Spruce Knob Lake, West Virginia.
Cassiopeia- Nestled Between the Pines
Look for me in the North, I am the lady in the chair.
Cassiopeia doesn’t set in the Northern latitudes, but she does spin about. If you see 5 stars in a zig-zag pattern, it is likely Cassiopeia. She has a W shape in the spring/summer, and an M shape in the autumn/winter. Think of it like this- W is for Warm (like summer weather). M is for Moody (like winter weather).
A photo showing where Cassiopeia is located.
Cassiopeia is nestled between the pines at the other end of the Milky Way rainbow. This is the darkest sky I have ever seen in real life. I was so lucky to have a patch of clear sky to the North in July of 2022. The Milky Way core to the South was perfectly framed above a still lake, and completely blocked by clouds. Someday I will get back there and get that dream image.
My inspiration image: A composite of what would have been, had it not been full clouds above the lake.
We went family camping at Spruce Knob Lake Campground for the dark sky opportunity. To get photos of the lake and the Milky Way. Even though that wasn’t in the cards, we had a great time, and are looking forward to another visit.
A place like Spruce Knob provides all the nature immersion therapy you could ask for, both during the day and at night.
Forest Bathing is total immersion in nature to benefit health and reduce stress.
What my Night Photography community lovingly calls Star Therapy is the same idea, but under the stars. It is so beneficial every time I am out at night making art to stop and completely notice the nature I am surrounded by; I stop taking photos, stop planning my next frame, stop worrying about equipment issues, stop worrying about life responsibilities, and just breathe, look at the stars, and let the environment calm my mind.
This is the same feeling I work to pour into my photography.
The same feeling I work to share through my art.
Evergreens and Beach Milky Way Ornament
The galaxy ribbon of stars above the pine trees in this photo reminds me of Christmas, and traveling to a warm beach over holidays also sounds wonderful. So I put these 2 ideas together on one ornament together.
“And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.”
Thank you for your interest in my art. If you have any questions, please visit my contact page or email me today at Cori@cojackphotography.com