ABOVE: Last year I talked my wife, Red, into going on a shoot with me for her first time. We set up on an idle surface coal mine in southern West Virginia and waited for the Milky Way core to rise. She was a perfect model despite being a little bored. I was frustrated that the low clouds rolled in, but now I think it looks cool. I've always loved this picture, but I like it even more now. LEFT: Hiking the 2 miles to the top of Seneca Rocks with 60 pounds of camera gear is challenging, but I knew it would be a great location to shoot a tracked vertical panorama of the Milky Way. I used one of my first lenses-the trusty 50mm f1.8. It's light. It's fast. It's sharp. TOP: Whenever photography begins to feel like work, I take a step back and do other things. I have a job, and I don't want photography to feel like a job. This photo was taken after such a break, and it felt so good to be on Droop Mountain with the core of the Milky Way rising in the early morning. 52 BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COMhttp://www.BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM