Milky Way From Hooper’s Island
Open Edition
Driving over the bridge onto Hooper’s Island I was amazed at how much water was on the roads and in the yards. High tide seems to bring water up everywhere. Several places I had to slowly wade my car through deep water, at least deep water for a sub-compact. Eventually I found that I dare not go any further so I got out of the car to survey my surroundings. I was immediately struck by how the perfectly still high tide in the marsh reflected the stars. I decided that I wanted definition in the marsh so I set up my LED lights which quickly drew a cloud of moths and other night insects. The skies down Hooper’s Island are very dark, but even here you can make out the light pollution along the horizon on the other side of the bay. But the glorious cloud of the Milky Way is very evident, cutting through the sky like a glass of spilled milk (hence the name…). It was a beautiful summer evening, warm and slightly humid. The marsh smelled of sulfur but the breeze kept fresh air flowing by. I stayed set up taking this image for over an hour and not a single car drove by me. I sipped my coffee as I drove away to look for another composition. These are the nights I love, plenty of room and plenty of shots to be had!