Bristlecone Star Trails, White Mtns., California

Posted by Gary Hart (California, United States) on 18 March 2009 in Landscape & Rural and Portfolio.

I think for serious landscape photographers, one of the most overlooked aspects is simply being there. We tend to get so serious about getting the shot that we fail to fully appreciate why we started doing this in the first place.

I was in California's White Mountains with three photographer friends to photograph the ancient bristlecone pines (the oldest living things on earth--this tree is over 4,000 years old). We stayed out after dark on this moonless autumn night to do some light painting, but as a natural light photographer I opted for a silhouette instead. As happy as I am with my results, nothing will compare to the experience of reclining with friends beneath a sky filled with more stars than I imagined possible, sometimes laughing and trading stories, and other times simply basking in impossible silence.

* My book of images, "The Undiscovered Country," is now available at Barnes & Noble

* Become a fan of my Facebook page

Thank you for visiting. This is an educational blog--even if I don't respond, your comments are always read and appreciated, and I try to answer every question and address specific comments.
- Upcoming workshops: Death Valley Winter and Yosemite Horsetail Fall and Winter Scenes
- To learn about my workshops, visit my Photograph California page
- To view more of my images, visit my Eloquent Images site

Listed on Photoblogs.org