Celestial

Island Universe

The Oregon Coast is full of beauty from California to Washington. But the best views can be found inside the Boardman Scenic Corridor between Brookings and Gold Beach. The corridor is littered with a high density of state parks including the viewpoint for Arch Rock. Arch Rock is on the north side of the view at Windy Point, but in the summer months, at night, the best view is looking south. Location: Arch Rock State Park, Oregon

Rediscovery

Crater Lake formed an estimated 7700 years ago when the colossal mountain named Mazama erupted and collapsed. Fast forward seven millennia, the mountain has filled with water become the deepest lake in the United States. Local tribes tell stories of the eruption being a battle between the heavens above and the earth below. It is believed that modern man discovered the lake at or near this location now called Discovery Pont. On a warm August night with a nearly full moon, I found myself re-discovering this location all over again. I have always been a fan of this location, it has the best view of the island, framed by ponderosa and whitebark trees. Location: Crater Lake National Park, Oregton

Nightly Splendor

Most who visit Crater Lake do so during the day but it shines brightest under moonlight. This epic location is not too far from Rim Village and is often featured as an Instagram hotspot. Beware, venturing out onto the cliff edge is not without its risks. Several have never made it back from the point alive. Location: Crater Lake National Park, Oregon.

Watching the World

In the middle of the 2022 fire season portions of Northern California were burning to the ground. One of these locations was in the view of this fire lookout tower in southern Klamath County. (glow seen in the lower left) . Now occupied by cameras and computers, this tower once housed a couple of full-time scouts that scanned the Southern Oregon Cascades for new and fresh hotspots. Today, the tower automatically scans for new fires but still stands tall 6000 feet over the landscape. On this night, I was just outside of the river of smoke to see witness the lit tower, fire, and Milky Way. Location: Chase Mountain, Oregon

Thielsen's Glow

On a warm night in July 2022, Mother Nature kicked off an amazing display of the Northern Lights. The aurora was visible as south as Northern California. On this night, I visited Crater Lake, Oregon with the hope of capturing the lights over the park and they did not disappoint. Through some planning, I realized the best views of the aurora on this night would not be over the lake but rather over the northwestern side of the park toward Mt. Thielsen 15-miles north. Location: Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

Hillman's View

On a warm night in July 2022, Mother Nature kicked off an amazing display of the Northern Lights. The aurora was visible as south as Northern California. On this night, I visited Crater Lake, Oregon with the hope of capturing the lights over the park and they did not disappoint. Through some planning, I realized the best views of the aurora on this night would not be over the lake but rather over the northwestern side of the park toward Mt. Thielsen 15-miles north. Location: Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

Shot in the Dark

On a warm night in July 2022, I found myself on the rim of the Crater Lake caldera for a potential night of aurora activity. As I was waiting for the Northern Lights to kick off I set up at Discovery Point to calibrate the camera system. Then all of a sudden, a massive shooting star or possibly even a piece of space junk entered the atmosphere and illuminated the dark sky. I feel fortunate to have been able to witness such a mystical occurrence and just as fortunate to have my camera open and capturing an image as it streaked across the sky. Location: Crater Lake National Park, Oregon.

Whitebark and the Wizard II

One of my all time favorite images and best sellers is "Whitebark and the Wizard." It is an amazing piece but, I never liked how faded the galactic core appeared. For several years, I planned to recreate the image. I patiently waited for the right time of year - to position the Milky Way just right. With just the perfect amount of moonlight to illuminate the foreground, whitebark tree, and Wizard Island. It all came together when a beam of headlights kicked off from Discovery Point to add a little something extra to the capture. Location: Crater Lake National Park, Oregon.

Finding Discovery

In early July of 2022 small patches of snow could still be found at Crater Lake including this one inside the caldera at Discovery Point. On this cool summer evening, the winds at the surface were calm but winds at cloud level were fierce. Blowing from the south to the north. Working the wind to my advantage a long exposure created mystical streaking cloud formations and showcased the rotation of the earth through the stars in the sky. Location: Crater Lake National Park, Oregon.

Tufa Forest

At first glance, the tufas of Mono Lake feel alien with their oddities. However, they are uniquely iconic in their earthly forms. In this spring photo, the formations are illuminated by the setting moon over the Sierras behind the camera. Just as the Milky Way rises behind the formations to the east. 🌌🌔 What is not seen in the image are all the half-dollar-sized spiders hiding in the nooks and crannies. 😬 Location: Mono Lake, California

Alien Architecture

On this cool and crisp spring night, the rising Milky Way' core pops behind the tufas of Mono Lake. Location: Mono Lake, California

General Midnight

The galactic core of the Milky Way rises over behind Canby's Cross at the Lava Beds National Monument in Northern California. The cross is a memorial to the only US General killed in combat in US history. Location: Lava Beds National Monument, California

Hot & Cold

In July of 2020, the Caldwell Fire erupted south of the Lava Beds National Monument in far Northern California. The fire was fueled by hot dry winds and quickly grew to over 80,000 acres. Location: Tulelake, California

The Greatest Generation

One of the most unique sculpture displays is located in Northern California just off US Highway 97 north of Weed. The Living Memorial Sculpture Garden is home to several metal displays depicting military life and heritage. This display is called "The Greatest Generation" and was constructed in honor of those who fought in WWII. The sculpture is inspired by the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima. Location: Living Memorial Sculpture Garden, California.

Fifth Dimension

Siskiyou County, California

Dreaming

Percids Cascadium

Moonlit Crater

Whitebark and the Wizard

Watching the Sky

Night Views of the Palisades

Topsy Turvy

Thunderdome

Through the Trees