Landscape Astrophotography

Astrophotography and Night Scapes California Sierra Nevada Yosemite

Milky Way over Half Dome, Yosemite National Park

I recently made the hike to the summit of Half Dome. It's a grueling 16-mile hike with 5000' of elevation gain so I left my heavy camera home on that day. However, I chose to time my hike on the perfect night for astrophotography in Yosemite National Park, so I…

Phil CollaJuly 15, 2021

Astrophotography and Night Scapes California Sierra Nevada Yosemite

Serenity Now: Yosemite’s Quietest Summer?

I recently spent four days hiking in Yosemite National Park. It was strange to be in Yosemite after being cooped up at home for four months, but Yosemite with no crowds is a gift at anytime of the year and I took advantage of it. Alone. Following are some of…

Phil CollaJuly 6, 2020

Astrophotography and Night Scapes California Joshua Tree The American Southwest

Blood Red Moon Madness! A Tetrad of Total Lunar Eclipses

Lunar eclipse sequence, showing total eclipse (left) through full moon (right). While the moon lies in the full shadow of the earth (umbra) it receives only faint, red-tinged light refracted through the Earth's atmosphere. As the moon passes into the penumbra it receives increasing amounts of direct sunlight, eventually leaving…

Phil CollaDecember 23, 2015

Astrophotography and Night Scapes California Desert Joshua Tree The American Southwest

Perseid Meteor Shower over Joshua Tree National Park, August 2015

Each August the Perseid meteor shower takes place. This year it peaked during a new moon, which offered prime conditions for seeing many meteors. I photographed the Perseid meteor shower in Joshua Tree National Park using two compositions/locations: with Arch Rock as one feature and with a single joshua tree…

Phil CollaAugust 16, 2015

Astrophotography and Night Scapes California Desert Joshua Tree The American Southwest

Perseid Meteor Shower over Arch Rock, Joshua Tree National Park, 2015

The Perseid meteor shower occurs each August, peaking on the evenings of August 12 and 13. It happens because the Earth is plowing through the trail of dust left behind by comet Swift-Tuttle. The Perseid meteors are named for the constellation Perseus in the northern sky, from which the meteors…

Phil CollaAugust 14, 2015

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Desert Joshua Tree The American Southwest

Lunar Eclipse April 4 2015 from Joshua Tree National Park

I went up to Joshua Tree National Park to watch the lunar eclipse of April 4, 2015. Photographically, I was not sure what I was going to do. I've made a series of lunar eclipse sequence images (lunar eclipse October 8, 2014 and April 14, 2014 version 2 version 3).…

Phil CollaApril 5, 2015

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Elephant Seal Valley of Fire Wildlife

Elephants (Three Different Ones)

I am starting to post my images from a fantastic safari experience in Kenya in September, and searched on the term "elephant" in my own stock files and found these three came to the top. I immediately thought "Elephants (Three Different Ones)". Yes, I am a Pink Floyd fan, naturally.…

Phil CollaFebruary 24, 2015

Astrophotography and Night Scapes California San Diego

Stars, A Galaxy and … Wind Turbines?

On a lark one evening in 2014, my buddy Garry McCarthy and I headed out to the desert to do some night photography with only one caveat: try someplace new (in other words, not Joshua Tree again). We headed east and somewhat south with sort of a plan but really…

Phil CollaJanuary 28, 2015

Arches The American Southwest Utah

Wild West Magazine – Shooting Star and Milky Way over Delicate Arch

A shooting star and the Milky Way over Delicate Arch at night, seen on the "parting shot" end page of Wild West Magazine. This is the first time I have had my work in Wild West which was nice! Cheers, and thanks for looking!

