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#109 While You were sleeping series Red Mountain, Gore Range Wilderness Co.
This second shot in the night scenic series is special in several ways. I have been attempting night photos for several years and have never before had a cloud appear on film even though there have been many clouds in the sky during exposures. I was therefore surprised to see this one. After recalling the weather conditions at the time of exposure and thinking about it for a time I realized that this was a standing lenticular cloud. These clouds stay in place in the sky rather than floating by as all other clouds. They are formed as a result of moist air rising up over terrain (such as mountains) and condensing into water vapor. As it drops down on the other side it warms and evaporates once again. The cloud appears soft because it is changing shape in the one hour exposure. The stars show how the earth rotates relative to them with the dot in the center being the North star.
This scene is illuminated only by natural moon light. No filters were used. The final touch was an elk that walked into the scene and grazed for a time. I never saw it until I got the film back! You can locate it by looking for its white rump at the base of the evergreen tree clump located center most in the composition. You will notice that you see the elk twice. This is because it stood in one place for a time grazing, then took a step forward and grazed some more before walking away. The motion of the stars, cloud, and elk all tell the living story of passing time.
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