Lost Lake, Oregon,
Last summer I drove to Laurance Lake, Oregon to shoot the Milky Way. According to the PhotoPills app it was
going to be a great spot to shoot photos of the Milky Way perfectly aligned above Mount Hood, Oregon. However, when I arrived the campsite was full and buzzing with people. I also discovered that I needed to hike to the other side of the lake to get the photo shots I was planning. I decided to bag it and look for another spot next to Lost Lake. On the way there I stopped and took a few decent pictures of the sunset framed with a river, trees and mountains before I headed to Lost Lake.
Then I drove another thirty minutes to arrive at Lost Lake and it was also packed with campers! This was because I made the mistake of traveling on a Saturday night. Usually, I travel on weekdays which are normally not busy. When I arrived, I found a nice spot near the parking lot right before sunset and took several photos of Lost Lake with Mount Hood in the background. When it finally became dark I saw the Milky Way rise perfectly over Mount Hood so I could get the shots I had planned for. There was a perfect reflection
of the stars in the lake! I had been shooting photos for an hour when three fellow night photographers showed up! They didn’t crowd me too much although some of their red lights flashed in the water messing up a few of my shots.
Later, two other guys appeared near me and started a camp fire even though the park had “No Fires Allowed”
posted everywhere in and around the park. They were roasting marshmallows and drinking beer. Soon after, the park ranger came by and politely asked them to put the fire out. They tried to argue with him even though he could’ve given them a huge fine! He also told me I wasn’t suppose to be there at night unless I was camping or received permission from him. But he was nice and let me stay and told me that I wouldn’t get any good shots because the moon was out. He didn’t realize that the moon would disappear after midnight and then the skies would be much darker and perfect for night photography. An hour or so later a couple of cars pulled in the parking lot and there was a lot of noise and lights flashing everywhere. It was a big party of Asians checking out the beauty of the night. They saw me after I flashed my light at them a few times in the dark and then they moved to another area away from me. Soon after, I headed home for the night. I usually prefer sites away from civilization so I can enjoy the soothing sounds of nature. The images that I selected are titled Silent Serenity 1 and 2 because it was so calm and peaceful at this location.