Shelbydiamondstar Photography

The road to the heavens is paved with Northern Lights. ;)
Finishing up this week of Aurora posts with this gorgeous display from Alaska. It's hard to concentrate on driving when this is going on overhead!

Still in awe over this display of red aurora from December 1st! What a wonderful way to kick off the final month of 2023!

What causes red aurora? They occur when solar particles react with oxygen at higher altitudes - around 180 to 250 miles (300 to 400 km); often seen at the higher ends of the display. I've personally seen a lot of red aurora here in the middle latitudes. And this is likely because we are looking at it from a distance instead of being directly under the display; as you would be up in the Arctic.

AMAZING 🌈 AURORA!
Ok, not really a rainbow, but a gorgeous display of reds, pinks, greens, purples and blues. The purple and blue are likely from the 80% moonlight and the astrotwilight.
This image holds a special place in my heart. I have tried to capture Aurora at this spot at least a half dozen times - to no avail. (It needs a decent event, as this vantage point is more north-east) And this trip started to feel like a bust, as well. Until the CME hit earth around 4AM! Gave us a few hours to enjoy the show before the sun rose.

📍Door County, WI

Ode to a Tree.
Orion, Milky Way, Incredible sunrises, shooting stars (or burning up satellites) - we have seen it all, little tree. Spent many nights listening to the waves, thinking about our place in this big vast universe. I always feel at peace here. But there was always one thing missing: the Northern Lights. Well, this past week, Lady Aurora danced for us. And it was incredible. I will post that photo later today - so stay tuned! 😀

Red Dawn!
After driving several hours, staying up all night in the cold waiting for the CME from Nov. 28th to arrive - it hit. Around 3AM. About an hour later the skies turned an incredible blood red towards the north. These scarlet hues were naked eye visible, which made it even more incredible! It is fun to be able to watch these events unfold - from the sun to the effects at earth. It's humbling and awe-inspiring. More to come!

Destination Door County

Why do I love Fairbanks, Alaska? Well, when this is the first thing you see when getting off the plane..... 😉. You know you're in for a good time!

PS: Great chance for Aurora starting Thursday night! (barring cloudmaggedon, of course!)

Shelbydiamondstar Photography Fine Art Photographer, Adventurer, and Extreme Aurora Hunter. Currently studying Space Weather.

Colorado Autumn Nights. ✨

This focus stacked and tracked image proved to be a difficult one to put together. Every time I opened it, I would take one look, and think to myself, "not today." LOL!
However, I managed to power through. Anyone want to guess how many hours (in post) went into this one?

The majestic Eagle Harbor lighthouse during twilight on a cool fall evening. Can you see the stars starting to peek through?

Good morning and Happy Friday! Hope you all have a fantastic Thanksgiving holiday (at least on united state-side!) Today I am pleased to offer my first ever Black Friday sale! From now until Monday night, you can take 10% off anything in my store. What's even more exciting is that I now can offer ornaments and puzzles! Check it out and enter code "HOLIDAY10" at checkout to take advantage of the sale!

https://www.shelbydiamondstar.com/shop

I am truly thankful for all of you! Appreciate your ongoing support and Happy Holidays!

🌌✨ Mesmerizing Night at O-kun-de-kun Falls! 🌙🏞️

For those of you who haven't experienced O-kun-de-kun Falls at night, I highly recommend adding it to your bucket list! Whether you're a nature enthusiast, a photographer, or just someone looking for a peaceful escape, this somewhat hidden gem in Michigan's Upper Peninsula is sure to leave an impression on you.

Have you ever hiked out to O-kun-de-kun? Share your own magical moments or tell me about your favorite adventures in the comments below! Let's swap stories and inspire more people to discover the beauty of our natural wonders... especially after dark.

Pastel pink and purple delight!

Chasing the fall colors - which coincided with the full (and near full) moon - presented me with some new challenges. Since the stars would be muted due to the ambient light, what else can you do after sunset with a nearly full moon? Well, here's a great example. The moon was just starting to rise. The way it lit up the clouds and colored them in this pretty pink color was quite beautiful. The sky's purple tones added to this dreamy view. The resulting image is quite surreal and dream-like.

Also, anyone know where this is located?

From the archives: a little Mackinaw Bridge Milky Way action. I've taken many pictures of the bridge and the Milky way, but this one remains a favorite.

Do you have a favorite image or memory of the mighty Mac? ☺️

"Goodnight Moon"
Blue hour and the subsequent rising nearly full moon provided some dreamy colors and lighting of this quaint scene at Big Sable Lighthouse. (Ludington, MI). Though faint due to the ambient light the moon, the Milky Way appears to the left of the lighthouse's tower.

Enter - ORION!
The winter Milky Way season is upon us! Using an astro-modded camera in conjunction with a star tracker allows for this nebulosity to really pop. The mars-like landscapes of the Utah really transport you into a fantasy-like dream world. Yet, it's not!

Haven Falls in Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula.
It truly is a haven! Or is it heaven? Or is it both?
The fall colors were absolutely stunning, that is FOR SURE!