Phil CollaJanuary 11, 2015

Astrophotography and Night Scapes California San Diego

Lunar Eclipse Photo Sequence, October 8 2014

Lunar Eclipse Sequence Over Broken Hill, Torrey Pines State Reserve. While the moon lies in the full shadow of the earth (umbra) it receives only faint, red-tinged light refracted through the Earth's atmosphere. As the moon passes into the penumbra it receives increasing amounts of direct sunlight, eventually leaving the…

Phil CollaNovember 10, 2014

White Mountains

Ancient Bristlecone Pine Trees and the Night Sky Milky Way

If you like this, please see my Gallery of Ancient Bristlecone Pine Tree Photos or my Gallery of Milky Way Photos. These ancient bristlecones are two of the more iconic in the world. They stand on a slope in the White Mountains in a clearing with few other trees nearby.…

Phil CollaAugust 6, 2014

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Desert Joshua Tree The American Southwest

Lunar Eclipse Sequence, Juniper and Standing Rock, Joshua Tree, 2014

For the eclipse of April 14/15, 2014, I wanted to depict the course of the eclipse across the sky with some recognizable landscape features in the foreground to anchor the composition. As the day of the eclipse went by, I watched the weather reports and decided Joshua Tree National Park…

Phil CollaJune 9, 2014

Canyonlands The American Southwest Utah

Mesa Arch Sunrise and Night under the Milky Way, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Icon alert: this post is about Mesa Arch, a major icon which many now scorn and avoid as a subject of landscape photography, and which is known to have the crowd these days. I've photographed a few icons over the past 30 years, although many of them are underwater and…

Phil CollaJune 7, 2014

Astrophotography and Night Scapes California

Searching the Skies – Palomar Observatory at Night

My father took my brother and I camping at Mount Palomar a few times when I was a kid. We would fish at Doane Pond (back then it seemed like a lake but now I realize its little more than a puddle), and always visit the Palomar Observatory just up…

Phil CollaMay 29, 2014

Arches Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest Utah

The Eyes of Utah – Natural Arches and the Milky Way

The Eyes of Utah? I think these two images look like "eyes", at least to my eyes they do. The first one sort of looks like an evil serpent's eye, while the second resembles a whale's eye. (If you have never seen a whale up close, you'll just have to…

Phil CollaMay 23, 2014

Arches Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest

Light Painting Delicate Arch, Utah

The first few times I photographed Delicate Arch in Utah's Arches National Park, most of my compositions were close to the arch. After editing the results of my last visit to the park I resolved to make more distant compositions, for variety's sake and to put the arch into its…

Phil CollaMay 14, 2014

Arches Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest Utah

Delicate Arch, Milky Way and Iridium Flare at Night, Arches National Park, Utah

I have shot Arches National Park a number of times, including a very fruitful trip some years ago to shoot astrophotography landscapes. I returned earlier this month for more, and found that I have reached a point where I need to find alternatives to the usual compositions. This one was…

Phil CollaMay 13, 2014

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Desert Joshua Tree Panoramas The American Southwest

Lunar Eclipse Sequence over Arch Rock, Joshua Tree National Park, April 2014

The lunar eclipse of April 14 and 15, 2014 was a wonderful event to see. I went up to Joshua Tree National Park to photograph it for two reasons. First, the weather forecast in the high desert was for clear skies and, for the most part, the skies were indeed…

Phil CollaApril 29, 2014

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Desert Joshua Tree The American Southwest

Lunar Eclipse Blood Red Moon Sequence over Joshua Tree National Park

This is the first of my photographic efforts shooting the lunar eclipse the evening of April 14/15 2014. I spent the entire night out under the stars in Joshua Tree National Park, where I often shoot when looking for clear skies and stars at night. I photographed several compositions and…

Phil CollaApril 17, 2014

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Joshua Tree The American Southwest

Venus, Milky Way and Arch Rock at Astronomical Twilight, Joshua Tree National Park

Things are always better at astronomical twilight. Venus was often referred to as the “Morning Star” by ancient civilizations (and as the “Evening Star” as well). On this day, it was indeed the morning star, rising just moments before astronomical twilight began. This allowed for a very brief window of…

