Night Sky Location Search

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I drove east over Stevens Pass to Douglas and Lincoln Counties in search of an abandoned building for night sky images.

Several years ago, I went with several other people to visit the Govan Schoolhouse, near Wilbur. I managed to capture a few decent shots.

This visit however was not to capture night images, but rather find new locations to return to when the next New Moon comes along, with clear skies and no wildfire smoke.

I visited towns such as Withrow and Lamoine. The last several weeks have been without rain. The wheat is about 18 inches high, what hasn’t already been harvested. There may not be any more rain out here until the fall.

The endless dry, dusty landscape in punctuated sporadically with random large stones, glacial erratics left over from the last ice age. There are many wondrous things to see out there in the middle of no where.

Smoke from the Cedar Creek fire lay over top like a blanket. It was 101F late on the afternoon. At sunset the sun glowed orange on the horizon.

Here are a few finds from the travels.

My travels took me back to the Govan Schoolhouse where I managed a few images, both inside and out of this magnificent beauty.

Wanted: Locations for Night Sky Photography

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Capturing images of the arc of the Milky Way is fantastic fun. The images are quite stunning and not very hard to capture, if you can find the right place to photograph them!  

Getting a clear shot of the Milky Way requires that you get well away from the lights of any cities or towns. If you are near civilization the light pollution wipes out the lower half of your picture. You need a dark sky. Near my home the best place is up in the North Cascades. It’s a 2 hour drive from my place to Washington Pass. Eastern Washington has many places with wonderfully dark skies.  

Good night sky pics have an interesting foreground, in addition to the Milky Way. I’ve used mountains, highways, tents, a big stump and Fire Lookout towers!  

  • Milky Way over the North Cascades Highway
  • Liberty Bell, North Cascades Highway
  • First Beach, Olympic Coast
  • Park Butte Lookout and Mt Baker
  • Camped along Baker River, North Cascades National Park

I am always looking for new locations and specifically, a barn, house, or any building really, located in a dark spot. For example this image is the Govan School House, located in Wilbur Washington. The building is abandoned. I climbed in there and set up a few lanterns to illuminate the place from the inside.

The building can be currently used or abandoned, we must be able to gain entry and set up lights. An old barn, out in eastern Washington or anywhere its dark, and out on the open would work wonderfully.

IF you know of any such buildings we can photograph, please let me know. Of course any place must be used with permission; trespassing on somebodies property at night with bright lights and cameras is just not smart!  

I am happy to exchange photo lessons or prints from the photo shoot with the land owner!  

Please email me any ideas or questions to: andyporterphotography@gmail.com

    New Moon, July 2020

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    The New Moon is marked on all my calendars, year-round. This is when there is NO moon in the sky. Dark skies are what you need to capture clear images of the Milky Way. The sunlight reflected by the moon washes out the stars… You also need clear skies, and a location away from the lights of civilization.

    Last month the new moon was July 20th, the skies were clear and Comet NEOWISE paid us a visit.

    These first 4 images are from Baker Lake, at the boat launch. Mt Baker is close by and Mt Shuksan not far off to the north. As the night progressed the comet rose in the sky and then the Aurora Borealis showed up!

    Encouraged by these images I went next up the Mt Baker Highway. It took a bit to find a good vantage point, but managed to get the comet as well as several other interesting night sky phenomena!

    Next I decided to try the Samish Overlook and try for more NEOWISE images. I was never able to find a good vantage for the comet, but to my surprise the Milky Way was visible from there. The lights from the valley wash out the stars, especially close to the horizon, but it was clearly visible to the naked eye!

    Picture Lake, on the Mt Baker Highway is a fantastic spot for Milky Way images, high elevation, dark skies and what a reflection! Notice how clear the stars are, especially close to the horizon at Picture Lake and Mt Rainier compared to the Samish Overlook…

    My final destination for July Night Sky was Mt Rainier! The Sunrise area of Mt Rainier Nat Park is famous for its night sky views. The glaciers seem to emanate light of their own at night and the mountain glows…

    The August New Moon is on the 18th! I am excited to go find new vistas!

    Night Sky Photo Tours are available on a limited basis! Here is a link with more info. 

