Anatomy of a Composition - Echo Lake

I really appreciate how astrophotography has crept into my portfolio and skill set. It weds so many things that I enjoy all at once; night sky, dark places, sense of being alone and the camera - hopefully I never misplace this sense of wonder.

A 55 birthday was spend out under a starry night, but windy conditions kept the reflections from really standing out on Echo Lake. I decided to head back up on the following weekend and found not only clear skies, its was incredibly calm. Venus was planted squarely in the middle of the Milky Way core, but waiting for a time-lapse to complete its cycle allowed for Venus to set, allowing the brilliance of the night sky to shine through.

Shooting an ultra-wide lens allows for so much more of the scene to be included in the image. In some instances this can be incredibly overwhelming. The scene really needs a strong foreground, either as a specific object like a flower, a group of rocks, leaves or trees, or with a reflective surface, like the one the lake provided this particular night. Stars, clouds, the evergreens ringing the lake all reflected off the surface, with the rocks below shown through.

Just as a reminder, this year’s calendar is now available and they are ready to ship! It features a collection of shots taken each month from around Colorado to share the unique beauty of the state throughout the entire year. You can preview a Web Gallery for all of the images inside this year’s calendar.

November, 2021 - As always, thank you for the support and for joining me on this adventure.

For more thoughts on some of these images, and life’s other travails, head to www.wordpress.com/alma175w  

Echo Lake - ISO 6400 | F/1.8 | 13.0 sec. - 20 images stacked - Sony a7riii & Sony FE 14GM