Under the Stars: Nighttime Photography in Vermont

Vermont House lit up and reflected

I haven't spent much time in Vermont during the fall season. It was something I was hoping to remedy after seeing all the pictures of the changing of leaves and crisp weather. Now that I am here more often I want to document Vermont more and more.

It is a bit chilly outside, especially at night, so it took some extra motivation for this photo shoot. This, combined with clear dark nights, gave me the idea to head outside and do some star photography. I was hoping to see some meteors since this was during the Orionids meteor shower but only one shot across the sky during the photo shoot.

Using a long exposure (30 seconds), I was able to start capturing the milky way streaking across the night sky. A little bit of light pollution and some low wispy clouds added a bit of color and drama to the sky. Then as I walked around the pond down below the house I got the idea to include the reflection of the house lights lighting up the yellow leaves of the maples just outside.

When I teach photography I often suggest to think about what the light is doing in your scene. The problem with nighttime photography is that there is so little light to work with. But the absence of light can be just as powerful in a photo to help capture the mood and to tell a story. My story, turn off the electronics, grab a headlamp, head out of the city, and enjoy the night sky like our ancestors did for thousands of years.