Home Archive by category "Milky Way"

Category: Milky Way

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

Glow Above and Below

Glow Above and Below photo by Dan Bourque

The Milky Way lights up the heavens above while a campfire lights up the forest below.

Details: this image was taken in the Tarryall Mountains of Colorado on a June evening just as the Milky Way rose above the horizon. While it looks like a forest fire in the trees, it’s really the result of a long exposure that captured the small fire’s light over 25 seconds.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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