    Prints are for sale at several locations! The Sedro-Woolley Chamber currently has a display of more then 15 large canvas prints, some are in a floating frame!  You can also see and purchase new prints at Peace Health Hospital in Sedro-Woolley, I have a large display of my prints for sale in the lobby.

    Prints of all kinds and sizes are also available anytime on my web site.  Find a gallery and look for the perfect image…

    IF you find something you love, use the Coupon Code: SUMMER for 50% OFF ANY purchase.

    Comet Neowise: Images from the North Cascades

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    This first set of images was taken on Monday, July14, at the Baker Lake Boat Launch. Mount Baker looms nearby and Mt Shuksan is off to the north, across the lake.

    The Boat Launch has one very big, bright light, high up on a poll, illuminating the area at night. This is the source of the light on the trees.

    About 11:30 pm the Northern Lights were visible and I was able to get a few pics.

    For the most part I used the following settings: Shutter speed: 30 sec; f/2.8 and 1600-2000 ISO. I used a very long exposure on one of these shots and you can see the stars stretched a bit.

    The next night I ventured up the Mt Baker Highway, heading to Picture Lake, but the comet was rising in the Northwest…the road is gated a bit past the Heather Meadows Ranger Station, again, view blocked…so we wound up along the road! Got a few decent pics…

    Night Sky Class at Artist Point

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    I teach Night Sky Photography through the North Cascades Institute, 2 or 3 classes a year.

    The most recent class was July 31. We all met at the Glacier Public Information Center. The people from NCI came with a bus.

    There were 15 students, we all met there and prepped our camera settings in the parking lot, jumped in the bus, and made our way up the hill to Artist Point.

    We were there a bit early, so we practiced a bit, and when it was dark, we spread out and captured images.

    I was busy, visiting the students to help with the details.

    The sky was partly cloudy, we weren’t sure what we’d get, but as real darkness fell the vista was amazing.

    Here are a few pics I managed while enjoying the dark spaces.

    I teach photography for adults in Burlington, at Parks and Rec. Classes start in September.

    I also do Night Sky Photo Tours, here is the link.

    2020 Calendar – Night Sky Images of Washington State

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    2020 Calendar – Night Sky Images of Washington State

    The 2020 Calendar is here a bit early this year!

    There are several reasons for this, first, people who visit Washington in the summer want calendars! And normally none are available. Also I wanted to do a Night Sky Calendar for some time, which means no need to worry about getting seasonal images, etc etc.

    So, here it is, the 2020 Calendar – Night Sky Images of Washington State

    The calendar is printed on 100lb bond, gloss stock, really nice paper. The size is 8′ x 12′ (a bit bigger than normal) which means that I didn’t have to either crop the image, OR add a border to the print.

    Ring bound and shrink wrapped, they are ready to ship anywhere your heart desires!

    $20 each, shipping $6

    You can order your copy here.

    The Night Sky Images of Washington State – 2020 Calendar is for sale locally at:

    North Cascades National Park / Forest Service Headquarters, Sedro-Woolley

    Skagit Valley Food Co-op, Mt Vernon

    Sedro-Woolley Chamber of Commerce, Sedro-Woolley

    Bulk Orders and Orders for Resale are available! Contact me at Andyporterphotography@gmail.com

    Here are the 14 images

    Winchester Lookout and the Northern Lights
    Mount Shuksan and Picture Lake
    Govan School House, Wilbur
    Milky Way over the North Cascades Highway
    Winchester Lookout at Dawn
    Liberty Bell, North Cascades Highway
    Sahale Camp, North Cascades National Park
    Park Butte Lookout and Mt Baker
    Crystal Mountain Ski Resort
    Nighttime at Diablo Overlook
    Mount Larrabee, North Cascades
    Palouse Falls
    First Beach, Olympic Coast
    Camped along Baker River, North Cascades National Park

    Night Sky Images of Washington State

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    I have been capturing night sky images of Washington State for about 4 years now. These 14 images display my moments of good luck so far.

