Colors of Darkness

Our eyes are unable to register colors of dimly lit subjects. In contrast, a camera can collect and magnify light during a long exposure. This photograph portrays a famous rock formation called The Wave. It is made of Navajo sandstone rich in iron oxides, which give it color. The image was taken in late summer to have the constellation of Sagittarius and the Milky Way above. The left wall was lit by a quarter Moon, the front and right walls were “painted with a flashlight” during the exposure. The Wave is filled with waist-deep monsoon water.


North Coyote Buttes, Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona

Colors of Darkness

Our eyes are unable to register colors of dimly lit subjects. In contrast, a camera can collect and magnify light during a long exposure. This photograph portrays a famous rock formation called The Wave. It is made of Navajo sandstone rich in iron oxides, which give it color. The image was taken in late summer to have the constellation of Sagittarius and the Milky Way above. The left wall was lit by a quarter Moon, the front and right walls were “painted with a flashlight” during the exposure. The Wave is filled with waist-deep monsoon water.


North Coyote Buttes, Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona

Using Format