Home Archive by category "Night"

Category: Night

Stars Over Monuments

Stars Over Monuments landscape photo by Dan Bourque

Stars leave their multi-colored trails over a moonlit Monument Valley in Arizona.

Details: iconic Monument Valley in Arizona is stunning, and star trails are cool, so when you can combine them in one image it’s a real treat! This is the result of more than three hours of total exposure time to capture the movement of the earth against the stars, and a full moon lit up the valley beautifully. The light on the horizon is the approaching dawn.

See Printing and Framing Options (via Imagekind.com)>>>

Like this image? Share it!

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestmail

Lights Over the Lake

Lights Over the Lake by Dan BourqueThe Milky Way stands nearly vertical above Lake Isabel in southern Colorado as lights along the shore illuminate stands of aspen trees.

Details: sometimes a shot turns out very different than you had hoped but ends up being even better than you’d pictured it. In this case, I trekked to the shores of Lake Isabel in the Wet Mountains of Colorado to catch a brilliant sky and hopefully a brilliant reflection in the lake’s waters. Unfortunately, a thunderstorm behind me brought enough wind to erase any reflections of stars, but a well-timed vehicle moving up the forest service road on the far side of the lake provided some interesting “light painting” of the aspen groves along the shores.

See Printing and Framing Options (via ImageKind.com>>>)

See Electronic and Stock Photo Options (Alamy.com)>>>

Like this image? Share it!

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestmail

Light from Beyond

Light from Beyond night photo by Dan Bourque

The Milky Way rises brightly over the rocky banks of the South Fork of the Rio Grande in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado.

Details: the most challenging thing about photographing the Milky Way is finding skies dark enough that it shines through. The second most challenging thing is finding some interesting foreground. The third most challenging thing is getting some kind of light on the foreground so it’s not just a silhouette. All three things lined up with this shot taken near the town of South Fork, Colorado, the eastern gateway to the beautiful San Juan Mountains. I’m grateful to the Arbor House Inn B&B for hosting me and letting me shoot from their beautiful property.

See Printing and Framing Options (via Imagekind.com)>>>

See Electronic and Stock Photo Options (via Alamy.com)>>>

Like this image? Share it!

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestmail

Starry Rainbow

Starry Rainbow photo by Dan Bourque

The starry trail of the Milky Way arches across the summer sky above the mountains of central Colorado.

Details: In early summer in the northern hemisphere, the Milky Way rises in the east with its core just above the southeast horizon. Getting the entire arc of the Milky Way from horizon to horizon requires a composite of several exposures, in this case 10 individual vertical images. This spot near a creek in the Tarryall Mountains of Colorado allowed me to frame the galaxy core perfectly between two rock faces.

>>) (opens in a new tab)”>See Printing and Framing Options (via Imagekind.com>>>)

Like this image? Share it!

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestmail

Starry Night Over the Ranch

Starry Night Over the Ranch photo by Dan Bourque

The Milky Way shines bright in the early morning over eastern Colorado.

Details: My wife and I were privileged to stay overnight at a beautiful little horse ranch near Elbert, Colorado. I woke up an hour before dawn on a chilly April morning to capture the core of the Milky Way high in the southern sky. The glow in the background is the light of Colorado Springs in the distance.

See Printing and Framing Options (via Imagekind.com)

Like this image? Share it!

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestmail

Stars over Salida

Stars over Salida landscape photo by Dan Bourque

A trail of stars falls gently over the Rocky Mountain town of Salida in central Colorado.

Details: This image was taken on a winter night and captures about 90 minutes of total exposure time. It’s amazing how far the stars move in that amount of time (yes, I understand they’re not really moving and it’s just the earth rotating. . .).  Star trails take a lot of forethought and patience, but the result can be an amazing image that only your camera can truly “see.” This is a composite of more than 150 individual images, and in addition to the movement of the stars, I also love that it captures the movement of cars along the roads and up into the mountains, including a couple heading up to the spot locals call “S Mountain” in the lower right.

See Printing and Framing Options (via Imagekind.com)>>>

Like this image? Share it!

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestmail

Power on Display

Power on Display lightning photography by Dan Bourque

A magnificent lightning bolt lights up the night sky above Colorado Springs.

Details: few things are a more irresistible subject for photography for me than an active thunderstorm at night. This particular storm was amazing with flashes going off inside the storm every several seconds. Only a small fraction of the bolts exited the storm, so I was fortunate to be able to grab this shot. If you’re going to try this at home, remember basic lightning safety, especially if the storm is headed in your direction.

