Lindsay Thomson: Star Trails on Cover of 2026 Ojai Valley Directory

My star trails image "Star Trails Over the Valley" was chosen for the cover of the 2026 Ojai Valley Directory. I am so pleased and honored! I shot this image last year during the week of May 10, when the Aurora Borealis was seen in SO many places across the globe.

I stacked over 300 images together for this final image. As the earth rotates, it seems like the stars rotate around the North Star, Polaris. combining all these images is how star trail images are created.

If you look closely, you can see magenta above the tops of the mountains, in the center of the frame. I photographed the night sky in Ojai all week long. I have several star trail images with green, purple and magenta skies from this week.

My studio will be closed until the Second Saturday: Oak View + West End tour on May 9, 2026 when I'll be welcoming visitors again. I'll also be open for our big Fall Tour, the weekend of October 10, 2026.

In the meantime, you are always welcome to schedule a privaate appointment to see this image - and some of my other photos - in person. This particular piece is framed, but if you prefer an unframed archival print I'm happy to create one for you.

All of my photographs are taken with digital cameras and I can custom print them in a variety of sizes to fit your space.

My phone number is 805-272-5590 (talk/text), email is lindsay.thomson.art@gmail.com.

Happy holidays to you all!