Gaining perspective, Willow Springs, AZ 86045, USA. Landscape photograph by Ed Mitchell, finalist in the Shoot The Frame Landscape photography award, May 2022

Finalist Landscape · May 2022

Gaining perspective

Any good Astro photographer knows to check the weather before heading out... But what do you do when the planned location is 3 hours away, the new moon coincides with a 3 day weekend, and the weather report suddenly shows 30-80% cloud coverage? I'll tell you what I did- I took my chances and headed out. Sometimes, a roll of the dice pays off. The cloud coverage this night was intermittent and actually provided a bit of depth to the photo while providing some challenges balancing the color of the night sky. Even though the location was far from any city lights, a large campground and highway were near enough to cast some glow in the clouds. I decided to leave it because even though it may not be true life color, the image was nevertheless breathtaking. Location: Willow Springs Lake Mogollon Rim Arizona Elevation: 7,600'