From the Studio of Paul Miller

Seattle, WA

August, 2024

Hey! Thank you so much for stopping by this page!

Have you ever truly seen how many stars there are away from the light pollution of cities and suburbs?

It was October, 2017 in Mount Rainier National Park. My brother and I had driven hours, to arrive as the sun was setting.

I wanted to get a picture of the Milky Way.

I found a view of the mountain, framed by evergreen trees on either side. I took a few test shots.

With a bit more time for the Earth to rotate and the stars to move across the sky, the Milky Way would soon be rising out of the summit like a volcanic eruption.

Suddenly, a car pulled up and shined its headlights directly into my shot.

I looked over at the car. There was a couple inside. After five minutes, their lights were STILL ON and they started making out.

I was like, “Uh, no.” I did not drive hours to capture this incredible moment, away from all signs of civilization, for a pair of headlights to ruin my shot.

I walked up to them, sympathetic to their situation. I waved at them to unroll their window and asked them to turn off their lights.

They glared at me and drove off.

Success.

I turned back to my camera, and to my dismay, the sky was completely foggy!

Meanwhile, chill had set in. Joey, my year round shorts wearing brother, had decided that it was too frigid. "You're on your own, dude. I'm gonna sit in the car."

So in spite of the fog, I practiced. I took more test shots. I dialed in my camera settings.

And after a few moments, I could see a few stars shining through on the screen on the back of my camera, which could pick up more light than my eyes could.

After a few minutes, the sky was perfectly clear.

And there it was! The Milky Way, rising right out of the summit of Mt. Rainier.

I scrambled. I took my framed shots of the mountain, with stars erupting out of the top like an active volcano.

I tilted my camera up, and captured more stars, as high as the eye could see.

I tilted it up again. Three shots, in a vertical panorama.

I took ten exposures for each picture, so that I could try a new method of compensating for the noise that the camera produced in the low light. 🤓

30 images in total, merged together, to bring out the detail of the stars in a way that I had never done before.

It looked like a volcano. So that's what this image is called.

As I write this letter to you, I'm struck by how many times I could have given up. This picture could never have happened. But I'm so glad that I waited.

This picture of Rainier (Volcano) was shared by the Visit Rainier group on Facebook, and has been reposted and seen by more than 90,000 people. Soon after, people asked for prints, and people began collecting my work.

I hope you enjoy this image, and the others in the collection, as much as I enjoyed capturing them and bringing them to you.

Peace,

Paul

P.S. I am currently giving away a limited number of art prints of my new Nighttime Silhouettes Collection for FREE.

Why would I give my art prints away?

Art can make us feel wonderful and remind us of places we've been or aspire to go. It takes us on a journey in our mind.

I love sharing my art with the world knowing it gives as much enjoyment to others as it did to me creating it.

And though I sell larger prints to collectors, I’ve always wanted to make it available to more people.

Also by offering you a fantastic deal, I hope you fall in love and come back to buy more in the future. It’s a win for both of us. :)

So…

Below this letter, I’ve laid out the details of my collection and would like you to pick your favorite print to take home.

(I can only offer 1 free print per person).

Numbers are limited, so this page and offer will be taken down the moment the last one has gone.

BUT, I ALSO HAVE THE BEST GUARANTEE YOU’LL EVER SEE …

I fully guarantee you’ll love what you receive or I’ll refund your shipping & handling and you can keep the print anyway (or gift it to a loved one).

Sounds fair, right?

If this sounds like something you are interested in, here are the next steps …

- Scroll below this letter

- Choose your favorite print below

- Fill out the form and enter your address on the following page

- Pay just $5.90 for shipping, handling and materials to make sure your art gets to you safely

- (This also helps me pay for local help in getting your order out)

- Receive your new piece of art and have it on your wall in 14 days or less

If you have any questions please reach out at paul@paulmillerart.com.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. I can’t wait to get your new piece of art to you!

Peace,

Paul