I LOVE MILKY WAY PHOTOGRAPHY

There is something magical and special about night photography.  Although I love capturing a night skyline of a city, which I love, my first joy is the Milky Way.  The Milky Way, much like a thunderstorm, offers the photographer another sky element.  Here in the Northern Hemisphere, our Milky Way season is considered to start around late January and will last until late September.  The season, as described, is when the core, or the brightest portion of it, is visible at night.

My favorite area to go is located in the far western Oklahoma Panhandle.  The Kenton, Lake Etling, and Black Mesa area enjoy night skies that are immune to light pollution.  With little to no light pollution, the skies are dark as dark can be.   A certain solace, or perhaps religious experience can be had while shooting the night skies in this area.  Listening to the coyotes howl in the distance.  Perhaps it could be the fish jumping in the lake.   There are few places like it, and while it has become more popular over the last few years, I believe it will stay immune to overcrowding.

If you would like to learn how to photograph the Milky Way, feel free to read this article that I wrote for Milky Way Photographers. It is a three part article, so follow the links.  If you would like to visit the Kenton, Lake Etling and Black Mesa area as a photographer, feel free to check out this guide I wrote.

Meanwhile, enjoy my gallery of night images: