Mission Failed: Photograph the Milky Way.

Chasing Stars in Joshua Tree

Yesterday marked the new moon, so my brothers and I decided to venture to Joshua Tree National Park—the darkest spot we could think of in Southern California—to photograph the Milky Way. It was a great plan…or so I thought.

Unlike Hannibal Smith, my plan did not come together. Challenges cropped up quickly. Of course, it was dark—no surprise there—but navigating rocky terrain in near pitch-black conditions meant relying heavily on flashlights. Unfortunately, the flashlights were a bit too bright, killing our night vision each time they flicked on. This made focusing nearly impossible, and finding a steady spot for our tripods didn’t help matters.

But my biggest mistake? Trusting the infinity symbol on my lens. Turns out, “infinity” isn’t always infinity—it goes just past it. Who knew? Every single photo of the Milky Way ended up out of focus.

Still, despite the mishaps, the trip was worth it. Seeing the stars so clearly reminded me of my childhood. There’s something magical about a sky full of stars, even if I couldn’t quite capture it with my camera.

I did manage to snap two decent shots of a rock during my initial scouting, though. You’ll have to use your imagination to picture it: the rock, perfectly in focus, framed by a celestial swirl of stars—also perfectly in focus. That’s how it looked in real life, and it made the sleep deprivation, hunger, and the constant awareness of rattlesnakes all worthwhile.

Lastly, to all the Facebook folks—I know I’ve been quiet lately. Life has been a blur of World Cup, editing, photographing (and more editing), World Cup (again), Dodgers, and even more editing. Happy Birthday to Sergio and Christian, congratulations to Denise on graduating from UW, and a big Happy Birthday (or anniversary, or wedding, or new baby) to anyone I may have missed!

Update: My brother Gabe got a few shots of the night stars.    https://www.flickr.com/photos/49462055@N06/14344849100/

Photo of me impersonating a prospector.

Photo taken while scouting for a good spot for Milky Way

Another view of the same rock