    Palouse Falls
    Park Butte Lookout and Mt Baker
    Govan School House, Wilbur
    Mount Larrabee, North Cascades
    Camped along Baker River, North Cascades National Park
    Sahale Camp, North Cascades National Park
    Crystal Mountain Ski Resort
    Liberty Bell, North Cascades Highway
    First Beach, Olympic Coast
    Mount Shuksan and Picture Lake
    Milky Way over the North Cascades Highway
    Winchester Lookout and the Northern Lights
    Winchester Lookout at Dawn
    Nighttime at Diablo Overlook

    Capturing nice Milky Way shots is not difficult, technically. A decent camera, wide angle lens, tripod and remote are all that’s needed. The aperture, shutter speed, ISO and focus are all set. You can read more about the settings here.

    The tricky part is getting yourself and camera to a spot far away from light pollution, on a night when there is
    a.) No moon in the sky and
    b.) No clouds covering up the stars!

    Once you get that all figured out, then its a matter of practice, trail and error (lots of errors), and really just getting yourself out there.

    The settings for these types of images were the same:

    • Milky Way shots: Aperture: f2/8 ; Shutter Speed: 30 seconds ; ISO 2,500 to 6,400
    • Star Trail Shots: Aperture: f2/8 ; Shutter Speed: 20 minutes ; ISO 100

    Here are the details on each image.

    First Beach, Olympic Coast This is First Beach, in La Push, down the road from Forks. I used this huge stump to block the light pollution from the small village. This was taken in January, and the Milky Way is faint.

    Winchester Lookout at Dawn Late September, the Lookout had been battened down for the fall… Early sunrise created a split sky of colors, while my friends meditated with their I phone. They would have the phone “on” for just 2 or 3 seconds during my 30 exposure. The light in the lookout is from a very dim stand-up flashlight I put on the floor of the building

    Crystal Mountain Ski Resort The plan was to wander off from the resort and camp and takes pics. This was shot at about 2am, in late July. There are several satellites in this image. When using a wide angle lens you have to be very close to any foreground objects, or they will be very tiny in your image.

    Sahale Camp, North Cascades National Park This is the highest camp site in the North Cascades National Park, at more than 7,500 ft. The view is facing south. 30 second exposure, my friends in the tent had the light on for 1 -2 seconds. Any longer and the tent would be over exposed.

    Night Sky Images of Washington State 2020 Calendar

    This year I started the Calendar early! We printed on 8″ x 12″ sheets of 100lb bond, glossy paper.

    They really look fabulous! Each individually wrapped.

    The calendar is now back from the printer and ready to ship anywhere in the world!

    Order Yours Here

    Palouse Falls is a wonderful spot for Night Sky Imaging, its very remote and scenic. Someone started a campfire in the basin that night, and that’s where the wonderful illumination comes from in this shot.

    Mount Larrabee, North Cascades This is a 20 minute exposure. The green glow along the horizon is the Aurora Borealis! This image was captured from atop Winchester Mountain.

    Nighttime at Diablo Overlook Here is a south facing view of Colonial Peak, from Diablo Overlook. The star trails are streaks across the frame. If you shoot pointing north the star trails form a circle.

    Milky Way over the North Cascades Highway at the Washington Pass Overlook. This image was taken on June 2nd, at about 1am. As the Earth rotates the Milky Way arcs across the sky. The tail lights from a car headed east, to Winthrop, provide the lighting for this pic.

    Mount Shuksan and Picture Lake This famous view of Mt Shuksan affords some nice reflective opportunities! Its easy to get to, and from there you can head up to Artist Point for more images of Mts. Shuksan and Baker.

    Buying Prints

    Prints are available for all images. Traditional paper prints of all sizes are possible. These come ready for matting and framing. Canvas Wrapped Prints of any styles and sizes are also available directly from the web site. Here is the link to the Night Sky Gallery. Feel free to call me if you have any questions. 360-809-0661.

    Also, if you use the code: NIGHTSKY50 you will receive 50% off your order!

    Govan School House. Located near Wilbur on Hwy 2, this remote abandoned building was perfect for night sky. We illuminated the inside with a Coleman Lantern and a few other orange/yellow lights. I would love to find some more old building or barns to do this again!

    Park Butte Lookout and Mt Baker. I brought a very dim flash light and hung it from the ceiling, I could barely see it from out side, and it provided plenty of light for me. It looks like the stars emanate from the crater on Mt Baker!

