Ponomar Photography

This startrail shot was a single 30 minute exposure. The mid-night reflection on Lee Lake created an eerie, yet soothing ambience. Fortunately, this particular night held absolutely no wind, which is a rare occurence considering I’ve been there many times when the woeful wind blows angrily at upwards of 100 km/h.

The clouds in the distance were illuminated by the gentle glow of street lights from the surrounding mountain towns. The selfless trees shone shadows in the water, each just as lifeless as their caster.  The soothing silence and complacent calmness, combined with crystal clear skies, made this one of the most awe-inspiring photo shoots I’ve ever done.

The hardest part about doing a single long exposure (especially of this duration), is worrying about whether or not the battery can withstand the chills of the night long enough to finish the shot. Even though it was spring time, the tempatures at night in the mountains still drop below freezing.  There have been occasions when I have started 45 minute exposures and they were lost in translation due to the battery; definitely not the greatest feeling in the world.

As far as techniques go, star trails are probably the easiest thing to photograph. All one really needs is a tripod and a remote (and a camera of course) to be able to capture the trails of light. However, getting a startrail correctly exposed is probably one of the hardest (if not the hardest) task I’ve ever faced throughout all of my photographic experiences.