Magical moments in night photography: The loudness of silence

Sometimes we have these moments in nature. They may seem magical. Spiritual. Transcendent. Inspiring. Humbling. But whatever it is, we are left with an indelible memory.

The hike to nowhere

We began our May hike to nowhere. This was the middle of the desert. There were almost no cars. No trails. no footprints.

We parked our cars off the side of the nearest road. Then we walked. We walked for two miles. The terrain became increasingly strange. Odd-shaped rocks seemingly from an episode of “Star Trek.” Weird alcoves. Shallow caves. Lumpy misshapen rocks.

Setting up camp

We had brought in gallons of water, emergency supplies, food and sleeping bags. No tents, though. Too much weight, too much hassle and no need. It was a warm night. We set out our tarps and sleeping bags. Each of us chose some flat rocks to attempt to avoid scorpions.

Photographing at night

The Milky Way core began to show up in all its heavenly glory late at night. We set about photographing, taking turns or simply photographing different areas. We mostly worked in silence, occasionally talking about cameras or how magnificent the stars were. I illuminated Ojo Oro Arch, one of the secret hidden arches in the area, with light to accentuate its shape and features.

I sat in silence. The glorious silence. I could at one point actually perceive the direction the stars were flowing in. I was completely locked in to the stars, the desert, and the experience. This is what people experienced for most of the time humans have been around. But our cities blot out the skies, and most people have not seen the Milky Way in person.

Cocooned by a canopy of stars

I finished photographing. I settled down to sleep under the stars around 3:30 a.m., cocooned by a canopy of stars and the Milky Way arching directly overhead. Every several minutes, I saw shooting stars streaking through the night sky. It was so unbelievably vivid. And for so much of dusk or night, I was so aware of the silence.

This was a special place where silence is louder and the stars shine brighter. I will always treasure the experience.