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LIFESTYLE

a cup of tea planner fancy pen and succulent inside a shell

pint of fresh raspberries in a green container

german chocolate cupcake with a sparkler inside

heirloom tomatoes of the green yellow and pink variety

fresh nectarines and peaches on a butcher block counter

charred lemons in a bowl with tongs on a wooden butcher block

gorge with water rushing through and the shadows of people standing on a bridge above it

orange flower against a moon rising at sunset

cream puff with chocolate syrup and brownie bites on a blue teacup

leaks garlic lemon charred over open flame

blueberry pie blueberries lemon and cup of cappaccino

electric blue drink with blue crystals lining the rim of the glass

steaming cup of tea against a dark background

Meet Erica

Erica Tyler is a photographer of fine art, lifestyle, and commercial work for businesses across the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Erica also loves to travel and share her favorite places through both photography and writing.

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ericatylerphotography

30 Minutes to Stars instructor
Explorer sharing experiences through photography

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Happy International Dark Sky Week! "A beautiful night sky is the one attraction every town technically has, but only some offer." So says Conor Knighton in his book, Leave Only Footprints: My Acadia-to-Zion Journey Through Every National Park. Some towns have taken the steps to become dark-sky preserves, adopting outdoor lighting ordinances to make the night sky in real life look more like the one only a camera (or in many cases, not even a camera) can capture in more brightly lit areas.
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In some cases, this is to keep astronomy jobs protected in the area. In others, it's to save light-sensitive local wildlife. Some towns do it to draw people to their town to see the wonders of the stars that, prior to the invention of electric lights, were on display every night all over the world.
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Even if the skies are dark enough in your area, so many places discourage use at night. I always feel a bit defeated when I see a park list its hours as sunrise - sunset.
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Link in bio if you're interested in finding out more about International Dark Sky Week. Wishing everyone clear skies for a bit of stargazing.
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#idadarksky #darkskyweek #idsw2021 #longexpohunter #nightsky #impactinfocus

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The weather is finally warming up which means... much more comfortable night photography! If you want to learn to photograph the stars my quick tutorial, 30 minutes to stars, is still available. Link in my bio.
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#30minutestostars #nightimages #sanddunes #underthenightsky #longexposurephotography

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I remember when I was hardly anyone, and I could still fill my unburdened life full of dreams. I had no business having all that optimism, but I did and I never apologized for it. It's been a good long while but I'm still over here, teetering over the ocean, reaching for the next thing just beyond my grasp. At times I have slipped, overestimated my reach, gotten wet, splashed others in the process, and to be honest, it's really been quite fun.

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This weekend I'm looking forward to clear skies! The reappearance of the sun, moon and stars will all be a welcome change from the dreary weather we've been having lately. Now if we could just get a few degrees warmer...
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#30minutestostars #starrynights #longexposurephotography #longexpohunter #nightadventures

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It doesn't look like much, but this is the Maryland/Virginia line on Assateague's beach. It's a long walk from the nearest parking area, so you really need an OSV pass on your car to get there. I always feel so grateful to live in an area with a national seashore, where you can go to the beach without sitting in the shadow of a high rise, where the skies are dark, where nature thrives.
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#longexposurephotography #nightimages #assateagueisland #visitmd #starrynights

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My Light in the Darkness series can now be seen in a virtual gallery! The link is in my bio if you'd like to do a virtual walkthrough.

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There are a few challenges that come along with night photography, and that's part of the allure for me. Some nights, there are challenges that I just can't overcome in the field, and that's always disappointing. This photo represents that for me. I visited this location at dusk to find a nice spot for a night photo. The foreground of this photo is from that time, not later in the night when the stars were captured. That night I walked from the campsite to this lighthouse in the dark, paranoid about every rustle of leaves in the forest along the road. When I arrived I was already uncomfortable, and things were just going wrong. The location was difficult to maneuver with the cliffs and the threat of falling in the water below. The red light from the lighthouse was overpowering and cast an unpleasant glow on the surroundings. Sometimes the solution lies within the realm of post processing. I love the moment of seeing the magic of night photography happen on the back of the screen of my camera, but at times it just doesn't work out. In those disappointing moments, it's nice to know that there is a workaround to create the photo you had hoped for.

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Well done everyone, we're halfway out of the dark. Happy winter solstice!
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One thing 2020 has given me is more time to read. Last year I read 21 books, and I think I'll finish out this year having read 30. I know some people strive to read something like 75 books per year but, look, I'm just doing what I can. The House in the Cerulean Sea by T. J. Klune was the book I devoured most quickly this year. Frankly in Love by David Yoon rocked me far more than I was expecting from what seemed like a light read. I don't usually read mysteries, but after reading Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield, I'm thinking of changing that. City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert was a fun look at a life led a bit differently than expected. Americanah by Chimmamanda Ngozi Adichie was an amazing view of the U.S. from the perspective of newcomer. Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Gelndy Vanderah had me believing in magic.
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#nightadventures #starrysky #longexpohunter #nightimages #inthemiddleofthenightinmydreams

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I'm easily bored. It is both my best and my most toxic trait. I'm constantly searching for the next best thing, often taking for granted what I currently have. I've left perfectly fine jobs, picked up and very quickly put back down hundreds of hobbies, and have just been generally ill tempered - all due to boredom. Those are the toxic bits. Luckily, I am also an only child and learned to tackle my boredom by myself very early on. I'm not that annoying friend who's calling you to do something every.single.weekend even though you're an adult with a whole dang family of your own now. Being easily bored has also given me lots of new experiences, led me to be an explorer and pushed me to be a perpetual learner. Being easily bored means that sometimes my photos don't give me the same excitement that they once did, but that just means that I'm about to learn new ways to level up. Something good is coming, I'm just not sure what it is yet.
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#nightscape #milkywaygalaxy #starrysky #30minutestostars

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