The historic Benbow Inn keeps quiet watch along the South Fork Eel River, a century-old host lit in gold while the stars swing silently across the sky each night. In summer, the Milky Way takes its turn, marking time as it sweeps by like a clock hand through the night. I traveled down there the […]
David Wilson
David Wilson is a Humboldt-grown photographer. His longtime love is creating nighttime images and he enjoys finding and using unique light. David received his Art degree with an emphasis in photography from Humboldt State University. He currently teaches photography in the Art Department at College of the Redwoods.
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Redwood Sky Walk at Night
An extraordinary journey awaits you at Humboldt County’s Redwood Skywalk. Nestled amidst Humboldt’s many breathtaking natural wonders, lies a human-made marvel that promises a remarkable journey into one of Nature’s most awe-inspiring creations: the Californian coast redwood forest. The Redwood Sky Walk at Sequoia Park Zoo presents an almost quarter-mile tour of the forest, soaring […]
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Comet C/2023 A3 and Bioluminescence
The human family was treated to comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) during October, a visitor from the outer reaches of the solar system. Here in Humboldt County, it graced the western skies after sunset for several weeks, but it is fading fast now as it recedes from our planet on its journey back out from the […]
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Vista Point Convergence
Beneath the majestic Milky Way, Vista Point scenic overlook along southbound U.S. Highway 101 lies among the Redwoods of Humboldt County, just south of Stafford, California. The primary image in this story was photographed next to the on-ramp, and immediately behind the camera is the overlook itself. This is an example of light painting photography. […]
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Redway Beach, a Little Yosemite at Home
I grew up in Southern Humboldt but somehow had only been to Redway Beach once or twice, and never in the last 30 years. It’s accessible to the public from Beach Road, but I was guided here this time by my sister-in-law Samantha Wilson and my nephew Henry. Sam has a spa and bed and […]
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‘All Happy Now’ Beneath the Milky Way
Peter Santino completed his “All Happy Now” earth sculpture in 2008 but I only became aware of it last semester, when one of my College of the Redwoods students shared a photograph of it in class after an afternoon hike in the Humboldt Botanical Garden. I was mesmerized at the scale of the art piece, […]
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Some Coming Attractions
If asked to share one thing for which Humboldt County is best known, most would agree: Our dark skies provide excellent night sky viewing and photographic opportunities. But who would also think of outdoor cannabis? Yet it is an actual thing, I hear. And evidently, the two subjects work well when mixed together, like two […]
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Milky Way Season Approaches
I remember while camping with my folks as a kid how the Milky Way stretched so prominently across the night sky. It was a special feature of the night I never saw from the bright lights of home but it was always there when we went camping. I assumed it was there every night. Later […]
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The One that Got Away
A few weeks ago, I read about a giant fireball, visible up and down the west coast from the Bay Area north to Washington as it streaked across the sky. My photo heart ached to have missed that one; I was probably watching Ted Lasso instead, or sitting alone with my thoughts. A month ago, […]
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North Coast Night Lights: The One that Got Away
A week ago, I read about a giant fireball visible up and down the West Coast — from the Bay Area north to Washington — as it streaked across the sky. My photo heart ached to have missed that one; I was probably watching Ted Lasso instead… or sitting alone with my thoughts. A month […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Milky Way Stargazing Season
Stargazing season is upon us, when the spectacular Milky Way is visible immediately after dark, soaring from horizon to horizon. Of course, one can watch the stars on any clear night and feel the immensity of space around us, but during the summer months, the Milky Way will make it worth the extra waiting for […]
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In the Middle of Somewhere
For millennia, a formidable rock outcrop has stood tall in the middle of somewhere out in the forests of Humboldt County. The lonely boulder has outlived the comings and goings of busy humans for countless generations. How many names has this massive butte been given by ephemeral humanity in its lifetime? I suspect more than […]