Phil CollaApril 11, 2014

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Sierra Nevada

Milky Way over Sky Rock Petroglyph, Volcanic Tablelands, Bishop, California

Milky Way over Sky Rock Petroglyph, Volcanic Tablelands, Bishop, California. I made this image several years ago but neglected to share any images from that evening's photographic efforts on my blog. I have made many visits to the Volcanic Tablelands, at all times of day, to explore the rocks, admire…

Phil CollaFebruary 27, 2014

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Natural Bridges The American Southwest Utah

Owachomo Bridge and Milky Way at Night, Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah

Night Photo of Owachomo Bridge and the Milky Way After making the long drive to Natural Bridges National Monument, we arrived in time to enjoy a colorful sunset and eat some dinner while waiting for the sky to become dark enough for us to begin our photography. The weather was…

Phil CollaJuly 22, 2013

Arizona Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest The Wave

The Wave Under Stars at Night, North Coyote Buttes, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness

Astrophotography and Night Photography at the Wave, North Coyote Buttes The Wave, a fantastic area of ancient, stone-frozen sand dunes and tortured rock, is a real favorite of mine. Among photographers it is both something of a Mecca as well as a cliche. There are quite a few photographers who…

Phil CollaJuly 16, 2013

Astrophotography and Night Scapes California Trees White Mountains

Ancient Bristlecone Pines, Full Moon and Starry Night, Patriarch Grove

This is the best image I made during a May trip through the White Mountains and Tioga Pass. I set out to find new, photogenic ancient bristlecone pine trees, something other than the two iconic brutes along the Discovery Trail near Schulman Grove and the oft-photographed leaner near the Patriarch…

Phil CollaJune 25, 2013

Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest Utah Zion

Milky Way and Star Trails Over the Watchman, Zion National Park

The Watchman is one of the iconic landmarks in Zion National Park, such that throngs of photographers line the bridge each fall at sunset to photograph the Watchman with the Virgin River and autumn trees in front of it. We elected for a much different image, one with the Milky…

Phil CollaJune 23, 2013

Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest Valley of Fire

The Fire Wave at Night, Milky Way and Stars, Valley of Fire State Park

The Milky Way and Stars at Night over the Fire Wave in Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada The Fire Wave in Valley of Fire: an interesting striped expanse of sandstone, now commonly photographed. I wanted to make some uncommon images of the Fire Wave, so I set up my…

Phil CollaApril 30, 2013

Astrophotography and Night Scapes

New: check out my website for Landscape Astrophotography! What is Landscape Astrophotography? Here is my take on it! Landscape Astrophotography is the discipline of photographing scenes that include both astronomical elements and terrestrial landscape elements. The motivation for landscape astrophotography is a desire to depict the night sky, including stars,…

Phil CollaJanuary 10, 2013

Nevada The American Southwest Valley of Fire

Moonset over Fire Wave, Valley of Fire, Nevada

The moon sets over the Fire Wave, a candy-striped bowl of sandstone found in the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada, not far from Las Vegas. Who knew such a a serene and beautiful scene could lie only an hour from the world's greatest den of depravity and sin?…

Phil CollaJanuary 1, 2013

Arches Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest Utah

Delicate Arch and Milky Way Stars at Night, Arches National Park, Utah

Delicate Arch at Night, Milky Way and Stars Overhead. Arches National Park, Utah. I spent a wonderful evening photographing Delicate Arch in Arches National Park. It was warm and dry, with a clear star-filled sky overhead and just a speck of breeze. I photographed Delicate Arch and the moon at…

Phil CollaOctober 15, 2012

Arches Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest Utah

Pillar of Stone, Milky Way, Stars and Clouds, Arches National Park, Utah

This sandstone pillar in Arches National Park, which probably has an official name, looks to me like an enormous totem pole. I photographed it at night with a short enough exposure to freeze the stars but long enough that the quick moving clouds blurred across the sky. Lighting was tough…

