One of the best parts about being in the Mara is the stars.
Because I have lived outside of Dallas for more than eighteen years of my life, stargazing is a bit of a lost cause. A good night is a night when I can see all three stars in Orion’s belt. ;) So being here in the bush, with almost no man-made lights, is an experience I never take for granted.
I never thought, however, that I’d be able to capture the beauty of the night sky in a picture. Although photography has always been an interest of mine, I’ve never devoted much time to it. However, with the help of my camera and Claudia, I was able to snap a few pictures that try to do it justice.
There are so many stars here that even in the pictures the Southern Cross is barely visible. Claudia showed me which settings to use, and I played around with them a bit myself, to see what changed. It was by far one of the most fun nights I’ve had here in the Mara.
Then we decided to experiment with flashlights and long exposures. Here is the result…and you can still see some stars in the background. :) I ran around Claudia in a circle, she gave me butterfly wings, we both tried writing our names, and we both had a great time. It's still a little rough...but trust me, we're getting better. ;)
I’ve had the song Stars in the Sky by the Christian artist Kari Jobe stuck in my head all day:
The stars in the sky will hang there, ‘till you tell them to.
The faith in my heart will still sing of what your love can do.
Even when life weighs heavy on me,
I know you’re in control and you’re all I need.
The stars in the sky will hang there, ‘till you tell them to.
Looking up at the stars, whether there are three or three million, always gives me peace. :)
Because I have lived outside of Dallas for more than eighteen years of my life, stargazing is a bit of a lost cause. A good night is a night when I can see all three stars in Orion’s belt. ;) So being here in the bush, with almost no man-made lights, is an experience I never take for granted.
I never thought, however, that I’d be able to capture the beauty of the night sky in a picture. Although photography has always been an interest of mine, I’ve never devoted much time to it. However, with the help of my camera and Claudia, I was able to snap a few pictures that try to do it justice.
There are so many stars here that even in the pictures the Southern Cross is barely visible. Claudia showed me which settings to use, and I played around with them a bit myself, to see what changed. It was by far one of the most fun nights I’ve had here in the Mara.
Then we decided to experiment with flashlights and long exposures. Here is the result…and you can still see some stars in the background. :) I ran around Claudia in a circle, she gave me butterfly wings, we both tried writing our names, and we both had a great time. It's still a little rough...but trust me, we're getting better. ;)
I’ve had the song Stars in the Sky by the Christian artist Kari Jobe stuck in my head all day:
The stars in the sky will hang there, ‘till you tell them to.
The faith in my heart will still sing of what your love can do.
Even when life weighs heavy on me,
I know you’re in control and you’re all I need.
The stars in the sky will hang there, ‘till you tell them to.
Looking up at the stars, whether there are three or three million, always gives me peace. :)