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“Cathedral”

Location:
Skylight Cave, Oregon (near Sisters off Highway 20)
44°20'55.1"N 121°42'55.3"W
https://goo.gl/maps/Z5o5LgbvSyteG7459

Time: 10:16 PDT (mid-morning)
Date: June 30th, 2022

Camera & Settings:
Nikon D810, NIKKOR 14-24 mm f/2.8G, Tripod
ISO 64, 19 mm, f/11, 25.0 sec

Summary:
The first sunlight struck the wall on the right as it pierced through the cave, searing through the cold. It slowly moved down the wall, like wet paint applied too thickly to a canvas. The shape of the cave with its gently sloping walls, created by a lava tube formed millions of years ago, felt like a place of worship. I wanted to envelope myself in the moment. To breathe slowly and calmly while watching the passing of time in the form of the light beams. But this is no ordinary place.

Skylight Cave is a popular adventure – especially in the summer. The cave is closed most of the year, from September 20th to May 1st, due to snow and resting bats. But it’s also only in the summer when the beams of light appear. To see them, you must get here in the morning, which means a small window of opportunity that drew a sizeable crowd that day.

I had arrived about 90 minutes before taking pictures and was beaten to the location by one person, a stranger named Seth. Seth and I became fast friends that morning as we connected on our sense of adventure and respect of nature. We explored the cave together and waited for the light. Minutes passed with Seth and I being the only ones. When the light beams struck the cave wall, we were the only ones. When the light beams started to touch the edge of the floor, we were the only ones. Only once the light started creeping across the ground did more people arrive.

A group of about seven arrived. Loud and excited, they each took turns posing underneath the light. One pose, two poses, three poses, and more. Seth and I got a kick out of watching them, but I was beginning to get a little nervous about the position of the light beams. “I might have to ask them to stand back for a minute.”, I thought. However, they eventually grew tired and left before I had to make any requests. Finally! Now it was my turn to take pictures.

I quickly took a series of photographs with varying exposures that I would then select from back at the computer. Each photograph took several seconds, with one of the longest being 25 seconds – the one you see here. During that time, another group came into the cave and toward our location. “Oh, no!”, I thought. I didn’t want their headlamps to ruin the exposure. I also didn’t want to take more time than I had to and impede others. But I had to say something. All that effort to make it here would not be in vain. So, I politely asked if they could wait and not use their flashlights as I captured the photograph you see here.

-Brendan

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