Night photography has its allure, as well as its challenges. There is something restorative about spending a quiet evening in the mountains or desert under the stars. Likewise, capturing light trails on a busy city street can be energizing and cause the creative juices to flow. A proposed night shoot at the Motor Transport Museum in Campo, California really piqued my interest, as it combined a bit of both worlds. Over two-hundred old cars, trucks, and buses are there—some over a century old—scattered haphazardly on the grounds of an abandoned feldspar mill. The shoot was also to be a fond farewell to this year’s Milky Way season.

As the sun began to set the sky erupted in a beautiful orange glow. Activity near Mount Rushmore began to pick up as Air Force One flew overhead, followed by a trio of helicopters, to include Marine One. Shortly after Marine One touched down at the monument, the famed Blue Angels came roaring over the monument as the crowds gathered on the hillside with me!