Landscape photographer Michelle Adams said that her favorite image is one of the Milky Way, titled “Reflections,” taken from Todd Lake three years ago.

“My day began with a phone call from my sister at 4 a.m., saying these words, ‘He’s gone. It was peaceful.’ That call was the capstone of a month-long roller coaster of emotions.”

Grieving the loss of her father, Adams loaded her equipment into her car and drove. The window of opportunity was declining to capture the Milky Way in this location. Once parked, she trekked to the far shoreline of Todd Lake, fought off her fear of the dark (and what wildlife might be lurking around her) and began snapping photos of the night sky. Alone, surrounded by snow and the bitter cold, Adams found solace there on the shoreline. It dawned on her that her father’s gift of a Minolta camera when she was a teen had sparked her lifelong passion for photography.

“I was surrounded by stars, nature and solitude,” said Adams. “When the Milky Way revealed itself, my shutter began to click. This piece of artwork is a compilation of 180 individual frames that create the final image. It’s not just about the stars reflecting in the water. It’s a reflection of the connection I feel with nature and my journey as a photographer and artist. The final image represents decades of dedication, unwavering passion and artistic experimentation.”

Adams says her photography has changed in the past three years. In the past she would look for lake reflections and dramatic sunrises. Now she works on technique — such as focus-stacking, panoramas, and star-stacking. Some of her new creations combine 30-50 individual frames into a single, final image.

Another new passion is “nightscapes,” where she captures the night sky and blends it in with the foreground.

“I’ve started to use what’s called a ‘tracker’ and plan to invest in an astro-modified camera in the near future,” she said.

Adams loves the challenge of capturing the night sky, and learning how to work with various tools and software to reveal more in each scene. In order to capture the best images, she researches celestial patterns and relies on sophisticated weather maps. Adams isn’t interested in AI-enhanced or fantastical images, but instead hopes to stretch natural light by using tools to capture what is already there, but mostly hidden from the naked eye.

“Just because people can’t see something, like the Northern Lights, with their own eyes doesn’t mean the images I’ve taken are fake or AI,” she said. “That would be a completely false assumption. Cameras are becoming more sophisticated and can capture spectrums of light that just aren’t visible to the human eye. What I’m doing in my work is revealing what is truly there, and that requires the latest technology and sophisticated layering, pushing what cameras can do to higher levels.”

As a long-time outdoor enthusiast and experienced world traveler, Adams’ work is also a call to action. She’s an advocate for protecting natural resources, and for dark sky preservation.

“With how crowded many popular recreational areas are and all the light pollution in urban areas, night photography here in Central Oregon allows me to experience the peacefulness and silence of an area as it would have been over 20 years ago,” she said.

In 2019, Adams became more serious about sharing her photography in a professional way.

“During the pandemic, I, like so many people, was looking for at-home creative outlets,” she said. “I rekindled my lifetime passion for photography and began looking for ways to share these images of light and nature that transcend what we can see with our eyes alone.”

Adams also enjoys teaching how to capture the beauty hidden in the night sky. For more information about her photography or private instruction, visit michelleadamsphotos.com.

You can meet Adams and see her work at a reception in her honor at Cascade Hasson Sotheby’s International Realtors in downtown Redmond during the First Friday Art Walk from 4-7 p.m. on March 7. Adams’ photography will be installed at Sotheby’s throughout the month of March. Hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be served on March 7.

Cascade Hasson Sotheby’s Realtors in downtown Redmond will host unveil the latest works by Wendy Wheeler Jacobs as part of the Dry Canyon Arts Association First Friday Art Walk.

This reception is set for Friday from 5-8 p.m., and will include fine wine and hors d’oeuvres.