Photography is a gift to me. I love the whole process of creating night photography images. But photography has brought me far more than that. I’ve had rich experiences that I would likely never have had otherwise.
Celestial floating
After an evening photographing the Milky Way in Borrego Springs, I returned to my motel. I had asked for permission from the manager of the motel to swim. “Sure, if you are very quiet … and you don’t drown.” I knew I could do both.
Although it was around 2 a.m., it was still hot. I grabbed a couple of pool noodles and very quietly slipped into the water. I lay on my back, floating. To my amazement, the Milky Way arched overhead. I don’t know how long I floated there, looking up at the stars. Time froze. I just know that for me, this was a magic, almost out-of-body experience that I will never forget.
Looking at the universe … together
Sometimes, I do not look like I am photographing. I was in a day-use area in Joshua Tree National Park. My camera was clicking away. I was creating a time-lapse and also “stacking” for the stars to reduce noise. I was laying on a cement picnic table while photographing, looking up at the Milky Way. Several young people returned to their cars. They saw me laying on the table.
Without saying much, they looked up at what I was seeing. The Milky Way banded overhead. They got on nearby picnic tables, laid down, and looked up at the glorious canopy of stars above.
After about fifteen minutes, they slowly got up and uttered their first words. “Enjoy looking at the universe.”
Other gifts of night photography
“Getting photographs is not the most important thing. For me it’s the act of photographing. It’s enlightening, therapeutic and satisfying, because the very process forces me to connect with the world. When you make four-hour exposures in the middle of the night, you inevitably slow down and begin to observe and appreciate more what’s going on around you. In our fast-paced, modern world, it’s a luxury to be able to watch the stars move across the sky.”
— Michael Kenna in “Photographer’s Forum Interview” — Winter 2003 by Claire Sykes
For someone who has rampant ADHD, night photography gives me the gift of focusing, being in the moment, and mental calm. As Michael Kenna says, it is enlightening, therapeutic and satisfying. I do feel that I connect with the world.
So once again, I thank you, photography, for the experiences and gifts you have given me.
