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The stunning clarity you get at night from very high altitude is an astronomers dream. Here you can clearly see the constellation Orion rising over Lake Tioga at an altitude of 6,636 feet above sea level. At this altitude, the air is thin and crisp and makes for some stunning night photography. We were assisted by a nearly full moon that elegantly illuminated the peaks and forest of the High Sierra. A walk down to the lake can be breathtaking, literally as the air is much thinner. Lake Tioga lies just outside the Eastern entrance of Yosemite National Park. It's distance from the valley makes it somewhat less traveled and even more of a thrill for tourist who make the extra effort. It's truly one of the gems of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range.
You can clearly see the star Betelgeuse, bright yellow star on the left which is a Red Supergiant star and one of the most luminous stars in the sky. It outshines the second brightest star in the constellation Rigel, the star on the opposite corner that makes up the constellation. The clouds were so thin, wispy and moving at a good clip that the long exposure allowed the constellations to show though. I found this effect to be quite exciting as it allows you to see both the constellations and the brightly moonlit clouds at the same time.
I made the late night trip with fell Flickr photographers
Matt Granz and
Miguel (aka Amigo). As we drove past it was clear we would have to stop. We spent over an hour photographing the lake before moving on to Mono Lake and more stellar shots from the High Desert. The trip was mainly to photograph some of the Fall Color that dots the Eastern Sierra and we would not be disappointed. So stay tuned as there will be many more equally great shots to come.
Regards,
Darv
© Darvin Atkeson
LiquidMoonlight Studios
