There’s something about waking up at 4:00 a.m. that makes you question how committed you really are to your craft. Spoiler: I am very committed — or possibly unhinged. But when you’re chasing that perfect Adirondack sunrise, you do what you have to do. So, with a thermos full of ambition (and coffee that could strip paint), I drove two hours north into the fog-drenched wonderland that is Old Forge, New York , the beating heart of the western Adirondack Mountains , where mirror-still lakes...

When the Galaxy Photo-bombs a Tree Ireland has castles, cliffs, Guinness, and apparently, trees that look like they’re auditioning for a Tim Burton film. Add a sky full of stars, a galaxy flexing its muscles, and a long exposure, and suddenly you’re that person who won’t shut up about aperture sizes at the pub. The Setup: You, a Tripod, and Judgy Sheep First things first: shooting star trails or galaxies in Ireland means finding a spot dark enough that your camera doesn’t think it’s in...

Sunset on Canandaigua Lake There are sunsets you stumble into, and then there are sunsets you chase. This one, over Canandaigua Lake, was worth the chase. The sky lit up in a fiery wash of pinks and reds, painting the water and the lake houses in a glow that felt more dream than reality. The Technical Side of Shooting a Sunset Sunsets are both the easiest and trickiest subjects for a photographer. They’re easy because the sky does the heavy lifting—you just have to be there. They’re tricky...