As I walked outside the cool and crisp night air hit me, it was cold enough to crack my lips which were dry and frail. My shriveled lips were blanketed in the visible moisture that glistened in the distant yet mighty street lights that gave off a warm yellowish tint. Though the street lights did not provide any real temperate change, the very sight of the distant yet gold light somehow brought a warm feeling into my soul. It was the only source of warmth in the landscape, the light echoed through the barren winter trees, plain wooden fences, and rows of cookie-cutter brick houses. Though I appreciated the glimpse of golden light, I very quickly remembered that it was not what I had ventured out to gaze upon, for it soon would become an obstacle. I instead ventured into the brisk atmosphere and across the frozen grass that crackled with every step to gaze upon the captivating display in the night sky. This nightly spectacle was so mesmerizing that it pierced the crisp air and fueled a burning flame of creativity and awe in me.

       This burning flame of awe inspired that I felt inside of me was my motivation to capture the gripping night sky. After soaking in the peaceful night I laid my backpack down in the frozen dead grass and began to open it. The metal zippers were petite compared to my thick oversized gloves. I spent a minute fumbling with them but the zippers would not budge. This left me with no choice, I was going to have to painstakingly reveal my vulnerable fingers to cutting cold. Once my bare hands were exposed to the sharp frosty pain, I touched the ice-cold metal zipper. This only intensified the sharp stab of cold pain in my fingers. After getting over the pain I opened the bag slowly and cautiously. Fighting the sharp frost-biting pain, I reached for the tripod. The process of extending tripod legs was normally simple and mundane, but my partially numb hands caused the task to be more tedious than normal. With each unlatching and then closing of the clips of the cold metal legs, a biting cool pain rang through my fingers. Once I had finally set up the tripod, I was able to slide on my gloves and give my fingers a penurious excuse for warmth. Then, with my frail, glove-covered hands, I placed the camera on the tripod. The procedure to set up the camera was one that was much easier and less painful than assembling the tripod. This was because I had already arranged the camera with the correct lens and settings for the occasion in his house, which was about 15 yards away. All I had to do was pick up the camera, line up the mounts, and flick the switch to lock the camera into place.

     Eyeing the warm street light through the viewfinder, I now was filled with displeasure from its elegant glow. My goal of the night was to capture the magnificent glow of distant wonders, not the bright star-dampening street light. I stood in the cold, observing the situation with a bitter soul, and began looking for a way around the obstacle. I then turned around and noticed the dull and familiar sight of the cookie-cutter brick houses that made up the landscape of the skyline of a typical Dallas suburban neighborhood. I noticed the that warm glow of the street light was reflecting off the glossy white wooden chimneys. This new observation completely reverse my feelings towards the bright street light, so I recomposed while studying the current position of the stars. This new composition still captured the delicate dance of the constellations but now a grand stage that was light by the warm glow. During my brief and spontaneous study of the sky, I notice that the very recognizable Orion constellation was passing into his newly desired composition. The sight of the mighty Orion waltzing above the golden-lit houses filled me with excitement and made me forget the sharp and burning pain the cold brought to my face, ears, and hands.

         My perseverance through the painful and unwelcoming atmosphere was about to pay off. I picked up the ice-cold metal tripod and arranged it so the cookie-cutter brick houses complemented the extravagant dance above. I was in awe, before me was a sight no one else was witnessing. It was slight that everyone has missed out on because of their yearning for sleep. Braving the late and cold winter night was worth all it because I was witnessing this magnificent site. After this moment of reflection, I connected my intervalometer to the camera and began capturing the moment with a single click. This lone click of the shutter seemed to unnaturally leap into the quiet and desolate winter night. The abnormal clash of mechanical clicks and silence would repeat itself every half minute for the next 3 hours. During this ever-going pattern, I sat down on a blue plastic stool that wasn’t comfortable by any stretch of the imagination. But it did not bother me, for I was captivated by the stars' minuet and slow glide towards the horizon. This silent and awe-inspiring moment is why I willingly withstood the cold, the performance i1n the night sky was too beautiful to not be captured.