See Printing and Framing Options (via Imagekind.com)>>>

Like this image? Share it!

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestmail

Veiled Majesty

Veiled Majesty astrophotography by Dan Bourque

Fleeting clouds uncover the heart of the Milky Way in the badlands of the Paint Mines in Colorado.

Details:  Astrophotography is tricky because so much depends on subtleties in the conditions. On this moonlit night, the Milky Way shone bright, but it remained hidden for most of the night behind a veil of high clouds. This was one of the rare breaks this June evening, but the long exposure, bizarre rock formations and bright center of the Milky Way combine to make this an otherworldly image.

See Printing and Framing Options (via Imagekind.com)>>>

See Electronic and Stock Photo Options (via Alamy.com)>>>

Like this image? Share it!

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestmail

Winter Moon Through the Aspens

Winter Moon Through the Aspens landscape photo by Dan Bourque

The moon shines through a stand of aspen trees on a starry winter night in Colorado.

Details: Winter nights in Colorado can be cold, but they can also lead to some amazing photos. This scene was captured in Sheep Canyon, near Mount Princeton in central Colorado on a January night. A light layer of clouds adds to the glow of the waxing moon while the Pleiades can be seen in the clear sky to the upper left. I was thankful for no wind this night so the aspens were still for the long exposure.

See Printing and Framing Options>>>

See Electronic and Stock Photo Options (via Alamy.com)>>>

Like this image? Share it!

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestmail

Reflecting on the Galaxy

 

 

Reflecting on the Galaxy Milky Way photo by Dan BourqueA brilliant Milky Way is reflected in the still waters of a high alpine lake in Colorado.

Details: It’s always fun when you get to combine two of your favorite photography themes, in this case, the Milky Way and a reflection. On this dark September night, I hiked around the waters of O’Haver Lake in the Sawatch Range of central Colorado. Lights from two campsites dot the far shore, but the Milky Way shone as bright as I’ve ever seen it. The reflection turned out to be tough to get as any light breeze would destroy it in a 30-second exposure. There weren’t any people on this side of the lake, but I can tell you the rustling noises behind me in the woods sure kept my attention! Bigfoot, is that you? . . .

See Printing and Framing Options (via Imagekind.com)>>>

See Electronic and Stock Photo Options (via Alamy.com)>>>

Like this image? Share it!

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestmail

Pointing Heavenward

Pointing Heavenward Milky Way photo by Dan Bourque

A lone pine tree points toward the rising Milky Way over Poncha Pass, Colorado.

Details: September is the last month of the year where you can catch the center of the Milky Way in the northern hemisphere (the center is just at the ridge line in this shot). Poncha Pass, which lies in central Colorado at the north end of the San Luis Valley, is one of the darkest places in the state, and Colorado’s clear skies make the stars even brighter. The moon hadn’t risen yet, so all that was missing was a little light on the foreground, so I used one of the very few passing cars to do a little “light painting” of the foreground during the 30-second exposure. The bright blue star just left of the Milky Way is Altair.

See Printing and Framing Options (via Imagekind.com)>>>

See Electronic and Stock Photo Options (via Alamy.com)>>>

Like this image? Share it!

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestmail

Mighty Hammer

Mighty Hammer Milky Way photo by Dan Bourque

Colorado Rock formations under the brilliant Milky Way.

Details: I absolutely love taking pictures of the Milky Way on a clear night away from city lights. This image, which has been featured by National Geographic, was taken on just such a night at a place called the Paint Mines near Calhan, Colorado. In the daylight, these formations are brilliantly banded in red, yellow and white, but at night, it’s the stars that put on a show. This view of the center of the Milky Way galaxy was captured with a 20 second exposure on a summer evening in June.

See Printing and Framing Options (via ImageKind.com)>>>

See Electronic and Stock Photo Options (via Alamy.com)>>>

Like this image? Share it!

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestmail

Yucca Moon

Yucca Moon landscape photo by Dan Bourque

A still yucca leans toward the moon and a fast-moving night sky at Red Rock Canyon, Nevada.

Details: I love taking long-exposure shots at night, but the conditions have to be just right to get the effect you’re looking for. In this case, something rare happened–the clouds were moving at a fast clip just above, yet there was no wind to move the yucca and make it blurry. The result is a tack-sharp foreground and surreal, swirling sky. The bright dot next to the full moon is Jupiter, and the orange glow is from Las Vegas.

