Utah Spires: An Otherworldly Nighttime Adventure
Towering over a stray hill, completely alone and surrounded by cliffs, this spire in Utah looks truly otherworldly. My journey to capture this shot was the scariest of my recent trip, a testament to the raw power of nature and the thrill of pushing boundaries.
The Peril of the Dark
My mistake? Setting out to capture this scene after the sun had set. The mile-and-a-half hike in, and then back out, became a disorienting ordeal. It's incredible how quickly fear can set in and take over when you're alone in a dark environment, even with GPS readily available. The sheer silence, punctuated by the rustling of unseen things, amplified the growing anxiety.
Capturing the Alien Landscape
Despite the fear, I managed to convince myself to be okay in the anxiety-fueled dark for long enough to get the shot. And I couldn't be happier that I did. The resulting image, a stunning panorama of the spire against a star-filled sky, feels like a glimpse into another galaxy.
Technical Details
The creation of this photograph involved a detailed approach:
- Camera: Sony a7iv (h-alpha mod)
- Lens: Sigma 24mm dg dn art
- Sky: A 3-panel panorama, with each panel exposed for 8 x 60 seconds at f/1.4 and ISO 800.
- Foreground: A 6-panel panorama (2x3) with exposures of 270 seconds at f/4 and ISO 2000.
This blend of technical precision and daring exploration allowed for the capture of this truly unique and captivating scene. The vibrant colors and the dramatic silhouette of the spires under the vast night sky make it an unforgettable piece of astrophotography.
