Starry, Starry Night at Mount Rushmore: The Night Vision of Wally Pacholka

Click to enlarge

"This starry night sky sparkles above the Black Hills of South Dakota and the United States' Mount Rushmore National Park. The historic site features enormous sculptures of four US presidents; George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln, carved into the southeast face of granite cliffs. Above the monumental symbols of the country's independence and early history, the night features stars of a familiar constellation to northern skygazers around the world, an asterism known as the Big Dipper in the constellation Ursa Major."

Takes your breath away, doesn't it? It should.

I've featured the extraordinary photographer Wally Pacholka before with a look at his A True Image from False Kiva, but this image outshines that one. Pacholka is an amazing photographer by any standards. Given his background...

Wally Pacholka was an accountant by day, but it's his moonlighting "job" where he's always shined. He's aglow in winning national awards for his pictures, lofty kudos for being in the right place in the middle of nowhere in the dead of night.

... his achievement is even more impressive.

I've ordered the full print of this amazing image direct from Pacholka at the Astropics Home Page, where it is currently on sale. You might want to consider buying one too. It all goes to support Pacholka on his quest to go out into the world of the American night sky and bring back more visions.

How amazing is it? What you see above is less than half the panoramic image. To see the whole image you'll have to click past the jump. It's simply too large for this column. Take a look and then consider adding a Pacholka to your home. We need to keep this man outside at night. His work proves the old adage, "All of us are lying in the mud, but some of us are looking at the stars."

Wally Pacholka, Mount Rushmore Panorama

More Pacholka images for sale can be found at Astropics.

Posted by Vanderleun at July 5, 2009 4:15 PM