Arizona Nights

 

A recent vacation with visits to iconic destinations as Petrified Forest National Park, Meteor Crater and The Grand Canyon in the state of Arizona provided stunning photo opportunities, especially at night. The above Milky Way image is a panorama looking east from our backcountry campsite, a little over a mile from the Painted Desert Inn museum at 12:00 am local time, Friday, June 9, 2023. Illumination of our tent was created using a headlamp. Distant horizon lights at left were from the town of Chambers, Arizona. Image is a 25 second exposure at f/2.8, ISO 2000, 11mm focal length.

12:03 am. Individual image from the same location. My wife sits on a rock with her headlamp illuminated outside our tent. The constellation Scorpius can be seen at right, just above the rocks. 15 second exposure at f/2.8, ISO 2000, 11mm focal length. We received a backcountry camping permit from the Petrified Forest National Park visitor center to camp here.

We received a lottery-style permit to backpack three days and two nights in The Grand Canyon. Our itinerary took us down the South Kaibab Trail to our first campsite (Bright Angel Campground) on the first day, to Havasupai Gardens (Indian Garden) Campground on the second day, and hike out of the canyon along the Bright Angel Trail on the third day. The image above looks northwest from our campsite at the Bright Angel Campground at 10:06 pm local time, Saturday, June 10, 2023, and is a 20 second exposure at f/2.8, ISO 3200, 11mm focal length. At center is the constellation Ursa Major (Big Dipper). The bright star at upper left is Arcturus. The bright star at lower right is Polaris (North Star). Dark smudges between the Big Dipper and Polaris are clouds. 

11:22 pm, June 10. Looking south at Milky Way from our Bright Angel campsite. 20 second exposure at f/2.8, ISO 4000, 11mm focal length. The walls of the canyon stand out as silhouettes. 

12:30 am local time, Monday, June 12, 2023. Looking south toward the Milky Way from our second day campsite at Havasupai Garden. The dark area at upper right is the edge of the roof of our picnic table shelter. Image is a 20 second exposure at f/2.8, ISO 3200, 11mm focal length.

Milky Way panorama looking northeast, captured from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon at 10:45 pm local time, Monday, June 12. At lower left is the Lookout Studio, at right is the Grand Canyon Village. 20 second exposure at f/2.8, ISO 3200, 11mm focal length.

10:59 pm. Similar image looking east. 20 second exposure at f/2.8, ISO 3200, 11mm focal length. The Milky Way's galactic center is seen at right.

11:01 pm. Looking north at star-spangled sky from the South Rim. Clouds are seen on the horizon. 20 second exposure at f/2.8, ISO 4000, 11mm focal length. Nikon D7200 DSLR camera. Tokina AT-X 116 Pro DX II 11-16mm f/2.8 lens. K&F Concept KF-TM2324 tripod. An ultra-challenging, but ultra-rewarding experience!