Paddle on the Starry Lake

Paddling at night in a star-filled lake near Mount Hood, Oregon. From the photographer: “The colors in the sky are caused by light pollution from nearby Portland, glowing Milky Way, and some green airglow green from upper atmosphere. I had the ISO cranked high and aperture wide open at f1.4 so I could get a fast exposure to get the most stable image of my friend on the water. In the process, I didn’t realize how blown out Mars had become (at its brightest near the opposition), but interestingly enough, the reflection in the water brings it back into exposure with the loss of light in the reflection… It’s difficult to convince anyone to put on summer outfits then stand on a paddle board in the dark when it’s just a few degrees above freezing! But its a unique experience. It feels like flying through space when you see the stars above, and then look down and there are stars sparkling in the reflection of water all around you. Unlike a boat, the paddle board is about as wide as your foot stance, so there’s no obstruction to seeing the reflection. It feels like being in space!”