A S T R O P H O T O G R A P H Y / Germany / Australia / Malaysia




 

Astrophotography—one of the most time-consuming yet rewarding forms of photography, where patience and precision meet the cosmos. I had the incredible opportunity to dive into this world during a workshop with a group of astrophotographers while I was in Australia. We ventured out to one of the darkest sky areas outside Melbourne, far from the city lights, to capture the night sky in all its glory.
 

The workshop was a hands-on crash course in creating ideal exposures, selecting the right focal length (pro tip: wide-angle lenses work much better than zoom lenses for capturing those sweeping sky views), and using special stacking software to create mesmerizing star trails. We also learned to use red lights to navigate the area without disrupting our shots—a game-changer in preserving the quality of our images. Out there, past midnight, we set up our cameras to take continuous long-exposure shots, stacking 200-400 images to capture the movement of the stars.
 

A key takeaway? If you don’t center your shot on the right pole star (Northern or Southern, depending on your hemisphere), you won’t get those stunning, circular star trails! It was mesmerizing to watch the stars slowly move through the frame, creating patterns that tell a story of time and space.
 

Astrophotography is more than just the sky—it’s about the environment, too. I’ve also found that fireworks make for some fantastic shots, especially when you can use a well-lit building in the foreground. New Year’s Eve is always the perfect time to shoot fireworks, blending the burst of color in the sky with the structure and energy of the city around you. It's an art form that mixes technical skill with a sense of wonder, as you capture the vastness of the night sky or the explosive beauty of a fireworks display.