August 18, 2015
It was around two in the morning, and I was sleeping soundly in my tent after hiking all day with a heavy pack on. My alarm buzzed quietly by my head. Not loud enough to really wake my two friends who were with me, but enough to annoy me and turn it off. I'm to mentally fighting myself to get up, knowing I'm only here for a few days and I really need to take advantage of the beautiful park that I'm in. After about five minutes I force myself to get up and grab my camera and head out into the cold.
The moment I'm out there and I look around, I'm already happy that I got out of that warm sleepy paradise. It's perfectly quiet, except for the sound of insects chirping and planes flying around. It's just me and the park. It's pretty dark, and the moon isn't out very much. Light pollution from nearby cities barely exists in Yosemite (nearly the size of Rhode Island). It's a clear night, no clouds. A perfect recipe for Milky Way pictures.
I was out there shooting different photos for nearly an hour, but I knew it was getting even later and I had a few big days of hiking coming up. I set up my camera for a time-lapse that would last for a few hours, and headed back to the tent to get some shut-eye. This picture is a constant reminder to me that even when I don't feel like doing something against my nature, incredible opportunities can be missed. I haven't seen a night sky as clear as this one since, but I'm excited for the next opportunity I have and I'll do my best to take advantage of it.
Canon 6D
Rokinon 24mm F/1.4 at f/2
ISO 3200
15 Seconds