Sometimes the universe delivers better than we plan.✨
On seperate occassions this early Winter I set out to capture reports of northern lights and shooting stars. Simple quick escapes to the backyard and the nearby lake shore. I was enthusiastic to try nighttime photography. hopes were up! I had done my homework and planned to capture a hint of green and purple night sky and maybe one lonely shooting star.
Bust. And Bust.
My timing was off for the northern lights, plus light pollution from my vantage point on the Lake Erie shore was too much. Western New York simply isn't known for colorful night skies.
To my surprise a bright full moon rose above the tree line. The lights of Port Colborne, Ontario provided a subtle hue on the horizon. The clear sky shined with so many stars.
I didn't get the northern lights, but I was overjoyed in the results of a whole new niche. As my 9 year old son helped carry gear back to the car, he remarked "that was pretty cool Dad."
A few weeks later for the meteor show I sat back in my Adirondack chair, shutter release in one hand and a warm coffee in the other, shot after shot until I got frustrated and cold. Oh there were meteors, just never timed across my field of view. Wishes were made.
Back inside I scrolled through the camera roll. Somehow in the silent patience of tonight's sky and continuously taking shots (45 over about an hour) the universe flowed my photography & editing skills further than I had ever planned.
To my surprise, as I compiled pics on my large screen monitor for this blog post, one image out of 45 contained a faint shooting star captured over 20 seconds, 2000 ISO and not visible in the moment to the eye or camera view screen.
Last, I've never created a starlight composition before. I always thought that they were neat, just didn't think I could do one. It's not perfect. I only used 16 layers. It's not what I set out to do, yet somehow a level up.
Lake Erie Starlight
Lake Erie Starlight is available in a variety of customizable formats. Find it in the Landscapes & Wildlife Collection. Shown here is a finished 12x18” metal print in glossy finish and white base and features a float mount for wall hanging. Printing is infused into the surface of a specially coated metal sheet and takes on a luminescence perfect for this photography art.