Light Trails on Mount Lemmon

Light Trails on Mount Lemmon

Light Trails can be some of the most fun things to photograph.  On a recent trip up to Mount Lemmon, located in the Catalina Mountains on the north side of Tucson, I decided to pull over and take some pictures of some Light Trails with the Tucson city lights in the distance.  The sun had just set so there was still just a touch of color in the sky.  

Mount Lemmon is a common getaway for Tucsonans.  A forty-five minute drive in the summer time can take one from 100 degree weather and 2500 foot elevation to 70 degree weather and almost 9000 foot elevation.  Cactus and scrub brush give way to grass lands mixed with scrub oak which then gives way to a pine forest.  The small town of Summerhaven sits near the top of Mount Lemmon next to a small ski resort.  The small town is surrounded by national forest.  It has a few hundred homes and several small businesses including some good little eateries.  Hiking trails abound at every turn.  The road there is full of spectacular views so it makes for a great place to take pictures of Light Trails.

How to shoot Light Trails:

In order to shoot light trails, you're going to need a few items.

• A camera with manual settings (you have to be able to control the shutter speed)
• A tripod
• A timer, remote, or cable release