Retrograde Motion Pictures

“May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds.”

— Edward Abbey
Davd and Chloe at the Great Wall of China

We are Davd and Chloe Valentine. We both grew up exploring the wild deserts and mountains of Utah, USA. In 2009, we ventured to China together to observe a total solar eclipse. It was breathtaking! Our adventures in life and the world have continued together ever since.

Davd and Chloe on expedition
Chloe Valentine

Each equinox and solstice, we take a trip to document various sites of archaeoastronomical importance. We travel through time and space seeking to capture specific celestial events around the globe. Davd specializes in time-lapse photography, and Chloe calculates and navigates our expeditions.

We seek to incorporate astronomy in our lives. We are observers of celestial phenomena, from sunrises to lunar positions to shooting stars to eclipses. We want to share what we've learned with you.

“I consider no day wasted if I have witnessed both the sunrise and the sunset.”

— GB Cornucopia
Chimney Rock, Colorado
Chimney Rock, Colorado
Chloe atop the Cocks Comb
Chloe atop the Cocks Comb, Torrey, UT
Self-portrait Davd
Self-portrait Davd
Chloe in cliff dwelling
Chloe in cliff dwelling
In production with filming partner Larry Ruiz
In production with Larry Ruiz, John Stein, Dr. Rob Weiner, and Rich Friedman
Chloe playing with light and shadow
Chloe playing with light and shadow
Mancos Canyon
Mancos Canyon
Silver Lake, Utah
Silver Lake, Utah
Chloe viewing sunset in Torrey, UT
Chloe viewing sunset in Torrey, UT
Shooting on location winter solstice sunrise
Shooting on location winter solstice sunrise
Chloe in the Realm, UT
Chloe in the Realm, UT
Torrey, UT
Torrey, UT
Entrance to the avenue at Callanish, Scotland
Entrance to the avenue, Callanish, Scotland
Stones of Stenness, Orkney Island, Scotland
Stones of Stenness, Orkney Island, Scotland
Casterigg Stone Circle, England
Casterigg Stone Circle, England
Callanish stone circle, Isle of Lewis, Scotland
Callanish stone circle, Isle of Lewis, Scotland
Fairy Glen, Isle of Skye, Scotland
Fairy Glen, Isle of Skye, Scotland
Setting up timelapse
Setting up timelapse
Avebury stone circle, England
Avebury stone circle, England
Cothiemuir Wood Recumbent Stone circle, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Cothiemuir Wood Recumbent Stone circle, Aberdeenshire
Overlooking Machu Picchu, Peru
Overlooking Machu Picchu, Peru
Dog sledding in the mountains of Utah
Dog sledding in the mountains of Utah