Eastern Sierras and Death Valley....

It's not everyday that someone can say they saw both the lowest point in the United States and the highest point in the lower 48. But that's exactly what I set out to do on Labor Day weekend. Hiking ,exploring, and photographing some the most unique landscape in California has really become a mission for me this summer.

Not only are the Sierras an amazing place to hike, but they are also a great place to view the stars with a variety of landscapes to place beneath. Within a two hour radius you have Mount Whitney, Little Lakes Valley, the Alabama Hills, and Death Valley.

With a quarter moon phase, the conditions for night photography were nearly perfect. The moon provided just enough ambient light to capture the foreground while still maintaining detail in the Milky Way. I was even lucky enough to capture the moons final light rays as they set over Mount Whitney, while a falling star sped across the sky. The shot included the Mobius Arch, a "must-photograph" for any nature photographer.

I certainly plan to go back in the winter when there is fresh snow...but for now, this is the summer sky over the Eastern Sierra's.