This past Saturday I journeyed up to Brasstown Bald in North Georgia to photograph the Perseid meteor shower. It’s about a 2 hour drive from my house in Winder. I had been there several times in the past and there was never a big crowd in the evenings or at night. I was always able to shoot from pretty much any spot on the lookout tower. Well, when I arrived Saturday evening around 7pm, the parking lot was full and a very large crowd was just about to begin the .6 mile hike up to the summit where the lookout tower is. So in full panic mode, I quickly jumped out of my truck, grabbed my gear and got in front of the pack. It’s a tough hike in the summer when you’re carrying 50lbs of camera gear and a cooler full of “water” and snacks. I found out later that there had been an organized Instagram meetup that night. Anyway, I made it to the top, picked out my spot and setup my tripods to claim my domain for the night. That’s when I realized that, in my haste to beat the crowd, I had forgotten something in my truck. After a short break and “beverage”, I grudgingly hiked back down the mountain to get what I had forgotten. By the time I made it back up to the summit, my stomach had already begun growling. That’s when I remembered I had planned to stop for dinner on my drive up. I must be getting old because I’m realizing I’m starting to forget important things like eating! Thankfully, my wife had packed some snacks for me and I survived. The crowd of photographers and nature lovers kept pouring in as the sun was fading over the horizon. As the sky darkened, we were starting to see some faint meteors. By 11 o’clock the Milky Way was really standing out in the night sky. I had planned to stay in one spot and shoot about 3000 images for a time-lapse but there were just too many flash lights being misused and it would have been a very distracting video. It all worked out though because I had to change my location anyway in order to meet up with a friend of mine that I hadn’t seen in 21 years. It was so dark and impossible to pick out anyone in a crowd so we decided to meet at the base of the lookout tower. And that’s where I spent the rest of the night shooting and laughing and catching up with my old buddy. I was able to capture quite a few meteors and witness many more. Check out my Instagram @Clearskypixelsfor more images and follow me!