Unseasonable hot temperatures at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Kansas Flint Hills, forced me to rethink what, and more importantly, when I would photograph.

When faced with an obstacle, I look for an opportunity. In this case, I decided if it was too hot during the day to shoot, how about shooting at night. That got me thinking about all kinds of possibilities -- sunsets, twilight, and eventually star-filled skies. My days quickly became a split shift. I'd be up...
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Unseasonable hot temperatures at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Kansas Flint Hills, forced me to rethink what, and more importantly, when I would photograph.

When faced with an obstacle, I look for an opportunity. In this case, I decided if it was too hot during the day to shoot, how about shooting at night. That got me thinking about all kinds of possibilities -- sunsets, twilight, and eventually star-filled skies. My days quickly became a split shift. I'd be up a little before sunrise to mine sunrise opportunities along the The Flint Hills National Scenic Byway (K-177). Head back for a nap and a swim at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Council Grove Lake, hike out on the tallgrass prairie for several miles around sundown, then returning well after sunset. For part of the trip the moon didn't set until after 2 a.m. This meant getting up again, every so quietly unlatching the giant squeaky swing gate of the now closed and sound asleep campground and driving the 25 miles or so to the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve for shooting the Lower Fox Creek School under the stars.

Some nights afforded views of the stars, others not. There is relatively little light pollution from nearby cities (the only light coming from Emporia 25 miles away), making it possible to see deep into space and peer at the Milky Way. I found the starlight attempts tricky. The main trick is to get your exposure long enough to record as many of the starts without getting the movement. It's a delicate balance between adjusting your shutter time and the ISO with your lens wide open.

The nights on the prairie were thankfully cool. On one late night/early morning, I swear every coyote in Chase County, must have been howling. I could just picture the coyotes and other nighttime critters wondering what this crazy person was doing out so late at night.
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