See Printing and Framing Options (via ImageKind.com)>>>

See Electronic and Stock Photo Options (via Alamy.com)>>>

Like this image? Share it!

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestmail

The Old and the Ancient

The Old and the Ancient night landscape photo by Dan Bourque

The defiant trunk of an old tree stands tall as the clouds part to reveal the much older Milky Way on a crisp Colorado night.

Details: After enduring rain and lightning at sunset, the clouds finally parted to reveal the Milky Way and a host of stars over Grouse Mountain in Mueller State Park in the Colorado Rockies. This is one of my favorite photo spots, but this was the first time I’d been up here at night. The opportunity was well worth the hike in the dark!

See Printing and Framing Options>>>

Like this image? Share it!

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestmail

Lightning and the Elephant

Lightning and the Elephant landscape lightning photo by Dan BourqueLightning bursts over Elephant Rock at night in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada.

Details: Valley of Fire, northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, is one of the neatest State Parks I’ve ever been to–it’s chock full of red sandstone formations and arches like aptly named Elephant Rock seen here. I came to this spot hoping for some good Milky Way shots, but an unexpected evening storm made an even more amazing backdrop for this cool scene. This image took nearly an hour of patient shooting of long exposures to get the dramatic bolt seen here. Because the night was pitch black in-between strikes, I used a technique called “light painting” to capture the detail of the rock formation–it’s a manual process and tedious when you’re taking dozens of long-exposure shots, but in this case it was well worth it!

See Printing and Framing Options>>>

Electronic and Stock Photo Options>>>

Like this image? Share it!

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestmail

Milky Way over Death Valley

Milky Way over Death Valley starscape photo by Dan BourqueThe Milky Way rises like a rocket plume over the salt flats of Death Valley National Park, California.

Details: I’m not much of an underwater photographer, but this is one of my first efforts below sea level ;-). Besides its low elevation, Death Valley is also known for its dark skies which make for excellent viewing of the Milky Way on moonless nights like this one in June–the glow on the horizon is from Las Vegas more than 90 miles away. In the foreground are the salt formations of the so-called Devils Golf Course near Badwater, the lowest point in North America. The formations are lit using a technique called “light painting” using a light source swept over the scene during the 30-second exposure. This shot was taken around 3 AM, and despite the time, it was still 99 degrees out!

See Printing and Framing Options>>>

Like this image? Share it!

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestmail

Galaxy Between Canyon Walls

Galaxy Between Canyon Walls starscape photo by Dan BourqueThe Milky Way rises like a spire into the night between the walls of Golden Canyon in Death Valley National Park, California.

Details: Death Valley is known for its dark skies, and summer is a great time to catch the brightest parts of the Milky Way. This photo was taken around 3:30 AM on a moonless June night from inside Golden Canyon near Furnace Creek. The mouth of the canyon opens to the south, so it made the perfect frame for the vertical galaxy. As you might expect, I had the park to myself at this hour–my only companions were a few bats zipping around the canyon.

See Printing and Framing Options>>>

Like this image? Share it!

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestmail

San Diego Night Skyline

San Diego Night Skyline panorama by Dan BourqueDramatic clouds add drama to the beautiful view of the night time skyline of San Diego, California as seen from Coronado Island.

Details: Coronado Island, across the bay from San Diego, offers a spectacular view of downtown San Diego, especially at night. The colorful lights of the downtown skyscrapers are reflected in the gentle waves as are the blue and red lights and “41” of the aircraft carrier USS Midway.

See Printing and Framing Options>>>

Like this image? Share it!

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestmail

Orion and Company

Orion and Company

The constellation Orion and its neighbors streak over winter woods.

Details: I love shooting star trails, and I particularly love this image because the constellation Orion with his belt of three stars can be clearly discerned in the upper right despite the star trails streaming from it. The bright star in the lower right is Sirius, and the brightest trail near the top-center is Jupiter. This is also my longest star trail photo to date with around 2 hours of total exposure time. Combined with a shot southward toward the equator, this equals long trails. The slightest light has turned the trees nearly white due to the long exposure.

See Printing and Framing Options>>>

Here’s a link to a time-lapse video made from the photos used in this video (and yes, I had to edit out the airplane trails dot by dot)

Like this image? Share it!

