Reaching FOR THE Stars
It’s cold, and I’m shivering under the dark night sky. Out of breath from hiking up the mountain above 9,000 feet elevation, I set up my camera for a shot. I enjoy creating compositions of the night sky; composition is my favorite aspect of photography. I choose a horizontal view to include the arch of the Milky Way through the frame, with Jupiter near the center and a volcanic eruption on the Big Island of Hawaii in the distance. I wait until the dense part of the Milky Way gases are visible, which, at this time of year in May, is now almost 1 a.m. I love photographing the full moon with mountains or a crescent moon on the horizon, but what I delight in the most is photographing the glowing Milky Way band as it stretches across the sky. It is glorious. I feel the expanse of the universe under the many stars. Pressing the shutter, I know this shot will be a favorite.
Hiking back to the car and wanting to share the experience with my sister, I wake her less than gently. “Bec, you must wake up and see the
