For hoodoo hunters, the Valley of Dreams area of the Ah-shi-sle-pah Badlands in northwestern New Mexico holds some of the most unique formations to enjoy. The Alien Throne is one of the landmarks hoodoos in this area, and I had a wonderful time photographing the amazing structures in the area.
Fantasy Night at the Alien Throne
For hoodoo hunters, the Valley of Dreams area of the Ah shi sle pah Badlands in northwestern New Mexico holds some of the most unique formations to enjoy. The Alien Throne is one of the landmarks hoodoos in this area, and I had the privilege to enjoy this remote spot under the starry skies with the company of coyotes howling occasionally in the distance.
Surreal scenery, coyotes songs in the night and a beautiful Milky Way in the Arizona high desert made it a special night. Getting here is a challenge but definitely worth the effort.
Another amazing ancient Bristlecone Pine tree in the Eastern Sierra Mountains. The exquisite and gnarled structure of the tree weathered over a few thousand years makes you wonder what amazing events it has experienced during its lifetime.
There was a tree called Georges' Tree besides the Owens River that was a favorite for photographers for a long time. That tree unfortunately no longer exists and has been swept away by the meandering river. Back in 2013, while exploring other opportunities in this area I found this nearby tree that I call Georges' Sister. Although not besides the river, the white wildflowers besides the tree beautifully complemented the scene.
A Milky Way image from the sleepy town of Carabelle taken during the lockdown period. Haze and light pollution are a significant issue even in this relatively remote location in Florida. Techie Info: The Milky Way: Tracked (ISO 1600/103sec/f2.8). Foreground from a single exposure (ISO 1600/60 sec/f4.0).
We had an extended stay in the Aztec, NM area this summer and this provided great opportunities to visit the Badlands multiple times. Several evenings and nights were spent exploring the infinite number of hoodoos and the night skies. These hoodoos adorned with a late season Milky Way are called the Conversing Hoodoos for obvious reasons.
A night spent at one of the beautiful arches in the Aztec, New Mexico area. It is however unfortunate that graffiti is starting to appear on the arch. Also, there was a lot of trash in the area that my better half spent time cleaning up.
Another incredible experience to photograph the Milky Way at White Pocket. The drive to White Pocket itself is a great adventure and requires a high clearance 4X4 vehicle and experienced driver. As a rookie Jeep owner, I did not bother to air down the tires and sure enough got stuck in the soft sand. Lucky for me, a group came by and helped me out of the situation. Needless to say, my driving chops had vastly improved by the time I completed the trip.
These ancient Bristlecone Pines are in a remote area of the White Mountains in the Eastern Sierras. I have to admit that I struggled with the sudden change in elevation encountered after driving up from the floor of the valley, and found myself panting for breath after every few steps. The strong winds that evening also made it feel more daunting but in the end it was worth the effort to spend time with these ancient trees.
No one really knows how these stones move and leave these interesting trails behind them in this dry and arid but beautiful landscape of Death Valley. It was amazing to have this vast expanse to ourselves as we marveled the beauty of the space in front of us.
It took a few attempts to get everything lined up for this one. This is a beautiful area to enjoy nature.
There were not too many thunderstorms in the winter during our stay in Carrabelle. There were at least two good ones but I have to admit that I slept through the first one realizing in the morning that I had missed an opportunity to capture something great. So, I was much better prepared when the next one came around and it did not disappoint.
The Valley of Dream area in the Bisti Badlands has some amazing formations that take a life of their own in the darkness of night. I like to call one of my favorite formations the cerebellum for obvious reasons. Low level lights were used to light up the scene.
The Aztec, NM area has hundreds of miles of oil field dirt roads used to service the oil & gas installations in the area. This makes it feasible to explore the multitude of arches in the area. The roads are best travelled on a 4X4 and should be avoided during the rains. It is very easy to get stuck in the seemingly innocuous puddles that form during the monsoon season. I say this based on personal experience. This is a small roadside arch that looked pretty mundane during daylight hours but came out pretty good as a milky way foreground.
This is another small but really beautiful arch in the Aztec Area. Also known as the Little Delicate Arch, it is visible from the parking area. When you first view Rooftop Arch it appears that getting up close and level to it is impossible. However, access is relatively easy if you are willing to explore around and do some trail searching.
Tatahatso Point overlooks Point Hansbrough and the Colorado River in north-central Arizona. This huge meander is bigger than the ultra popular Horseshoe Bend a few miles north. That said, it isn’t nearly as easy to get to. Getting to shoot the Milky Way over Tatahatso Point was an incredible experience.
This one is from the coast of Maine at the Pemaquid Lighthouse. While there, I decided to venture down the rocks and see if the amazing rock formations there would lend themselves to something interesting. The crashing waves along the rock crevices created some decent opportunities. The wave action was mesmerizing but I had to be careful not to get too close to the action.
Driving up on Hwy-1 back in 2013, the marine layer had been thick all day and this was my third attempt to visit McWay Falls for a sunset and Milky Way shot. As I snuggled down in the car seat trying to get comfortable and catch some zees prior to the late night shoot, things did not look too promising as there were still thick clouds preventing the stars from peeking down. The alarm went off and I reluctantly peaked out almost hoping that the clouds were still there so I could continue my slumber. But by golly, the stars were shining brightly and it was time get out and get busy. It turned out to be a memorable night and I can't wait to get back there again.
Getting back to some of the MWs I took last year. Here is another one from somewhere in West Virginia.
It was supposed to be a Super Moon but it ended up not being a clear night. When the moon finally showed up it was dark and playing a quick hide and seek behind the clouds. So, had to come up with an alternative composition. Single exposure: ISO 320/30sec/f9
Another night spent by the Mushroom in the Bisti Badlands. I was worried that light pollution in the north from Farmington would be an issue. However, things worked out fairly well.
This is a popular arch in the Aztec area with a span of 42ft and a height of 35ft. An approximately 4.3 mile on the area oil field dirt roads is required to reach the arch. The hike to the arch is relatively short but there is a section that requires a short scramble. After hoisting myself up, I used a rope to lift up my camera gear and tripod up this section. It is important to get your bearing and mark this location on your GPS especially if returning in the dark as this is apparently the only safe way to get back from the arch.
This one was a relatively small arch but quite picturesque, especially once lit up with low level lights. The opening is only around 3.5x2ft wide.
There are many places in this world that are failed by any form of description. Amazing rock formations, patterns and colors make this area a top bucket list location for landscape photographers.
I have made it White Pocket a few times now and each time, the other worldly rock formations take your breath away. There are many places in this world that are failed by any form of description and, no doubt this is one of them. Futhermore, the surreal scenery takes on another dimension under the Milky Way. This is a composite with the foreground captured during the blue hour.
The Mono Lake tufas are picturesque limestone towers with knobby spires that look gorgeous against the waters of the lake. The tufas are actually formed under water but as the ancient lake has dried up they are now visible.
As I was working through my Eastern Sierras folder from 2013, I found this Bristlecone Pine Milky Way image that got neglected for some reason. My guess is that the bigger giants there had received all the attention and so this one never got processed. Anyhow, I believe this tree deserves to be presented and has every right to be in my portfolio of images.
We had the opportunity to make an unscheduled two week stop in West Virginia due to my truck breaking down and needing extensive repairs. It was a great opportunity to explore some of the beautiful waterfalls in the area. At Sandstone Falls, I had the place to myself after the few fisherman left for the evening. This is one of my favorites from the area.
The patterns in the sand would be different and quite amazing as low tide settled in. In this instance, the haze and light pollution were helpful in lighting up the foreground nicely for this Milky Way shot.
