Fine Art Friday–Navy Blue and Stars–Blue Mountains, Australia

Last weekend we ventured into the Blue Mountains for a night, which was either very adventurous or really stupid, considering that one of the two roads there was already closed due to aggressive bush fires. We made it there safely and stayed south of one major fire and due west of another. We bunked at a gorgeous place on the edge of a cliff, and I made sure to photograph the incredible view–in daytime, nighttime, and at sunrise. It was too beautiful not too, and there is nothing like creeping around on a balcony in the pitch black trying to get my camera settings right.

When I packed my photo gear for Australia, I knew I couldn’t bring my bulky tripod, but night photography is nearly impossible without one. I couldn’t handhold my camera for a long exposure, so I rigged up a little solution out of a table, a chair, and a garbage can (check my facebook page for an image of my makeshift tripod).  Voila! It wasn’t perfect, but I was able to take 20 second exposures and capture the gorgeous stars and different levels of light. On the horizon line, you can also spot a layer of smoke from the nearby bush fires.

Here is the same scene at sunrise (the smoke layer almost looks like fog). Sometimes getting up with the birds is worth it. Happy Friday!

Blue Mountains, Katoomba, Australia, 2013