The Slow Shutter

The Forever Tree

This photo has been featured in National Geographic Books and other publications. The Forever Tree, located in the oldest forest in the world. Many of these trees live for 5000 years, and even after dying, can remain for 5000 more years. In other words, it's quite possible that some trees have been standing for as long as 10000 years, long long before Lucille Ball roamed the earth. :D I don't actually know if this tree has a name. I just like the name. Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, CA USA

Photographers often suggest you look in back of you when you are photographing or you might miss out on something better. While photographing Comet NEOWISE in late July 2020, that's exactly what I did. Comet in front of me, Milky Way in back. I had to photograph both. This is the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains by Owens Valley. At over 10,500 ft (3200m) in elevation, the sky is clearer, the stars more visceral, and the smile much larger. The bristlecone pines are some of the oldest living things on the planet, some growing before Buddha or George Burns walked the earth. I illuminated the ancient pine with a handheld ProtoMachines LED2 light painting device during the exposure for the earthbound elements, and let the universe do the lighting for the rest.

Stereo Stereo

Comet NEOWISE was just discovered by scientists in March 2020, and here, just a few months later, some of us get to run to the Mojave Desert and enjoy this heavenly spectacle.

The Gold Eye and the Heavens Above

You know you are somewhere quiet and remote when you are keenly aware of that barely perceptible "hum" and are conscious of how well you can hear your breathing. Silence is louder and the stars shine brighter. This is Ojo Oro Arch, a hidden gem located in a secret corner of the Mojave Desert, not a strange new world from "Star Trek" but almost as far. Bodhi Smith, Chip Morton and I hiked several miles and hung out during this night photography trip. When I finally settled down to sleep under the stars around 3:30 am cocooned by a canopy of stars and the Milky Way arching directly overhead. Every several minutes, I saw shooting stars streaking through the night sky.

Listening for Light

Comet NEOWISE over some amazing radio telescopes, Mojave Desert, Southwestern United States, at twilight.

El Cielo y El Ojo Oro

You know you are somewhere quiet and remote when you are keenly aware of that barely perceptible "hum" and are conscious of how well you can hear your breathing. Silence is louder and the stars shine brighter. This is Ojo Oro Arch, a hidden gem located in a secret corner of the Mojave Desert, not a strange new world from "Star Trek" but almost as far. Bodhi Smith, Chip Morton and I hiked several miles and hung out during this night photography trip. When I finally settled down to sleep under the stars around 3:30 am cocooned by a canopy of stars and the Milky Way arching directly overhead. Every several minutes, I saw shooting stars streaking through the night sky.

Trona Glow Star Trails

Trona Pinnacles, Mojave Desert, California, USA. This photo was in the LA Times Travel Section for Readers Travel Photo of the Year and Omni Magazine.

Taking In The Cosmos

Two big "ears" listening to the universe. Milky Way as seen through some clouds and smoke from a fire, Owens Valley, CA.

Our New World

Feeling like an explorer on a new world in Arches National Park, Utah, watching the Milky Way drift toward the south as night progresses. The odd rocky formations in the distance are the rocks near the Windows Arches and Turret Arch. You can see the headlight trail of a car leaving this area. As you can see, the archway is enormous, extending up approximately 104 feet (31 m), with a span of 148 feet (45 m).

Big Bend Star Trails

The Organ (middle rock formation) in Zion National Park, Utah U.S.A. as seen at night during this long exposure photo showing the movement of the stars over a long period of time.

Slip Sliding Away

Imagine walking carefully on a flat white valley floor completely aglow from the light of a full moon on a whisper-quiet evening. That is Racetrack Playa in Death Valley N.P., CA, far from anywhere, and utterly enchanting.

La Paz

You know you are somewhere quiet and remote when you are keenly aware of that barely perceptible "hum" and are conscious of how well you can hear your breathing. Silence is louder and the stars shine brighter. This is Ojo Oro Arch, a hidden gem located in a secret corner of the Mojave Desert, not a strange new world from "Star Trek" but almost as far. Bodhi Smith, Chip Morton and I hiked several miles and hung out during this night photography trip. When I finally settled down to sleep under the stars around 3:30 am cocooned by a canopy of stars and the Milky Way arching directly overhead. Every several minutes, I saw shooting stars streaking through the night sky.

Shanti Stupa Dream

Indian Himalayas. This is a dreamy long single exposure of Shanti Stupa.

Stars of Sabrina

Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, including two islands and its chilly alpine water, nestled among several 13,000 ft. tall peaks, with an elevation of 9128 ft. The elevation and relative lack of light pollution creates a beautifully vibrant Milky Way, something that filled me with awe.

Door to Infinity

Gazing up at Delicate Arch feels like peering into the infinite beyond, the magnificent arch acting as a portal for the center of our galaxy and beyond. For this photo, I waited a bit for the Milky Way to drift farther south, then lined it up underneath the arch for this image. I light painted the arch with a small Streamlight LED flashlight to keep the arch from going to silhouette. The Milky Way is easy to see on a moonless night such as this one. This is a long exposure night sky photo with light painting.

Rock of Ages

I love discovering these incredible landscapes, such as this large, very round boulder that I came across at night. As a kid, I spent a lot of time in nature, out in the woods. And as an adult, this has widened to include the desert night. And night photography has been a huge part of that, connecting me to a location in a way that even a hike never can. Long exposure night photo showing the movement of the stars over many many minutes.

The Descending Orb

The night before Easter, I was walking back to my car after a long night of shooting the night sky. I turned around and saw this beautiful view. I immediately unpacked my gear and took this photo, light painting the cliffs and foreground. Many times the last photo I take in an evening is the best or strangest one.

Star Trails at the OK Corral

Cowboy up! Pioneertown, California began as a Wild West motion picture set in the 1940s, with Roy Rogers, Gene Autry and others among the original developers and investors. The set was designed for the actors to live while using their homes in the movie. The Cisco Kid and many other Westerns were filmed here. Saloons, jails, banks, all the good stuff you need for a Western town.

The Ring Of Light

The Milky Way glowing with divine beauty above a rarely visited arch, located in a quiet, remote corner of the American Southwest on this warm summer evening.

Temple Tree Star Trails

Zion National Park, Utah U.S.A. This long exposure photo shows the movement of the stars caused by the rotation of the earth over a long period of time. I returned to this location several years later, only to find that this tree had collapsed. This photo has been featured on numerous websites such as National Geographic and Smithsonian, being an Editor's Pick of the Week/Daily Dozen at the former.

Window Into Infinity

Utterly gobsmacked by the Milky Way in the clear desert air. This is a rare night sky selfie created while getting accustomed to my new camera and lens.This won a contest put on by Joshua Tree National Park and was featured in various brochures and such by the Desert Institute.

Trinity

The celestial movement of the stars in Joshua Tree National Park in the California desert as shown in this vibrant night sky photo of the desert.

Stars Dropped Down Like Rain

In 687 BC in Zuo Zhuan, one of the earliest Chinese works of narrative history, described the Lyrid meteor shower: "At night, fixed stars are invisible, at midnight, stars dropped down like rain." Vasquez Rocks, California, USA