Night Photography nominee

By driving an iron bar into the ground and bolting a ball-head to it, I was able to anchor my camera securely enough to capture back-to-back nights of clear, winter skies above this abandoned church on the prairie of Eastern Montana. To produce these star trails, I took 2114 40-second exposures by remote, wrapping my camera in hand-warmers and a down coat to prevent frost from forming on the lens. With the camera locked in place, I was able to change the extended-life battery each evening without shifting focus. Regardless of faith, it's difficult to look into the night sky and not wonder what this beautiful universe might contain.

I have made a lifetime of exploring the natural world, always attempting to show the beauty of what lies around us all on Earth. I've won an honorable mention in the 2017 National Wildlife Federation photo contest, had a photo featured as the photo of the day during the 2016 Smithsonian photo contest, have sold work to many magazines, and also had two Montana-based novels published.