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Chris Olivas

@cholivas

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The best photographer is the one having the most fun! Join me for Astrophotography adventures, tips, tricks, and workshops ⬇️

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The Sweet Witch getting her painting on tonight when…harvest moon glows full and bright”.
She gives the instructor an 9 for instructing and 10 for good music and vibes. Any guess where she could be?

#harvestmoon #thesweetwitch #sweetwitch #sweetwitchreviews pinotspalettesd taken in Pinot's Palette by @cholivas

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14 days ago

Coming soon! The Sweet Witch Tales! Book and Plush set- this sweet and cheeky witch will bring whimsical magic to your fall season starting on the Autumn Equinox! by Brandi Eagling and Chris Olivas.

#sweetwitch #thesweetwitch #halloween #thesweetwitchtales #fall taken in San Diego, California by @cholivas

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19 days ago

Lunar eclipse tonight! Hoping for the skies to open up like this image taken back in March. Forecast is looking looking dodgey in Southern California. I’d still set an alarm for 9 pm to peek out into the Southern sky, even if there’s a small pocket to see the lunar eclipse it will be worth it. It will not quite be 100% eclipsed but should be close enough for that blood moon feel. Let’s cross our fingers and get ready to howl!

#lunareclipse #bloodmoon #sedona #cathedralrock #bealpha taken in Cathedral Rock Sedona by @cholivas

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a month ago

Attention space lovers (and space likers, and anyone with the vaguest interest in shiny sky things): this is one of the best years to see the annual Perseid meteor shower, and it hits its peak this week.

Every summer, when Earth passes through bits of ice and rock left behind by the comet Swift-Tuttle, the night sky becomes pure glitter. We’re talking 50 to 100 shooting stars per hour. The word “dazzling” feels apt here. Or perhaps “resplendent” if you’re feeling crazy.

Now, let’s be clear. The meteor shower will *not* look exactly like this video. And that’s because your eyeballs do not have a stabilization tool or customizable F-stop. But it’ll be close.

The Perseid meteor shower peaks overnight from Wednesday, August 12 to Thursday, August 13. And the moon is giving us a gift—it’s getting the hell outta Dodge. There’s a new moon on Wednesday morning, which means the sky will be extra, ultra, inky black.

We can’t promise you’ll see anything. The galaxy does not give money back guarantees. But it’s worth a try, isn’t it? Worst case, you reacquaint yourself with the Big Dipper.

Here’s the scoop.

🌟 Where to see:
You’ll need to leave the city to escape light pollution. Mount Laguna, Julian, Palomar Mountain, Cowles Mountain, Joshua Tree, and Anza-Borrego should all give you a good show.

🌟 When to see:
In the words of Florence Welch: it’s always darkest before the dawn. Aim for after 11 p.m. on the 12th and before sunrise on the 13th.

🌟 How to see:
Just look up. Easy peasy. Telescopes actually make it harder to spot meteors; they have too narrow a field of view.

🌟 Things to keep in mind:
If you head to a popular spot like Joshua Tree, expect traffic. A LOT of traffic. Get gas and bring snacks. If you’re planning on Anza-Borrego, prepare for high temperatures. And, of course, wherever you go, be respectful. Pack it in, pack it out. Stay on trails. Minimize lights. Be a good steward of our floating rock.

Have tips or questions about Perseid viewing? Comments are open.

📸 @cholivas taken in San Diego, California by @cholivas

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2 months ago

Never get tired of peering at the Milky Way. Here’s a view with a 50 mm. I love this focal length because it really takes you in the core and perspective with subjects. Now is prime time for Milky Way hunting and a beautiful new moon this weekend. Get out there!

#borrego #darksky #anzaborrego #caparks #bealpha by @cholivas

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3 months ago

New sculptures in Borrego by @ricardo.breceda_metal.artist !! I’m so stoked to get to visit an shoot these with the Milky Way. Just two of over a hundred statues like this all over the dark skies of Borrego Springs. If you want to learn how to photograph these woks of art check out my groups workshops coming up this summer. Sign ups are in my bio.

#borregosprings #metalsculpture #darksky #kentfaith #milkyway taken in Borrego Springs, California by @cholivas

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5 months ago

⭐ PhotoPiller of the Day! ⭐
👉 @cholivas
“Lunar Eclipse 2026 atop the Mace tower at Cathedral Rock in Sedona AZ. This is a blend of exposures for the moon and climbers. This was a fun challenge to plan using photopills. So many hours of planning, scouting in the day, scouting at night, and so many other locations ruled out. So stoked for the alignment and all the epic tech that allowed us to pull this off without falling off any cliffs!”
📷 Sony A7Sii | 200mm | ƒ/2.8 | 1/60s | ISO 12000

💊 Planned with PhotoPills.

🏆 To become the next PhotoPiller of the Day submit your photos to our Awards:
Link in Bio! 👆
#photopills #photopilleroftheday #photopills_moon #photopills_eclipse by @cholivas

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6 months ago

Happy Earth day from one of my favorite places with some of my favorite people. May we preserve all that is above and below for generations. We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.

#earthday2026 #joshuatree #jumborocks #milkyway #nationalparks taken in Joshua Tree National Park by @cholivas

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6 months ago

Celebrating international dark sky week deep in my favorite dark sky park, Anza Borrego. Check out one of the best views and hikes around, Elephant Knees. Truly feels like another planet complete with other worldly glowing creatures!
#darkskyshare #bealpha #elephatknees #milkyway #calparks taken in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park by @cholivas

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6 months ago

Some magic moments from last month’s lunar eclipse by @chris.ruel. This composite/timelapse pretty much sums up the gravity of this project, challenging and rewarding in every way! To see the full story behind this shot featured on Sony Alpha Universe follow the link in my bio.

#bealpha #lunareclipse2026 #bloodmoon #sedona #photopills taken in Cathedral Rock Sedona by @cholivas

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6 months ago

Astrophotography workshops in Southern California’s darkest skies are now available for registration. If you want to capture images like these, join me in exploring the incredible dark sky community of Borrego Springs, CA where you will learn how to photograph amazing photos of the Milky Way in as little as one session without wasting your time, energy, gas, money, and opportunities. This year’s group workshops will be June 6th, July 11th, August 14th, and September 12th. Private workshops for custom agendas and dates are also available. Please visit my website in bio to sign up!

#milkywayseason #astrophotography #borregosprings #anzaborrego #startherapy taken in Borrego Springs, California by @cholivas

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7 months ago

Managed to sneak a Milky Way image(first of the season whoohoo!!!) with the setting moon and descending climbers from my last adventure in Sedona. My goodness it is a photographers’ and adventurers’ playground. I could spend so much time finding contrasting foreground against the beautiful red rocks and bluish sky. I was able to try one of the Light Pollution filters by Kentfaith and it sure did the job! I normally don’t like filters but it was so crisp and clear, allowing for an amazing capture of the Milky Way even under an approaching blue hour and setting moon. If you’d like to try it just visit their website and enter my special 20% discount code: cholivas
#kentfaith #alltrails #visitsedona #redrocks #milkyway taken in Cathedral Rock Sedona by @cholivas

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7 months ago