Step into Adventure
Climb the Rocks.
The light from the stars takes so long to travel to our sky that the Milky Way over the boulders reminds us to embrace new adventures while holding on to past memories.
A small rock wall can feel like the tallest mountain if you let your imagination take over.
Climb the Rocks like a kid on an epic camping adventure. Remember the feeling of triumph reaching the top of the hill.
Climb the Rocks.
This image is one of much effort, and it brings strong memories of an adventurous childhood to my mind.
In May, I hiked the dogs here and used it as a scouting trip. This park is one of my favorite local places. I hadn’t been out shooting much yet this year, and I was feeling sad about it. The weather has been rough this spring and summer, thunderstorms and clouds abound.
Hiking the dogs at the Quarry Park
Scouting the location for the image.
Planning when to photograph the Milky Way.
Spring was full of flooded hikes. Not many opportunities to get out under the stars.
Hoping to get out for a night of star therapy, I used my Milky Way planning app to check when the timing would be right to see the Milky Way over this rock wall. The answer was June.
The weather didn’t cooperate any better, and the blue hour foreground image trip proved to be extra waterlogged.
Hidden areas, disguised as dry ground, were actually giant puddles of light tan mud.
With the help of my sister-in-law, we managed to get my foreground image, and navigate the dogs through the muddy, messy park for an after sunset stroll. It turned out to be a fun adventure, but my work was not done yet.
The night sky was finally going to be clear, I was determined to see the stars.
After getting the dogs back home, and waiting for full dark, I returned to the park with my star tracker set up. I didn’t venture back through the mud to capture the sky in the same place, making this image technically a composite. I did, however, line the image up properly for how the sky would have looked if I had returned to the rock wall. I did take the sky images in the same park, on the same night. And I would have had to have a separate foreground image anyway, just from the act of using a star tracker. A tracker follows the rotation of the earth in order to get longer shutter speeds of the stars without star trailing. This way you can get more light in your image, which results in more detail and color in the sky. It allows better photos of the night sky in general, but in more light polluted areas (like near my home) it really is a game changer.
I love the way this image brings calm wonder from the sky together with brave adventure and fun in the foreground.
I imagine I’m a kid again, tom boy to the core, racing through the woods to raft down the river while camping, and climbing the mountain terrain of West Virginia where my Dad grew up, making it to the top of that hill was a real feat!
Purchase Climb the Rocks here.
Click on the add to cart button below, click on the image to open the sales page, or visit my Summer Collection Store under the Shops menu.
A 16×20 inch photo print showing the Milky Way above a rock wall made of boulders that sits on flat rocky ground. Small pine trees and bushes are scattered throughout the rock wall and line the top ridge. The night sky is colorful; the Milky Way and Dark Horse contrast strongly against the calm subtleness of the rest of the stars.
Printed on archival metallic paper, this print will last many years.
This print will be ready to be matted in a standard 20×24 inch mat cut for a 16×20 picture, inserted in a 20×24 inch picture frame, and hung on your wall. Or simply framed as is in a 16×20 inch frame. Go with what feels right to you. Just know that whatever you decide, the framing job will be simplified due to the standard sizing of the art.
It is my thought that easier framing means you will be able to hang and enjoy your art up on your wall much sooner.
Step into Adventure
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Walk the Shore
Share the waves with the stars. Find the perfect rock that will remind you of this adventure long after it's over.
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Paddle the Lake
Watch as life slows for a little while. Enjoy the summer and take it all in. Take time to invest in yourself and the amazing memories you are making with your family.
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Explore the Land
Meander the forest looking for firewood. Think back to the smell of the campfire warming your face on cold summer nights under the stars.
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Fish the Pond
Take some time to slow down and find patience. Soak in the summer air and the comfort of familiarity.
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Climb the Rocks
Like a kid on an epic camping adventure, remember the feeling of triumph reaching the top of the hill.
Learn about these 16x20 fine art photography prints.
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Image size and paper type are 2 ways artists can truly share their art with you the way they want it to be seen and experienced.
Printed on certified archival metallic paper, these prints will last for 100+ years on home display. The ultra-bright background, and shiny metallic finish make these night time images pop. Art that shines like the stars.
The 16×20 print size is big enough to be impactful, but small enough that it will fit in most places you may want an impactful piece of art. It is a standard size that is easy to frame, meaning you will be able to get it up on your wall to fully enjoy and experience quickly.
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I named this collection Step into Adventure because it really explores the type of fun we like to have on summer vacations shared with our families.
This art can stir up feelings of epic road trip adventures to once in a lifetime places. Even though none of these images are actually of iconic places, they can instill the same feelings when we let the art speak to our minds, souls, and memories.
Step into adventure can remind you that the regular places you maybe visit(ed) every year are just as important as those once in a lifetime places, as they leave a lasting legacy for your family.
I want to thank you from the bottom of my Artsy-Fartsy heart for being here, and stepping into my adventure!
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These prints will be produced in a Midwest, USA lab and flat packed for shipping.
You can choose if you would like your print signed and checked by me for quality assurance, or if you want it straight from the lab.
If you choose to have me sign it, it is likely you will get a small freebie as well. I like sending surprises when I have them to offer!