As the core of our wonderful little galaxy has found its way back into our view (in the VERY wee hours of the morning for now) I guess a milky way image is in order.
I captured this image at Flannigan, Nevada, which is officially known as a “ghost town” but that may be giving it a bit too much credit. There are a few remnants to suggest a town was once there but very few that I’ve seen. There IS a Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad spur/junction there where lines of rail cars are frequently parked – I assume awaiting hookup to head in another direction. Part of this spur is what you see here. I captured it on a summer night a few years back. I started by shooting several exposures of the sky to stack and reduce digital “noise.” I then captured several longer exposures for the foreground where I “light painted” the tracks while walking around with a handheld flashlight. On this particular evening, the haze in the air made it more reflective of the light to the point where the red signal light on the spur actually reflected off the atmosphere, adding an extra red (and somewhat eerie to me) glow. The golden glow to the clouds on the right of the frame is reflected light from nearby Reno, Nevada. I never cease being fascinated by how much more the camera “sees” at night compared to the human eye.
See you under the stars!
Prints available here.