Tonight, after a tour of the Artist In Residence facility in Joshua Tree National Park (thank you Karen!), I decided to stay in the park and do some evening photography. The sun had already gone down, so after the normal post-sunset-Joshua-Tree-silhouette shots while there was still color in the sky, I dug out my flashlight and gels to try some experimenting. I have been wanting to do more night work, so this was a perfect opportunity.
One thing is for sure: if there is a moon in the sky, it is less creepy; at least then you can sort of see what's around you. The other night, the power went out - presumably due to the very high winds that evening. When I got back to the cabin, I was trying to look at the bright side (pardon the pun) and looked forward to a spectacular light-free night sky view. But as soon as I stepped out of the car and experienced the moonless black night, anxiety set in almost immediately. I started thinking irrational Blair Witch thoughts. I started imaging all of the murderous neighbors who were surely waiting for just this opportunity to strike. Is this just a product of too many movies? The infinite starfield - complete with Milky Way streaking from one horizon to the next - didn't help. Just made me feel more insignificant and vulnerable. (But yes, it was spectacular.)
I really want to be the fearless intrepid photographer, I really do. But I have to admit it: I am a total nature night wimp! The bugs come out, the coyotes howl, I imagine scorpions with every noise and ants bite my toes while I am holding down the shutter on my camera during long exposures.
The up side? I did get some cool shots, in spite of my jitters. Here's one:
1 comment:
It's interesting to consider what was necessary to take such a shot. It really is amazing. Your bravery (that's what it was, what was required, and don't think that everyone has it) really paid off. That's inspirational.
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