Star Trails – Manzanar Cemetery

This long-exposure night photograph captures star trails spinning in perfect circles around the celestial pole of the North Star. The sky forms a hypnotic vortex of white and bluish streaks, showing Earth’s rotation over time.

In the foreground stands a tall, stone obelisk, marking the center of the Manzanar Internment Camp cemetery. Lit from below with soft purple-blue light. The monument ‘s vertical engraved characters gives it a solemn presence. Its sharp, solid geometry contrasts beautifully with the fluid motion of the stars above.

At the base, you can see hints of a mountainous or rocky landscape and faint lights of civilization near the horizon, adding depth and scale. Overall, the image feels both cosmic and contemplative—like a meeting point between human history and the vast, timeless motion of the universe.