I've become quite fascinated with the night sky. Seeing the Milky Way arching overhead in a truly dark sky location is exquisitely humbling and awe inspiring. Be warned, the starry sky can become a passion rather quickly and you will find yourself shopping for star trackers and lens heaters!
I recently traveled to New Mexico for a week of exploring this incredibly diverse and often times stark landscape. To hike in the Bisti Badlands almost feels like you might be walking on the moon, except for the part where your pack is really heavy and you have a normal amount of gravity! The best way to experience Bisti is to hike out into the expanse and immerse yourself in the rocks and sand and dry heat that makes the desert both inviting and at the same time a bit startling.
The purpose of the trip was to photograph the night sky, but I allowed a little time for some landscape fun during the early morning and late afternoon. Arriving at a night sky location early lets you capture the last few rays of sunlight before waiting for it to cool down and get crazy dark.
Thank you to Helen Brierley for taking this silhouette photo of me! I usually avoid photos of myself, but I quite like the idea of the silhouette! We had just arrived at Ship Rock and were exploring some compositions for sunset. After a steep climb (easier going up than down!), we managed to get some interesting images of this imposing rock.
Shiprock is a sacred place to the Navajo, and I enjoyed learning about its significance to the Native people from our Navajo guide.
The true magnificence of the Bisti Badlands happens after dark! We hiked in to find interesting foregound rock formations, which were more than happy to pose for us as we captured our images of the Milky Way. By far my favorite location was a rock formation called Alien Throne. After a hike of about a mile, you round the bend and find yourself looking at an incredible rocky structure that defies description! As the sun began to set, I was like a kid in a candy store, capturing sun stars and marveling at the way the color of the rocks changed as the light began to take on the different hues of sunset.
As the sky darkened and the Milky Way began to shine, I captured the images that I would later blend into my foreground shot. Because I was using a star tracker, I wasn't able to photograph the scene in one shot. The sky was cloudy just after sunset but it gradually cleared and the Milky Way sparkled overhead!
Another location that proved to be perfect for Milky Way fun was the hike into Cracked Eggs. I was struggling with knee issues, so I wasn't able to make it all the way to the Eggs, but that just means I have to go back to Bisti! I stopped just shy of the Cracked Eggs and found a beautiful rock formation that was happy to pose for my camera.
Watching the magical Belt of Venus paint the sky blue and pink is always my favorite part of sunrise or sunset.
As it darkened and the Milky Way began to sparkle, I enjoyed photographing the foreground and then the gorgeously dark sky. I always feel small when I stand underneath a truly dark sky.
One final night sky shot has to be featured because of the crazy hard hike that was required to get to this spot! Oh, and don't forget you get to hike back out in the dark dark!! I didn't grumble out loud, but there was quite a discussion inside my head that went something like this: "Seriously, you are hiking here in the dark? There are rattle snakes, you know! Don't break your ankle!!!"
I survived the hike out and was happy to have challenged myself when I saw the final image:
If you ever have a chance to visit the Bisti Badlands area of New Mexico, don't hesitate to pack your gear and your hiking boots and your enthusiasm for the night sky. I can't wait to go back!!!
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