GIVEN THE EXPERIENCE of making the images, it’s natural that my photos of the Milky Way mean more to me than they do to any other viewer. The end product is the result, usually, of hours of planning — timing the night-sky calendar, scoping out locations then getting there, and worrying over gear and settings.
I’ve attempted about a half-dozen Milky Way images in the past eight years. I’d say that only two of those ventures yielded good images: This one and my very first attempt (beginner’s luck). Each venture, however, was educational in helping me reconcile what I see with what the camera sees.
The Milky Way, specifically the core of the Milky Way, is the star — usually — of any photograph that manages to capture it. And the core in this image is lovely, its Strawberry Quik color revealing itself nicely during Lightroom development.
What I really like about this image, however, is the tree in the foreground. It provides a sense of place, perspective, and history. Just how many Milky Way galaxies have arc’d their way over this tree during its earthly life? How many comets and meteors have danced over its branches?
This image — a 25-second exposure at 2000 ISO — was captured a few minutes after midnight on Memorial Day 2022 — a day reserved for remembering America’s fallen warriors. Beyond that, I have other specific memories of the personal experience. The New Moon made it an ideal night for dark skies. After scouting several places, I chose a roadside picnic area in Glen Rose, Texas, a 75-minute drive from my home. I used the Photo Pills app to help me with both timing and location, and it even helped me with my image composition. Developing in Lightroom brought all of that together for the image presented here.
There will be other Milky Way ventures for me, but I’m content with the experience and result of this one.