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestmail

Stars Swirling Above the Cabin

Stars Swirling Above the Cabin

Hundreds of streaking stars swirl around and in the large windows of Look Out Lodge.

Details: This star trail image was created from more than 100 minutes of total exposure time on the deck of Look Out Lodge on Lake Cumberland, Kentucky. The circle created by the stars indicates the camera is pointed north (northwest to be exact). What I love about this particular image is the way the stars reflected in the window arc the opposite direction creating a sense of balance in the composition.

See Printing and Framing Options>>>

Like this image? Share it!

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestmail

Star Trails over the Cabin

Star Trails over the Cabin

Stars arc over Look Out Lodge on Lake Cumberland.

Details: Star trail photos are one of my favorite things to do with a camera. It’s different from other images in that you can’t really see the lines of the trails until you process the image which requires a lot of estimation and visualization of your composition. This image, looking south over Look Out Lodge on Lake Cumberland, Kentucky, represents about 70 minutes of total exposure time. The brightest “star” in the upper right is Jupiter.

See Printing and Framing Options>>>

Electronic and Stock Photo Options>>>

Just for fun, here’s a time-lapse video made from the same photos that were used to create this image

Like this image? Share it!

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestmail

Cozy Evening at the Cabin

Cozy Evening at the Cabin

Lights of a cabin on Lake Cumberland glow bright and warm as darkness captures the last remnants of day.

Details:  This image was taken at the aptly named “Look Out Lodge” on Lake Cumberland in southern Kentucky where I stayed with my family for a week. I walked outside for something completely unrelated to photography, turned around, and immediately ran for my camera. I just love how the dark blue color of the sky and clouds made for a great silhouette of the cabin and its warm lights.

See Printing and Framing Options>>>

Electronic and Stock Photo Options>>>

Like this image? Share it!

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestmail

Star Flurries over Poncha

Star Flurries over Poncha

Star trails swirl above the lights of Poncha Springs, Colorado like snow flurries in the night.

Details: this image is the result of more than 75 minutes of exposure time and shows just how much the stars move in an hour. The camera is on a ridge overlooking the small (but bright) town of Poncha Springs and is pointed northwest toward the 14,000 foot Mount Antero and the continental divide on this cold and clear November night.

See Printing and Framing Options>>>

Like this image? Share it!

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestmail

Fiery Glow on the Horizon

Fiery Glow on the Horizon

Clouds glow fiery red behind perfectly silhouetted pine trees in Colorado.

Details: while it may look like a fire (and that’s not too uncommon in Colorado), this photo actually captures the reddish glow of Colorado Springs from Mueller State Park on an August midnight. The 30-second exposure turns a dull glow into the bright glow you see here.  The ridge in the background is actually the back side of the famous “14er” Pikes Peak.

See Printing and Framing Options>>>

Like this image? Share it!

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestmail

Starry Streaks Across the Milky Way

Starry Streaks Across the Milky Way

A brilliant Milky Way illuminates strange rock formations as stars streak by.

Details: this image was created from more than 80 images to capture 40 minutes of star movement at the Paint Mines near Calhan, Colorado. Straight trails mark the line of the equator with curving trails of northern stars to the left and southern stars to the right.

See Printing and Framing Options>>>

Electronic and Stock Photo Options>>>

Just for fun, I also converted these images into a time-lapse video so you can watch the show. Enjoy!

Starry Streaks Across the Milky Way – Time Lapse

Like this image? Share it!

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestmail

Still Rocks Against a Circling Sky

Still Rocks Against a Circling Sky

Twisted rock formations under a pink and purple sky of curving star trails.

Details: This star-trail photo was made from more than 70 30-second exposures over 35 minutes and features the bizarre hoodoo formations of the Paint Mines near Calhan, Colorado.  And yes, I know it’s technically the rocks that are circling while the sky stands still. . .

See Printing and Framing Options>>>

Like this image? Share it!

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestmail

Vertical Waves in Vegas

Vertical Waves in Vegas

Undulating shapes and colors combine to weave your eye into this scene on the Las Vegas strip.

Details: this images was taken on a cool March night. The long exposure was perfect for capturing the color and detail of the scene and for capturing people in a surreal blur as they enjoyed a walk along Las Vegas Boulevard.

See Printing and Framing Options>>>

Like this photo?  Share it!

Facebooktwitterredditpinterestmail

  • All images and graphics are the property of the photographer and should not be used without permission. All Images copyright Dan Bourque