Cerulean

This is one of my favorite shots, both in terms of difficulty of shot, presentation, and the idea.

In the summer of 2007, when I had my first camera, a 7mp coolpix, I spent a week in the Escalante. I remember being taken with this arch and thinking if I ever got decent with photography, I would have to do something special with this.

Last summer I made sure to revisit and the timing was perfect.

This is a 27x3 minute exposure composite for star trails. I began the shot around 2am with a near full moon nicely hidden by some clouds behind the canyon walls. The clouds reduced the light enough to get a darker sky with more stars, but they didn't enter the frame. Then, at about 4:30am, just before moonset, the moon got a clear shot at the arch creating the illumination in the crook of the arch. At the same time, a few quickly moving clouds swooped over the arch in the first light of dawn. I couldn't have asked for a better confluence of conditions.

Here is the Story: http://colinhs.wordpress.com/2010/07/23/cerulean/
Hope you all enjoy!