Moab Milky Way

Moab, UT - 10 Apr 2021      See on Google Maps

Up at 0200 - preparing two big cups of coffee and driving 40 minutes to Mesa Arch. Thinking that 0300 was a bit early and I should be alone I was surprised that the parking lot had over 15 cars - wow. The Milky Way and Mesa Arch were to be lined up nicely.

I collected all my gear - and coffee and began the hike to the arch in the pitch black night. There were only three photographers at Mesa Arch all shooting the Milky Way. I settled down began to set up, then I discovered that I had not attached the right bracket for my camera - so in the dark I found the bracket in my backpack and fumbled to get it on dropping a screw into the dirt. I finally was setup taking this photograph after several tries.

One photographer left and the other started talking to me while we waited for sunrise. He offered to get coffee at his car and let with my coffee mug. Later I heard crashing in the woods off to my left and then after a while he showed up - he had fallen and my mug was broken - but had coffee.

I used a small aperture and to reduce the time needed to gat enough light to capture the stars. 20 seconds was a little long but the stars still look sharp.

Cal Holman Posted on 07 May 2023

EXIF