    Liberty Bell, North Cascades Highway. The Washington Pass Overlook is one of the best spots there is to capture night sky pics. Its VERY dark, the foreground is outstanding (Liberty Bell and the hairpin turn in the North Cascades Hwy) and its easy to park and get there in the dark.

    Camped along Baker River, North Cascades. I would start the 30 second exposure and yell to them: Turn it on! and then after 1 second, Turn it off! that was plenty of light on their faces and the tent. The gravel bars along Baker River are an easy distance and very dark spots for night sky.

    Winchester Lookout and the Northern Lights. For long exposures, if you point towards the North Star, all of the other stars will make concentric circles. The green and reddish glow is the Aurora Borealis.

    Night Sky Photo Classes and Photo Tours

    Currently I am scheduled to teach one more Night Sky Photo Class this year, through the North Cascades Institute. It is scheduled for Wednesday night, July 31, and you can find out more here, and register.

    Night Sky Photo Tours are also available each month at the New Moon. I take individuals and groups to Drive-in locations, like the Washington Pass Overlook, or Artist Point. For those adventurous photographers who can carry a 30 lb backpack up hill for a while, there are back country locations we can visit, like the Park Butte or Winchester Mountain Lookouts. You can find out more here, and feel free to email or call if you have any questions.

    Night Sky Images at Winchester Lookout

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    The Winchester Mountain Fire Lookout is located in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, along the Mount Baker Highway. This is one of the few remaining lookouts in Washington. Most of them were removed, but several are now maintained by local alpine clubs. The Mt Baker Club does a fantastic job of caring for and maintaining the Winchester lookout, you can donate to their efforts here.

    During the summer the lookout is open to the public, you can day hike up and spend the day there, or if you’re inclined, you can spend the night. There are no reservations, its first come, you got it for the night. If you hike up and the lookout of already claimed for the night there is plenty of flat space nearby where you can pitch a tent.

    I have hiked up and spent the night atop Winchester Mountain 5 times, three of those trips I slept in the lookout, and 2 times I camped in my tent. Basically, if you want to sleep in the lookout, go on the weekdays and go very early. And bring a tent or a bivvy sack just in case! Oh yes, and bring all your water, there is none there, nor along the hike.

    The view from the lookout is unbelievable.

    As you can imagine the night sky views are fantastic. To the south and east the darkness is almost complete. The western horizon is aglow in the direction of Vancouver to the north, Bellingham to the west and Skagit Valley south.

    These 4 images were taken during the same evening. Check out the green aurora glow!

    During the same night, a view of Mount Larrabee from Winchester.

    Here is one more for good measure. Good luck and happy shooting! I may see yo there.

    If you’re interested, Night Sky Photo Tours are available, you can find out more here. 

    Winchester Mountain

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    I visited Winchester Mountain Lookout this last August, on the New Moon, hoping for some nice night sky images.

    I was with two clients who had signed up for a Hike-In Night Sky Photo Tour.

    We arrived early at the trail head so as to get to the Lookout early and so “reserve”it for the night.

    The hike in is beautiful, less that 2 miles. We arrived and just lazed about until the sky got dark.

    My first comp was this shot of the lookout with the Milky Way above…how awesome!

    I got this image and mostly thought I was done, but figured, what the heck, I am out here anyway, might as well shoot some more. I went to the other side of the lookout to shoot, now facing north…and was shocked to see the green glow of the aurora borealis along the horizon!

    I decided to do a time lapse image, I used a 20 minute exposure at 100 ISO and here is the result.

    And here is one more shot, of Mount Larrabee.

    Washington Journey Magazine

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    Some months ago I was referred to a local travel author for tips on capturing awesome landscape images. I shared my ideas and sent it off with some images. I was a bit surprised to get a call later from a “fact checker” to verify what I had said!

    Months past and I assumed the article was scrapped, but behold, here it is in the Fall issue of Washington Journey Magazine.

    Departures  — Journeys Issue: September/October 2017

    Scroll down a bit for the article “Picture Perfect”.

    The next Night Sky Class at the North Cascades Institute is scheduled for Sat. Sept. 16th. This class is through NCI, I am the instructor. We will visit Artist Point.

    I will also be doing Night Sky Tours on Friday, Sept. 15 and Saturday,Oct. 21 Here is the Link. 

    Classes in Burlington and Marysville start again September.