The grandeur of Zion National Park does not cease at sunset.  On clear nights, the sky over the park is as spectacular a sight as anything you will there see in the daylight – okay, well nearly… The high dark walls of Zion Canyon and abundant tall cottonwood trees provide a perfect frame for the Milky Way and the million other stars that are visible on a clear moonless night.  We were lucky enough to book a night at the Zion Lodge (western cabin) on the evening of September 12, 2009 (way to go HP as usual for doing the impossible), and thus get into position to capture a nice example.  The image above, shot looking south from the area around the cabins, was recorded at 22:19 hrs MST, using the Nikon D700 and the AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED at 16mm.  Exposure was f/2.8 and 30s at an ISO of 3200.  In-camera long exposure noise reduction applied in normal mode.  Additional post-capture noise reduction applied using Neat Image.

Many thanks to Brian P. for the setup tips!  A great road trip…