Celestial Dreams
Category: 04 Award Winners
Oregon
I have always had a fascination with the night sky. Knowing there is a whole new world out there really intrigues me. Now I was faced with the massive challenge of capturing this mystery on film. When we look at the milky way – we see it in real time. The human eye sees millions of stars and a white milky cloud. Experimenting with long exposures between one second and 200 seconds opened up a totally new perspective to me. The results blew my mind. With the long exposures the camera captures light the human eye doesn’t see – the colored gases of the nebulae.
Now I had mastered the technique – all I had to do was find the perfect composition. This was another massive challenge – I wanted the heavens to connect somehow with Mother Earth. I shot many locations at night under the starry sky but I really needed to feel that connection. After days of endless searching I finally found what I was looking for. The shape, texture and structure of this lone tree really spoke to me. As dusk approached I took my first exposure for the fields and horizon – as I knew under starlight this would be pitch black. I waited hours in total darkness for the milky way to be in the perfect position and took a second long shot – exposing for the night sky.
The combination of the two exposures created the exact mood I was chasing. I stood in awe and total silence. Staring at the twinkling night sky above me – gracefully arched over the wise tree. What was going on out there I’ll never know, but a rush of energy will be with me forever. Looking at this image I hope you can feel the magic I did this evening.