Phil CollaOctober 11, 2012

Arches Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest Utah

Balanced Rock and Milky Way at Night, Arches National Park, Utah

Balanced Rock at Night, Arches National Park Balanced Rock rises 128' (39m) above the surrounding land, just off the main road in Arches National Park. It is an outstanding example of erosion and sandstone layering. The precariously perched capstone rock is made of harder sandstone than the layers beneath. As…

Phil CollaOctober 8, 2012

Arches Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest Utah

Photo of Delicate Arch and Milky Way, Hiker, Light Painting

Photo of Delicate Arch At Night and The Milky Way Galaxy, Arches National Park, Utah I recently made a short trip to Arches National Park to do some photography. One of the photos I made is a self-portrait, showing me light painting Delicate Arch at dusk with the Milky Way…

Phil CollaOctober 6, 2012

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Canyonlands Panoramas The American Southwest Utah

Milky Way Over Mesa Arch, Panorama, Canyonlands National Park

Panoramic Photo of the Milky Way Arcing Over Mesa Arch, Canyonlands National Park, Utah Earlier this year I spent an evening photographing Mesa Arch, the famous and oft-pictured natural stone arch at the precipice of Canyonlands National Park. I photographed Mesa Arch at sunrise twice previously -- quite fortunately alone…

Phil CollaOctober 2, 2012

Arches Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest Utah

Tower of Babel and Starry Night, Arches National Park, Utah

Stars over the Tower of Babel, Arches National Park, Utah The Tower of Babel is one of the most imposing and distinctive sandstone structures in Arches National Park. An enormous narrow freestanding wall or "fin" of Entrada sandstone, the Tower of Babel may, over the course of eons, erode into…

Phil CollaSeptember 27, 2012

Arches Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest Utah

Landscape Arch and Milky Way at Night, Arches National Park, Utah

Landscape Arch and Milky Way at Night, Arches National Park, Utah Landscape Arch in Arches National Park, Utah, is considered to be the longest natural arch in the world, having a span of 290 feet (89m) . Landscape Arch is gradually falling apart, with at least three sections of the…

Phil CollaSeptember 26, 2012

Astrophotography and Night Scapes California Trees White Mountains

Ancient Bristlecone Pine Trees, Pinus longaeva, White Mountains, Inyo National Forest

Ancient Bristlecone Pine Trees, Pinus longaeva, White Mountains, Inyo National Forest Ancient Bristlecone pine trees (Pinus longaeva) live in a relatively restricted area of eastern California, Nevada and Utah, typically at altitudes above 9500'. The ancient bristlecone pine tree is considered to be the world's oldest species of tree (and…

Phil CollaJune 12, 2012

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Icons Joshua Tree

Heavenly Arch on EarthShots

I made a spur-of-the-moment trip with Garry McCarthy to do some night-time photography. We were pretty sleep-deprived by the time we were done, jacked up on coffee and then having to drive several hours home as the sun was just rising, but I managed to make four or five images…

Phil CollaJune 4, 2011

Astrophotography and Night Scapes The American Southwest Utah

Milky Way Rising Over Hoodoos

The first morning of my recent roadtrip around northern Arizona and southern Utah with a few old diving buddies found us at the Toadstool Hoodoos a few hours before dawn. Garry McCarthy is always thinking of ways to creatively photograph the night sky, and on this trip he suggested photographing…

Phil CollaApril 11, 2011

Astrophotography and Night Scapes California Landscape National Parks Sierra Nevada Yosemite

Yosemite Falls Lunar Rainbow

After getting word that the waterfalls in Yosemite are pouring at ginormous levels right now (due to a timely combination of last winter's deep snowpack and recent warm weather), I blasted up to Yosemite Valley for a quickie. Indeed, all the falls were huge. As I drove into the Valley…

Phil CollaMay 15, 2006

Landscape Astrophotography

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