The Flatirons of Boulder
As far as iconic landmarks go, the Flatirons of Boulder, Colorado are a pretty incredible one for a photographer to have situated right in their backyard. For a night photographer, they're even better. They sit on the western edge of Boulder with comparatively little light pollution behind them for such a populated area.
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Comet Neowise (C/2020 F3) above the Flatirons under clear skies - July 2020
The Flatirons on a crystal clear winter night
A large meteor fireball above the Flatirons during the Geminid Meteor Shower
The Milky Way above the Flatirons. It is very difficult to pull detail out of the light pollution.
Venus and the Pleiades above the 3rd and 1st Flatirons
Moonlit Flatirons in winter
The Flatirons through a telescope after photographing a lunar eclipse setting
The Flatirons on a crystal clear night
Comet PANSTARRS setting behind the Flatirons and distant Indian Peaks
When I returned from a year at the South Pole Station in Antarctica, I soon realized that I still preferred photographing under the stars. With iconic views just a short hike away, I began to plot out the stars on top of some of my favorite locations and kept an eye out for pleasing alignments.
I draw my landscapes on graph paper with altitude and azimuth coordinates so I can easily see where celestial objects will be and how different lenses will frame the scene. I add references for the Milky Way, and the constellation trifecta of Orion, Taurus, and the Pleiades.
When an opportunity presents itself, I head out to the trailhead with all of my camera gear in tow. Many times I will spend long nights out just staying warm while the cameras do their thing. Every once in a while I get a friendly animal visitor. Usually skunks...
I love my backyard...
