth of the car for a few minutes! Hopefully the clear sky persists tonight, though it is expected to get even colder on our next stop.... Bryce Canyon.