Anatomy of a Composition - San Luis Corner (Panorama)

Another June has arrived and there has been a bit more time to travel and shoot more. The night sky is always a fascinating sight, and with the intersection of humidity and particulate in the atmosphere, the phenomena known as “air-glow” adds an extra element to an already beautiful scene.

The remote San Luis Valley in southern Colorado is a vast expanse set between the San Juans and the Sangre de Cristo mountains. High altitude valley, though one of the dryer places in the state has a large aquifer just below its surface and serves as a major head water to the Rio Grande River. Additionally, this water often percolates to the surface through geothermal fissures, creating some of the states better outlets for hot springs.

The most impressive site in the valley is undoubtedly the Great Sand Dunes National Monument. This expanse of wind-blown sand is many thousands of acres in size, and home to the highest dune in North America. The night sky is another great attraction here. Specifically, the Great Sand Dunes is a designated Dark Sky Preserve so a it is a obvious destination when planning a nighttime photo session. Not only was the entire arch of the Milky Way on display, so were the green hues of the air glow quite prominent. Air-glow results from oxygen atoms in the atmosphere that have had a turbulent day and absorbed a tremendous amount of light.

In the past I know I have worked to eliminate much of this glow, feeling that it distracted from the Milky Way image. In this case though, the intensity cannot be overlooked as it added a real depth to the final composition.

June, 2022 - 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  

San Luis Corner (Panorama - ISO 6400 | F/1.4 | 8 sec. - 50 images stacked and stitched together, edited in Lightroom and Photoshop - Sony a7riii & Sony FE 35GM