Colorful Colorado!
Always wanted to capture the fall colors of the mountains in a split-level image. This lake was the perfect setting for the Ikelite Underwater Systems case! Gorgeous golds compliment the blue skies and teal water of this mountain lake. Loved all the puffy clouds, too!

One Spectacular Sunrise!
I chuckled a bit as the sunrise/sunset app stated - "48% Chance" of a good sunrise. Usually for these apps, the percentage needs to be quite high - i.e. over 80%. Even then it has failed to accurately predict the quality. Just goes to show you - sometimes it is just worth going out!

Michigan Department of Natural Resources Ludington State Park - October, 2023.

"November"
As we enter the transitional month between fall and winter - the temperature differentiation between the warmer lakes and cooler air can whip up some winds and fuel storms. Often referred to the "Gales of November" from those who live on the Great Lakes. The combination can create quite the moody scenes!

Split Rock Lighthouse - Nov, 2023.

Happy Halloween!
Was trying to think of a good post for Halloween and settled on this one: "The Dark Horse over Dead Horse." Do you know the story behind Dead Horse Point in Utah? It is rather morbid!

According to a legend, the park got its name in the early 1800s when cowboys rounded up wild horses through a narrow land strip called the neck that was 30 yards wide. At the neck, they selected the horses they wanted and the released horses died of thirst after they were rounded up at a waterless point.

Despite the name, this picturesque park is well worth the visit! From truly dark skies to sweeping vistas, it is a wonderful photography location! Even captured a distant thunderstorm in this image!

Autumn Splendor in the enchanted forests of Northern Michigan!

Having trouble figuring out what's AI generated and what's not when it comes to Aurora photography? Here's a handy guide I helped a bit on. (The sciencey part was all Laura and Vincent!) What are your thoughts on the use of AI? I don't like how it's being used to decieve people in the pursuit of content and views. Plus how it has used work from artists and photograpers alike to train it. BUT... This is here to stay, so the best we can do it keep an eye out! Hopefully this will help you all spot the fakes easier!

Keeping it Real: How to Spot a Fake Aurora Photo – Aurorasaurus Keeping it Real: How to Spot a Fake Aurora PhotoOctober 25, 2023October 27, 2023Citizen Science, Education, Other resources for aurora hunters, Understanding the AuroraBy Vincent Ledvina and Laura Edson With many thanks to aurora photographer Marybeth Kiczenski for reviewing the post As artificial i...

Turret Arch, Arches National Park, UT.
Can't resist the call of the night sky! Arches offers some of the most fun foregrounds for play with, as well. If you look on the left hand side of the image, you'll see some lovely green airglow. The clouds are illuminated by Moab's light pollution.

From Great Sand Dunes to Sleeping Bear Dunes!
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore features bluffs that reach 450FT above Lake Michigan and is surrounded by forests and inland lakes. The views overlooking Lake Michigan are breathtaking, to say the least!

Great Sand Dunes National Park in southern Colorado features the country's tallest Sand Dune at over 750FT! Located at 8000FT in elevation against the Sangre de Cristo Mountains,, this unique park spans over 30 miles and has over five billion cubic meters of sand. This was my last stop on the way back from Utah. It didn't disappoint! Found this beautiful vantage point where the golden hues of the fall foliage framed both the dunes and peaks. You don't see this combination often!

ECLIPSED by the RING of FIRE!

Wow - what a whirlwind trip! As you all (most likely) know - there was an Annular Eclipse on October 14th, 2023. The Annular is different than a total, in that the moon doesn't completely cover the sun's disk, so you are left with a "ring of fire". The experience is much different, as you don't have quite the dramatic change in light or temperature; but there is some!

Met up with Jessica Santos () and Ryan Oswald () and we decided to make Factory Butte our foreground. We all love this giant sandcastle, and thought it was a perfect subject! Plus where we drove to is not the easiest place to get to there, and it required a decent hike to get to this vantage point.

Earlier in the day, I ran into my Minnesota friends - Nathan Klok, Hayes Scriven, and Nicholas Narog. Hiked out with them to scope out another amazing desert feature - the Lone Spire. Which was where they chose to photograph the eclipse from.

The feelings of excitement mixed with a little bit go anxiety really started to appear once we work up at 5AM to hike out into the badlands. I really had no idea what I was going to do or how to photograph an eclipse. You can read all you want about the subject, but it's a different animal once you're out there and faced with the time crunch that is totality!

As the the sun rose, we set up our gear. I had my tracker, which is interesting to set up during the day without the North Star. LOL. I later found out that it wasn't perfectly aligned, so my filtered images were kind of all over. (more on that later)

Around 9:30am, we could see the moon moving into position with our solar glasses. The anticipation grew! About an hour to totality to go! I let the camera run to capture the various phases.

Then came the main event - the ring of fire! Even though the moon is closer to its maximum distance from earth, thus appearing smaller than the sun - we noticed a very interesting and unique light on the foreground. It was twilight-es, but not quite. The dirt took on a very metallic and silky sheen. Hard to put into words! The temperature also dropped a good 10 degrees. Wild!

