Mother nature put on a show last night with a clear winter sky and bright stars.

You don’t get views like this in the city. The lights from the ground diffuse the darkness of the sky and the beauty of starlight is lost.

Not so in the country. We stepped out of our car at 10:30 after arriving home and just stood and stared. The beauty of the night sky was breathtaking.

There are two ways to photograph stars. One is to set your camera for a long time exposure and catch the star trails as they streak across the sky. The other is to meter the nighttime sky and try for a shot that captures the beauty of the stars as they twinkle in the distance. Neither way is easy but the final results are well worth the time and patience.