Unlike the previous one, which was a fortuitous coincidence of circumstances, shots of the Milky Way, like the one above, are far more planned. Having had an image in mind of a composition involving the galactic arm rising above the snow-capped volcanic cone of Mt Baker, just as the first rays of moonlight light up the east-facing slopes, I trudged up an appropriate viewpoint at sunset hoping to stake out such a location. But despite the planning, this too required quite a bit of luck: a cloud-free smog-free sky unaffected by the wildfires raging the Pacific Northwest, and snow-free access to a location where this shoot was possible.
Thankfully, the atmospheric conditions cooperated for the most part, and except for the light polution at the horizon, and the light haze from the fires, it was a blissful night for photography. I watched as the sky slowly transitioned from the orange hues of sunset to the deep purple of twilight, and small sparks of light slowly appeared in the sky, starting with the brightest planets (Venus and Jupiter) followed by the dimmer stars. Soon thereafter, the band of the Milky Way slowly made its appearance, first visible only to the camera, and then to the naked eye. The mercury dropped too, and I found it ever more harder to keep myself warm, but I persisted, waiting until the band slowly moved over to the summit of Mt Baker.
Mt Baker Snoqualmie National Forest
WA USA