We sat and continued photographing to capture the entire sequence. As in my mind, I really wanted to create a composite image that shows the phases and path of the moon and sun. Which is what you see here!

As you can see, it wasn't completely clear. We did have clear skies when the eclipse first started, but because the lighting during totality was SO unique; I knew that was the base image I wanted to use for the entire composite. Which also meant dealing with the clouds in the frame, and lens flare. The lens flare is something I went back and forth on about using, as it starts to "read" like a total eclipse (as the corona) but obviously is not the case. Ended up liking how it came together, so just rolled with it!

This image is a culmination of many images, lots of layering, and artistic license to create a sense of what we witnessed. It was an ambitious project that I really had no idea if it would work. I'm thrilled to say that it did, and to walk away with this souvenir of such an incredible celestial event is all a photographer can ask for!

What a wonderful weekend with amazing adventurous friends! I'll NEVER forget it, and looking forward to April!!

BTW - THANK YOU for the ongoing support! This little page reached 40k followers! So what better way to celebrate than with this event!

Crested Butte aglow with aspens, as Orion rises overhead. Always wanted to try some astrophotography with the showy and "glowy" fall foliage of Colorado! While just past peak for this area, there was enough yellows to really pop at night. I personally love this little town of Crested Butte. It has such a peaceful vibe, and I always feel a sense of calm when visiting.

FALLorado!

Driving up a county road in southwestern Colorado looking for fall colors. I was NOT prepared for what happened next. Rounded a corner and saw an entire valley glistening in yellow and golden tones. Stopped me in my tracks. May have shed a tear! Between the soaring mountain peaks and the sea of shimmering gold flanking the hillsides, I now understand when people say "Colorado Gold!"

Happy Friday the 13th, too! Also, there's an Annular Eclipse tomorrow!

Fall in Michigan's Porcupine Mountains! Watching the sunrise over Lake of the Clouds should be on everyone's Michigan Fall Color Tour list. To see the expanse of forested land from above is mesmerizing and beautiful. It's a spot where everyone can get their tree-top "drone image!"

The Northern Lights illuminate the skies over a forest bursting with fall colors. From behind the waterfall, this fairy-tale like scene from Northern Michigan is hard to beat!

Michigan's crown jewel - Tahquamenon Falls - Looking absolutely STUNNING in the fall hues!

Sometimes, you just have to stop and admire what is right in front of you! Happy Friday - and happy fall!

"First Light"
A bit of an experimental image! The clouds were moving in and out very quickly, which acted like a diffuser on the bright stars; in this case - Venus. I loved the dreamy overall feel. The timing of this was right near the end of nautical twilight, where only the brightest stars remain. Let me know what you think!

Porcupine Mountains - Upper Peninsula of Michigan

Starlink and Car Trails light up the night!

While out in Utah, had a wonderful opportunity to meet up with fellow astro-nerds, Jess Santos ( on IG) and Ryan Oswald (Ryan Oswald ryantoswald on IG). We went out to the wilds of Capitol Reef National Park to photograph the Milky Way. While playing around with car trails, Starlink decided it wanted to also grace us with its presence. I thought it made for a cool juxtaposistion of man made objects with that of the natural world.

Wish I had more time to hang out with them, and this awesome crew they had tagging along for their Dark Sky Week celebration! But was grateful to be able to catch them on one of the nights!

Gasp! 🥹
"Delicate Rainbow"

That was our exact reaction as we rounded the corner at the end of the Delicate Arch trailhead. The rainbow was so bright, it was hard to believe this was real life!

Told the group I guided up there that there was a 50/50 chance we see the stars, but that the storms moving in and out of Moab set the stage for some epic light. And well... it paid off in spades! After a spectacle like this, the cloudy skies didn't matter!

Thank you for your support!

This week I was out in Utah teaching at the Out of Chicago Photography out of Moab conference. On the last night of the workshop, I looked back at the group that Nick Page Photography was working with and was taken back by the big dipper shining over them. I just had to take this photo. This right here encompasss everything - friendships, stars, nature, and beautiful memories.

This week was a lot of work, but so memorable. It was a joy to work alongside a group of super talented people and help others find and enjoy the beauty of the night sky. It makes my heart full. ❤️🫶

Clear skies!

O T H E R W O R L D L Y

Great Basin National Park, NV!

Can you believe this is Nevada? Most people think desert landscapes when it comes to the Silver State. However, up towards the north, there's forests, mountains and alpine lakes. A tad late in the season for the composition I was truly after, but this one ended up working out! This lake sits at 10,400FT in elevation in bortle 1 skies. Talk about a star chaser's dream! Nothing like hiking under a canopy of stars.

Sun-set Sunday! GORGEOUS Sunwupta Falls in Jasper National Park is always treat! That glacier blue water is unreal.

Fall is right around the corner! Are you excited!? Question for everyone: What types of fall color images would you like to see this year or hoping to see? The grand overlooks? Waterfalls? Canopy of trees? All of the above?

This image was taken from the Porcupine Mountains in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.