This adventure starts over a…

Photo Caption: This adventure starts over a decade ago here in Las Vegas… I made friends w/ @MichaelPernula as he bartended at one of my favorite clubs in Vegas. We would see each other around, and hung out a time or two even; we had since lost contact. Fast forward to recent times. We reconnected & on a whim, took off to Escalante w/ no notice. I planned out a few spots to explore & decided I wanted to shoot this cottonwood composition I had seen from other photographers although try as I might, couldn’t find this exact tree with the Milky Way over it.

Now, this exact tree; that’s another story in itself. We arrived to the area of Escalante that we knew it was in, but it was already dusk & getting darker by the minute & I had never been there before! We didn’t realize that the rock formation it was on top of extended for at least a couple miles when we started exploring potholes, some over 50ft deep! I was obsessed (@SaoLyBensonPhoto, sound familiar?) because I knew this one had the right depth, as well as was the right composition (I love the leading lines in the photos @dustinlefevre has taken here!) to line up with the Milky Way. I pored over the details of Dustin’s photos vs Google Maps & found what I thought must be the tree a good distance from where we started. In the dark with potholes everywhere, we finally found it!!

Michael was gracious enough to go place my lumecube.com/160.html (Use TRACYLEE for free US Shipping at this link!!) in the pothole facing the wall directly in front of me.. He slid into the hole, but when it was time to climb out, his shoes were covered in sand & got no purchase on the walls. He was stuck!! I kept him in there a few moments longer as I sent up my camera’s focus, and tested it’s settings then ran over with my 2nd @SlikUSA tripod extended fully and used it to give him a hand up. We actually ended up doing this dance 2 more times to adjust the light and then retrieve it at the end of the night.

It was an amazing adventure with great memories, and one that should cement our friendship forever!

ISO 6400
F2.8
15 seconds
10 images stacked in SLS
Processed in LR & PS
@TokinaUSA 11-20 2.8
@SlikUSA 634-CFL
@CanonUSA 6d (mk1)

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