Desolation Milkyway

Desolation Milkyway

The Milkyway, as seen from Desolation Wilderness.  This was shot from camp on my backpacking trip earlier this month.  Every star that you see is actually in the Milkyway but we commonly refer to the streak across the sky as the Milkyway.  The Milkyway is our Galaxy, which is shaped similar to Saturn and it's rings.  Consider the milky streak of stars across our sky to be the rings as seen from within itself.  Regardless, when you get it this dark out you can't help but marvel at it.

Details:
Canon 5D Mark II
16-35L 2.8
tri pod
66 second exposure at 2.8 and ISO 2000

If you look at the stars on the outer edge of the image you can see that 66 seconds produced enough movement to show some blur.

Desolate Reflections

Desolate Reflections

Desolation Wilderness, Ca.

This is the same unnamed lake as my last two shots from Desolation Valley.  For this shot I tried to simplify the scene to focus on the reflection more.  I chose to go vertical - as I always try to do unless the composition is better horizontally - in part because magazine covers are vertical ;o).  I think it draws more attention to the center of the image and it keeps my eye on the most dramatic part of the sky/reflection.  It was an amazing sunset that evening but the reflections were what really made it special.


Details:
Body: 5D Mark II
Lens: 16-35L 2.8
Tri pod
Polarizing filter
This is a two exposure manual blend shot at F18, ISO 100.  Foreground was shot at 10 seconds.

Desolation Valley

Desolation Valley

Just off the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) in the Desolation Wilderness you'll find an area called Desolation valley.  A gorgeous watershed area with tons of lakes scattered across a bouldery valley floor.  It's easy to see where they got the name desolation from too with more rocks than trees.  Desolation Valley is a remarkable place hidden amongst a busy day hikers route in the Sierra Nevada.

Lake Aloha, which is a short hike over the small ridge in this image, is a popular day hike and can get pretty crowded.  But we found that by taking a short cross country hike over the ridge there's a magical place with very little to no people at all.  And with the late afternoon July weather we got a heck of a sunset this day!

This particular lake is unnamed (there are tones of them) but one worth watching a sunset over.  Some of the larger named lakes include American, Channel and Desolation.  These small island riddled lakes made for some great compositions.

Details:
Body: 5D Mark II
Lens: 16-35L 2.8
Tri pod
Polarizing filter
This is a two exposure manual blend shot at F18, ISO 100.  Foreground was shot at 2 seconds.

Desolate Startrails

Desolate Startrails

Desolation Wilderness, Ca.

One of the great things about being in the high Sierra is the darkness.  This was shot from my camp in Desolation Valley.  With the sound of a waterfall to keep me company I sat in the darkness for 45 minutes shooting this.

This is a composite of 80 thirty second exposures.  I stacked the shots together using this easy to use and free program called Startrails.  You can download it here: www.startrails.de/html/software.html

Typically to get this effect I will take at least 30 minutes worth of exposures (30 - 2 minutes is a good length) and then one exposure for a foreground if I want to light paint or something then one exposure with the lens cap on (for averaging the blackness in the program).  All of that is with the same settings.  Then I throw it into the program and viola - a few seconds later I have this!

The great thing about stacking star shots is no noise.  The bad thing (if you consider it bad) is you have to sit there and press the shutter every 30 seconds (or however long you choose your exposures).  But when you get to lay back and watch shooting stars it's an easy payoff.

Just a little side note - it's always fascinating to see the different colors in each star.  When you look at the night sky with the naked eye all the stars look white.


Details:
Body: 5D Mark II
Lens: 16-35L 2.8
Tri pod
Eighty thirty second exposures, ISO 1000, F4.

The Edge of a Sunset

The Edge of a Sunset

Desolation Wilderness, Ca.

This is the second image from my backpacking trip last week.  I had two nights of incredible sky as you can see here!  This is an unnamed lake in Desolation Valley - in close proximity to my last image (Channel Lake).

This image really struck me because of the bipolar appearance in the sky.  Clouded on the right and clear skies on the left - as if an imaginary line were drawn down the sky.  The late afternoon weather pushed these clouds up from the Tahoe basin and they just held right there.  I did a lot of boulder scrambling to find the right lake (this area is literally dappled with lakes all over the place).  I set up my gear and stood in awe as the color exploded in the sky to my right.  Most of my compositions included mostly clouds but there was something magical about this comp for me.  To me it depicts the unstableness (is that a word?) of the high sierra air.


Details:
Body: 5D Mark II
Lens: 16-35L 2.8
Tri pod
Polarizing filter
This is a two exposure manual blend shot at F18, ISO 100.  Foreground was shot at 6 seconds.

Channel Lake - Desolation Wilderness

Channel Lake - Desolation Wilderness

Here is the first image from my backpacking trip last week.  I'm pretty sure this is Channel Lake which is in Desolation Valley in Desolation Wilderness (which is Southwest of Lake Tahoe).  This area is basically a watershed for the Crystal Range just to the South (just to the right in this image), that house Pyramid Peak, Mt. Agassiz and Mt. Price.  There are tons of lakes within a rocks throw of each other all of this basin.  Some nothing more than a big puddle and some larger such as this.  But all of them are pretty spectacular considering.

This was our first night in this area.  The clouds began to form over Lake Tahoe all day and then slowly moved in over this basin in the late afternoon.  And luckily they stuck around for sunset!

Details:
Body: 5D Mark II
Lens: 16-35L 2.8
Tri pod
Polarizing filter
This is a two exposure manual blend shot at F18, ISO 100.  Foreground was shot at 15 seconds.

Kyle and Carra are married!

Kyle and Carra are married!  I had the privilege of shooting their wedding a few weeks back.  When I shot their engagement photos I knew it would be a fun wedding to shoot and it was.  They are such an easy going couple and they had great friends in the wedding party.  Never a dull moment.

A last minute prayer and then off to the limo.

The festivities started with a "first look" at a local park...

Carra snuck up behind Kyle and tapped him on the shoulder for a glimpse at her groom.

One of my favs.

Truly a fun crowd to photograph.

Time to board the boat.  Electra Cruises in Newport Beach, Ca.

Ready!

Everyone loves an emotional groom...just ask anyone at my wedding ;o)

She said, "finally!" when it came time to put the ring on.

The grand exit was grand!

They are big baseball fans.

  

Congratulations Kyle and Carra!