CRAIG BILL
Cosmic Showers
FF418
Long exposure still time-lapse of 500+ shots
West Texas, USA
Limited Editions 500
Artist Proofs 30
2012 International Loupe Bronze Award
Dark Sky Travels Magazine Featured Photograph Nov 2019
YouPic Inspiration Featured 2020
Video Below
Everything was falling into place: This years 2012 Perseid meteor shower was to take place in a dark, moonless sky (one of the biggest showers of the year), camera geared up, plan of attack in my mind, location secured. By the time I set up and began the first exposures by light painting this windmill (which I hoped was turning in the wind to show motion), a huge surge of red and orange light blazed the night sky. I couldn't believe it - not on this night! A refinery flare sparked up and flooded the perfectly dark stage for this nights' show. I threw up my hands and proclaimed the meteor shower and nighttime sky a total ruin. Just in case the flare died down, I continued shooting - and I'm glad I did! The refinery flare added an extra glow to the images that I would not have thought of, and I absolutely loved! As the meteors began streaking above my patient camp friends and my head, I set up the camera to record one minute exposures back to back all night until the batteries failed to capture as many meteors as possible. In all, Cosmic Showers comprises a fusion of over 500 exposures capturing 40+ meteors over 4 hours including the Milky Way above. Also the Andromeda Galaxy was captured, which at first I thought was a dust speck in the camera during processing.
