Anatomy of a Composition - Pawnee Grasslands: an Aurora Reset
“Aurora activity notifications were ringing all day and into the evening as all across the globe photographers and site seers scrambled to figure out where the darkest skies might be while hoping that any local cloud cover would quickly dissipate.” This was an odd, surreal deja vu, as it was not middle May, it was instead early October yet the atmospheric conditions were coming together in a very similar way. While this display didn’t have the exact same intensity, all of the Aurora hunters were able to take in a beautiful series of storms and substorms as far south as Arizona and as far north as Queensland in New Zealand.
In May when the previous storm had occurred, I was closing in on finishing my 30th year in the classroom, and wasn’t sure about the next few steps for myself. I was hopeful for taking on a few adventures, getting out of a bit of a rut creatively, while also spending time on the motorcycle and taking in the upcoming Colorado wildflower season. The previous nine months had been both personally and professionally challenging. There was a genuine bittersweet element to the end of the school year; I was thinking about all of the good that I’ve enjoyed in my chosen career, but was genuinely left thinking “what is next?”
June and July unfolded much the same way as the previous months, but little photography was involved. Home repair and updating projects along with time decompressing on the motorcycle were the highlights of this period. Additionally, I’d been exploring career options - there were leadership opportunities opening up in different settings that seemed to offer real potential and as well as a chance to consolidate the experiences of both my time in the classroom as well as in different leadership roles. In the middle of July the specific opportunity that I had been hoping for revealed itself and I accepted a position as a Dean at a combined K-8 elementary/middle school - I was absolutely elated, this was exactly the job I was hoping for, a job that would allow me to continue to interact with students and families while also sharing my ideas on structures and policies with the broader school community.
Many changes were made in a short period of time and a new school year began. But just 10 weeks in, it was apparent that I was not where I needed to be - I can’t make a distinct accusation about a specific condition, it was just the whole experience that was proving itself wrong and I was not the right person for the role. I packed up my office after the most stressful day of my career and chose to leave education.
The good fortune that presented with all of the aurora warnings was now that I would have the time to go out on the hunt - I left my job on a Wednesday and this storm arrived the next night, Thursday, October 10th. Serendipity or just a practical decision, I’m still not sure which.
Humbly, I thank you for your support. I’m honestly not sure how much longer this photographic journey will continue - 2024 did not turn out at all the way I was hoping it would and I just don’t know what to do next. I’ve left Denver and will spend the next few months visiting friends and family, and 2025 is just a few days away.
Pawnee Grasslands - Sony a7rv & FE 14 GM - ISO 1600 | F/1.4 | 3.2 sec ~ 14mm - single image
Pawnee Grasslands - Sony a7rv & FE 35 GM - ISO 3200 | F/1.4 | 4 sec ~ 35mm - single image
Pawnee Grasslands - Sony a7rv & FE 14 GM - ISO 6400 | F/1.4 | 3.2 sec ~ 14mm - single image