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See this year’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year winners

26 Oct

Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 winners

The Royal Observatory Greenwich has announced the winners of its annual astronomy photo competition. American photographer Brad Goldpaint’s Transport the Soul, a dreamy photo of the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxy hanging over Moab, Utah, took the People and Space category’s top prize and was named Overall Winner. A total of 31 winning images were selected across 11 categories – take a look at them here and visit Royal Observatory Greenwich’s site to get yourself ready for next year’s competition.

Transport the Soul © Brad Goldpaint (USA) – WINNER (PEOPLE AND SPACE) AND OVERALL WINNER
Interested in adding a ‘human element’ to his photographs, once the quarter moon rose and revealed the incredible, vast landscape of the shale hills below the viewpoint, the lone photographer, to the left of the frame, stood motionless while he captured this photograph. The Andromeda Galaxy, quarter moon, Milky Way Galaxy, and position of the photographer all combined to create a captivating, harmonious portrait of a night sky photographer at work.
Moab, Utah, USA, 20 May 2017
Nikon D810 camera, 14-mm f/4.0 lens, ISO 2500, 20-second exposure

Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 winners

PEOPLE AND SPACE: Living Space © Andrew Whyte (UK) – RUNNER-UP
This is a single-frame image and not a speculative composite. Situated on a south-coast peninsula, this street falls within a part-night street lighting zone; when the lights go out, there’s nothing to interfere with the view of the stars until continental Europe- miles across the English Channel. The scene might be perceived incongruous or surreal and almost shows how accustomed we’ve become to the loss of night sky views due to light pollution. It was a conscious decision by the photographer to feature the unlit streetlamps, hinting how it might be possible to undo the damage and restore awe-inspiring views. Pagham, West Sussex, UK, 29 April 2017
Sony ILCE-7S camera, 28-mm f/2 lens, ISO 6400, 15-second exposure

Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 winners

PEOPLE AND SPACE: Me versus the Galaxy © Mark McNeill (UK) – HIGHLY COMMENDED
This photograph was taken just after Christmas at the Sycamore Gap, Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland and showcases the majestic winter Milky Way and the Andromeda galaxy. The temperature was about -4°C and the photographer arrived from Lancashire at 11am but had to wait till 2.30am for the Moon to set and for all the stars to be visible. Hadrian’s Wall, Northumberland, UK, 28 December 2017
Nikon D810 camera, 20-mm f/1.4 lens, ISO 5000, 10-second exposure

Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 winners

AURORAE: Speeding on the Aurora lane © Nicolas Lefaudeux (France) – WINNER
A hazy, subtle auroral band is leisurely drifting across the sky providing an unusual perspective with faint bands appearing to radiate from a vanishing point, like a road disappearing over the horizon. As the aurora glided overhead, it made the photographer feel like he was driving a spaceship about to reach light speed toward the Big Dipper. This view lasted less than a minute.
Sirkka, Finland, 30 March 2017
Sony ILCE-7S2 camera, 20-mm f/1.4 lens, ISO 2000, 3.2-second exposure

Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 winners

AURORAE: Castlerigg Stone Circle © Matthew James Turner (UK) – RUNNER-UP
This was the photographer’s first ever encounter with the aurora borealis in the UK. The Moon was bright enough to illuminate the foreground arena of standing stones perfectly and the aurora surfaced from behind the majestic mountains, giving the appearance that the hills themselves were emitting the ethereal green glow.
Keswick, Cumbria, UK, 7 November 2017
Sony ILCE-7R camera, 22-mm f/4 lens, ISO 1000, 30-second exposure

Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 winners

AURORAE: Aurorascape © Mikkel Beiter (Denmark) – HIGHLY COMMENDED
The conditions to shoot an aurora that night were not ideal because of the bright Moon but the photographer managed to capture the breathtaking Aurora Borealis above the fjord in the gorgeous Lofoten archipelago, in Northern Norway. The small pool of water with rocks made the perfect foreground and a natural leading line into the frame.
Haukland Beach, Lofoten, Norway, 26 February 2018
Canon EOS 5DS R camera, 17-mm f/2.8 lens, ISO 2000, 8-second exposure

Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 winners

GALAXIES: NGC 3521, Mysterious Galaxy © Steven Mohr (Australia) – WINNER
The spiral galaxy NGC 3521 is located around 26 million light-years away in the constellation Leo and presents complex scene, with enormous amounts of surrounding dust and stray stars glowing far out from its disk. Emerging from the photographer’s colour data was a bright array of contrasting colour tones, generated by aging yellow-red stars, younger burning aggressively blue-white stars, and various nebulae throughout the disk. This image comprises approximately 20.5 hours of exposure time, collecting data in various filter types.
Carrapooee, Victoria, Australia, 13 February 2018
Planewave CDK 12.5 telescope, Astrodon Gen II LRGB, Baarder H? lens at 2541 mm f/8, Astro Physics 900 mount, SBIG STXL-11000 camera, Luminance: 33 x 1200 seconds [11hrs], H?: 12 x 1200 seconds [4hrs], Red-Green-Blue: 450 x 12–18 seconds

Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 winners

GALAXIES: From Mirach © Raul Villaverde Fraile (Spain) – RUNNER-UP
This photograph is a mosaic of 24 images and depicts how the galaxies Messier 31 and Messier 33 appear symmetrically on either side of the star Mirach. Despite being the two galaxies closest to our own, they are still significantly further away from us than Mirach, which is a star within our own Milky Way. We can also see the two smaller satellite galaxies of M31, M32 and M110.
Ocentejo, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain, 14 November 2017
Takahashi FSQ 106ED telescope, Idas lps 2-inch lens, SkyWatcher Nq6pro mount, Canon 6D camera, 414-mm f/3.9 lens, ISO 1600, 24x30x400″ exposure

Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 winners

GALAXIES: Fireworks Galaxy NGC 6939 – SN 2017 EAW © César Blanco (Spain) – HIGHLY COMMENDED
This image showcases the open cluster of stars NGC 6939 and the galaxy NGC 6949 with the stellar explosion of the supernova SN 2017 EAW. The data gathering for this image was carried out over a few different days and the photographer tried to obtain sharp details as well as some of the ‘foggy’ background light. The image depicts the great variety of objects we can observe in the Universe, a stellar explosion with an enormous diversity of the colours of the stars which depends on the temperature, a magnificent galaxy that can be seen directly face-on; the show of the supernova, a fantastic phenomenon which is produced not very often in our skies; and a dim nebula of IFN type in the background. Escobar de Campos, Castile and León, Spain, 18 June 2017
Takahashi FSQ 106ED telescope, Idas lps 2-inch lens, SkyWatcher Nq6pro mount, Canon 6D camera, 414-mm f/3.9 lens, ISO 1600, 24x30x400″ exposure

Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 winners

OUR MOON: Inverted Colours of the boundary between Mare Serenitatis and Mare Tranquilitatis © Jordi Delpeix Borrell (Spain) – WINNER
Inverting the image is a legacy of deep sky imaging, where tenuous extensions of galaxies and nebulae can be more visible on a negative image because our eye more easily detects tenuous dark details on a white background. This is also useful in Moon imaging helping to reveal otherwise barely detectable soil features such as ray systems. Low contrast areas like the lunar seas and ray systems, look much more interesting because low contrast details are revealed and according to the photographer this is a new way for Moon exploration that should be considered.
L’ Ametlla del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain, 6 December 2017
Celestron 14 telescope, Sky-Watcher NEQ6 Pro mount, ZWO ASI 224MC camera, 4,200-mm f/12 lens, multiple 20ms exposures

Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 winners

OUR MOON: Earth Shine © Peter Ward (Australia) – RUNNER-UP
During a total solar eclipse the brightness of the solar corona hides details of the Moon to the human eye. But by layering multiple digital exposures in this image from 2 seconds to 1/2000th of a second, the photographer managed to reveal much more. The image showcases not just the brilliant solar corona, but the newest possible of new moons, seen here illuminated by sunlight reflecting off the Earth.
Jackson Hole, Wyoming, USA, 21 August 2017
Takahashi FSQ85 telescope, Losmandy Starlapse mount, Canon 5D Mark IV camera, 500-mm f/5 lens, 9 exposures ranging from ISO 100 to 900, 150 2-seconds through to 1/4000th second exposures

Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 winners

OUR MOON: From the Dark Side © László Francsics (Hungary) – HIGHLY COMMENDED
The photographer had planned to capture a high resolution image of the morning crescent Moon for a long time. The waning crescent Moon only rises high above the horizon of the Carpathian basin in autumn, but in this period of the year the weather is usually cloudy and rainy. Fortunately, in October 2017, an anticyclone wiped the area clear, which allowed the photographer to take a good resolution picture capturing the special atmosphere of the thin crescent in a glitteringly bright sky.
Budapest, Hungary, 10 October 2017
Homemade 250-mm f/4 Carbon Newton telescope, f/11, 250/1000 mirror lens, Skywatcher EQ6 mount, ZWO ASI 174 MM camera, 6250 mm f/4 lens increased to f/11, multiple 1/200-second exposures

Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 winners

OUR SUN: Sun King, Little King, and God of War © Nicolas Lefaudeux (France) – WINNER
In order to capture this mesmerising image, the photographer chose the area according to weather forecasts to make sure he would get a clear sky. The image shows the Sun corona in all its glory during the August total solar eclipse. It is flanked on left hand side by the blue star Regulus – the little King – and by the red planet Mars on the right. The many radial streamers of the solar Corona are a real crown for the Sun King and the corona can be traced almost to 30 solar radii distance. The total exposure duration of 100-seconds was recorded in more than 120 individual images and it is a setup consisting of both a fast f/1.4 lens, at full aperture to get as much signal as possible, and a large buffer camera at base ISO to avoid overexposure. The inner corona was recorded using a longer focal length setup.
Unity, Oregon, USA, 21 August 2017
AF-S NIKKOR 105-mm f/1.4E ED lens, Nikon D810 camera on an untracked tripod, 105 mm f/1.4 lens, ISO 64, multiple exposures of 0.3-second, 0.6-second and 1.3-second

Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 winners

OUR SUN: Coloured Eruptive Prominence © Stuart Green (UK) – RUNNER-UP
In this image the photographer managed to capture an eruptive prominence just hours after this active region produced a massive X9.0 class solar flare. Close to the solar limb and presented here in an inverted format (black to white) and colour enhanced to create a warm sunny glow, the photograph showcases the beautiful 3D structure within the hydrogen chromosphere. Captured in hydrogen alpha light at 656.3nm, the photographer used a 150mm solar telescope and monochrome machine vision camera to record a video sequence which was stacked to bring out the fine details and image processing techniques to produce colour and a backlit effect in order to enhance the spicule features around the solar limb.
Preston, Lancashire, UK, 9 September 2017
Home-built telescope based on iStar Optical 150mm f/10 lens, double stacked hydrogen-alpha filter at 5250 mm, Sky-Watcher EQ6 Pro mount, Basler acA1920-155um camera, 150-mm f/35 lens, multiple 0.006-second exposures as an AVI

Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 winners

OUR SUN: AR2673 © Haiyang Zong (China) – HIGHLY COMMENDED
AR2673 is a large sunspot group which formed in 2017. Clearly visible is the beautiful “rice grain” structure of the paler, outer regions of the sunspots.
Tongzhou, Beijing, China, 5 September 2017
Sky-Watcher DOB10 GOTO telescope, Optolong R Filter, QHY5III290M camera, 3,600-mm f/4.7 lens, ISO 160, 0.7ms exposure

Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 winners

PLANETS, COMETS AND ASTEROIDS: The Grace of Venus © Martin Lewis (UK) – WINNER
Shortly before sunset, a slender and graceful Venus hangs low in the western sky, just 10 days before meeting the Sun at inferior conjunction. This is an infra-red image of that view, taken using a monochrome digital video camera mounted on a reflector telescope. The recording was processed to remove the blurring effects of our atmosphere and combine the video frames to create a single still image of the planet. The infra-red filter used on the camera helps steady the effects of atmospheric movement.
St Albans, Hertfordshire, UK, 15 March 2017
Home-built 444-mm Dobsonian reflecting telescope, Astronomik 807nm IR filter, Home-built Equatorial tracking platform, ZWO ASI174MM camera, 12.4-m f/28 lens, 6msec frame time, 5.3sec total exposure duration

Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 winners

PLANETS, COMETS AND ASTEROIDS: Parade of the Planets © Martin Lewis (UK) – RUNNER-UP
During the course of just one year the photographer managed to image surface details on every planet in our Solar System from his own back garden. At the start of the year, the photographer had captured distant Mars, eight months after opposition, sporting a tiny polar cap and dark features. Later on, he captured Venus, then Jupiter and Saturn. In September, the photographer had imaged details on the rocky face of Mercury for the first time and in November he recorded Uranus’s distinct polar region, making the set complete. The more challenging planets, Mercury, Uranus and Neptune, required IR (infrared) imaging to bring out surface details and have been colourised to match their more normal visual appearance. All images are displayed at the same relative size that they would appear through a telescope.
St Albans, Hertfordshire, UK, 1 November 2017
Home-built 444-mm Dobsonian Newtonian reflector telescope (Mercury used 222-mm Dobsonian), various IR filters for Uranus, Neptune, Mercury, Saturn (L). UV filter for Venus, home-built Equatorial Platform, ZWO ASI174MC/ASI174MM/ ASI290MM camera, various focal lengths f/12 to f/36, various exposures

Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 winners

PLANETS, COMETS AND ASTEROIDS: Comet C/2016 R2 Panstarrs the blue carbon monoxide comet © Gerald Rhemann (Austria) – HIGHLY COMMENDED
Still relatively far from the Sun, the comet’s well-developed ion tail shines bright in the night sky. Emission from unusually abundant ionized carbon monoxide (CO+) molecules fluorescing in the increasing sunlight is largely responsible for the beautiful blue tint. This is a median stack of the total event from 5p.m. until 11.12p.m and the comet’s magnitude was approx. 12.5 mag.
Eichgraben, Lower Austria, Austria, 19 January 2018
ASA 12-inch (300 mm) Astrograph telescope at f/3.62, ASA DDM 85 telescope mount, ASI ZWO 1600 MC colour CCD camera, exposure: RGB composite, 4.6-hours total exposure

Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 winners

SKYSCAPES: Circumpolar © Ferenc Szémár (Hungary) – WINNER
The cold winter weather weaves a transparent blanket above the human settlements. If one rises above this coherent surface of mist, the colourful star trails can be brought together with the glowing lights of the cities. This extremely long capture sequence took half of the winter’s nights facing the clear northern sky as the circumpolar star Almach, also known as Gamma Andromedae, just touched the horizon.
Gatyatet?, Hungary, 17 February 2018
Minolta 80–200 f/2.8 telescope, tripod, Sony SLT-A99V camera, 135-mm f/2.8 lens, ISO 640, 50 x 300-second exposures

Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 winners

SKYSCAPES: Eclipsed Moon Trail © Chuanjin Su (China) – RUNNER-UP
On 31 January 2018, a spectacular total lunar eclipse occurred. The photographer set his camera for a four-hour stack exposure and after he took about one thousand images, he finally captured an image that reflects the changes of the Moon’s colour and brightness before, during and after the eclipse. The picture reminded the photographer of the Compliant Golden-Hooped Rod, which is the weapon of the Monkey King, who is described in ancient Chinese literature.
Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province, China, 31 January 2018
Sony ILCE-7RM2 camera, 17-mm f/4 lens, ISO 100, 950 x 15-seconds

Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 winners

SKYSCAPES: Midnight Glow over Limfjord © Ruslan Merzlyakov (Latvia) – HIGHLY COMMENDED
The dark summer sky in Denmark and the ideal weather on 22 May 2017 allowed the photographer to capture this magnificent orange glow over Limfjord, a beautiful place just five minutes away from where the photographer had lived for six years. The weather was so calm and quiet, which made the photographer think that time was standing still. Nykøbing Mors, Denmark, 22 May 2017
Canon EOS 6D camera, 14-mm f/2.8 lens, ISO 400, 10-second exposure

Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 winners

STARS AND NEBULAE: Corona Australis Dust Complex © Mario Cogo (Italy) – WINNER
Under the dark Namibian sky, the photographer set his camera to a six-hour exposure in order to capture the CrA Molecular Complex, a large, dark and irregular area in the northern part of Corona Australis where we can see reflection nebulas NGC 6726-27-29, dark dust cloud Bernes 157, globular cluster NGC 6723 and other objects. Interestingly, there is a huge difference in distance: under 500 light years for the dust complex and 30,000 light years for the globular cluster.
Tivoli Southern Sky Guest Farm, Namibia, 18 August 2017
Takahashi FSQ 106 ED telescope, Astro-Physics 1200 GTO mount, Canon EOS 6D Cooling CDS Mod camera, 530-mm f/5 lens, ISO 1600, total 6-hours exposure

Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 winners

STARS AND NEBULAE: Rigel and the Witch Head Nebula © Mario Cogo (Italy) – RUNNER-UP
The dark Namibian sky was the perfect location to capture the wonder of the Witch Head Nebula and Rigel. The Witch Head Nebula is a very faint molecular gas cloud which is illuminated by supergiant star Rigel, the seventh brightest star of the sky and the brightest star in the constellation of Orion.
Tivoli Southern Sky Guest Farm, Namibia, 20 August 2017
Takahashi FSQ 106 ED telescope, Astro-Physics 1200 GTO mount, Canon EOS 6D Cooling CDS Mod camera, 383-mm f/3.6 lens, ISO 1600, 1, 3 and 6 min, total 5 Hours exposure

Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 winners

STARS AND NEBULAE: Thackeray’s Globules in Narrowband Colour © Rolf Wahl Olsen (Denmark) – HIGHLY COMMENDED
Almost 5,900 light years away, toward the southern constellation Centaurus, lies a large beautiful nebula known as the Lambda Centauri Nebula. The intense light from stars in a young open cluster cause the surrounding gas to glow with a magenta hue from emission lines of ionised Hydrogen atoms. In the centre of the image, is a group of Bok globules, which are dark, dense collapsing patches of gas and dust where new stars are frequently born. These were discovered by South African astronomer, A. David Thackeray, in 1950 and are now known as Thackeray’s Globules and are a favourite target for backyard astrophotographers. The largest globule is two separate clouds that overlap slightly. While they appear small in the context of the grand nebula, these overlapping globules are each 1.4 light years across and together they contain more than 15 times the mass of our Sun.
Auckland, New Zealand, 13 May 2017
Homebuilt 12.5-inch f/4 Serrurier Truss Newtonian telescope, Losmandy G-11 mount, QSI 683wsg-8 camera, 1,450-mm 12.5” f/4 lens, 14 hours and 40 minute exposure

Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 winners

YOUNG ASTRONOMY PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR: Great Autumn Morning © Fabian Dalpiaz (Italy – aged 15) – WINNER
On an early Monday morning before taking an exam at school, the photographer decided to go out and take some images. Shooting on a 50mm lens the photographer got lucky and captured this incredible photograph of a meteor passing over the Dolomites. On the left side of the image the Moon is shining over the stunning landscape of the Alpe di Siusi with the autumn colours on the was illuminated only at 13.5 per cent.
Alpe di Siusi, Dolomites, South Tyrol, Italy, 16 October 2017
Canon EOS 5D Mark III camera, 50-mm panorama f/2.0 lens, ISO 6400, 8-second exposure

Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 winners

YOUNG ASTRONOMY PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR: The Eta Carinae Nebula © Logan Nicholson (Australia – aged 13) – RUNNER-UP
The Eta Carina Nebula, or NGC 3372, is the biggest and brightest nebula in the sky and is located in the constellation Carina. It is mostly made out of hydrogen, created when the bright orange star mid-left went nova, spewing out large amounts of hydrogen gas which now emits light at the Hydrogen-alpha wavelength. The photographer took and stacked multiple shots and processed them in Pixinsight.
Heathcote, Victoria, Australia, 16 December 2017
Takahashi MT-160 telescope, f/4.8 reducer for MT-160, Celestron CGEM mount, Canon EOS 700D camera, 776-mm f/4.8 lens, ISO 800, 12 x 5 minute exposures

Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 winners

YOUNG ASTRONOMY PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR: Inverted Sun © Thea Hutchinson (UK – aged 11) – HIGHLY COMMENDED
This was the photographer’s first attempt at solar imaging and was from the observatory in her back garden in Wimbledon. She used her father’s solar scope and after following her father’s advice, the photographer beautifully captured our nearest star, the Sun. The picture is a mosaic of two stacked images that were merged in Photoshop CC, cropped and inverted. The final image was then converted to false colour.
London, UK, 24 September 2017
Lunt LS60 telescope, Celestron CGE Pro mount, ZWO ASI174MM camera, 1250 (500-mm with x2.5 Powermate) f/21 (f/8.3 x 2.5) lens, 2000 frames best 20% retained

Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 winners

YOUNG ASTRONOMY PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR: First Impressions © Casper Kentish (UK – aged 8) – HIGHLY COMMENDED
After a few days of cloudy skies the photographer finally got the chance to use his birthday present, a new telescope. The clouds were moving fast so there was not much time to capture the Moon. With the help of his grandfather who kept moving the telescope and trying to keep an iPad at the right position, he managed to capture this wonderful and artistic image of his first viewing of our Moon.
Ponthirwaun, Ceredigion, UK, 23 January 2018
SkyWatcher Skyliner 200 p, SkyWatcher 25mm wide angle, Dobsonian mount, Apple iPad 5th generation, 3.3-mm f/2.4 lens, ISO 250, 1/17-second exposure

Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 winners

YOUNG ASTRONOMY PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR: A Valley on the Moon… © Davy van der Hoeven (Netherlands – aged 10) – HIGHLY COMMENDED
The photographer’s father taught him how to focus the telescope, capture and process the data. Once the telescope was set up the photographer started taking images of the surface of the Moon and even managed to capture more details than his father did in the past. Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht, Netherlands, 25 February 2018
Celestron C11 Schmidt Cassegrain telescope, Baader red filter, SkyWatcher NEQ6 mount, Imaging Resource DMK21 camera, 2,700-mm f/10 lens, 1/300-second exposure

Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 winners

SIR PATRICK MOORE PRIZE FOR BEST NEWCOMER: Galaxy Curtain Call Performance © Tianhong Li (China) – WINNER
This was the last opportunity in 2017 to see the silver core of the Milky Way before it sunk below the horizon. It was accompanied by the gradual curtain call of Scorpio heralding the upward trend of Orion in the sky. Meanwhile the season of bright shooting stars quietly arrived. The image is stitched together from a total of twenty pictures.
Ming’antu, China, 23 September 2017
Nikon D810A camera, 35-mm f/2 lens; sky: ISO 1250, 16 x 60-second exposures, total 16 pictures; ground: ISO 640, 4 x 120-second exposures, total 4 pictures

Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 winners

ROBOTIC SCOPE: Two Comets with the Pleiades © Damian Peach (UK) – WINNER
The image showcases a very rare conjunction of two bright comets both passing the famous Pleiades star cluster in Taurus at the same time. Comet C/2017 O1 (ASASSN) is at far left while C2015 ER61 (PanSTARRS) is in the centre. Both comets have strikingly different appearances. The whole region is embedded in the faint nebulosity of the Taurus Molecular Cloud. The photographer used a remote telescope located in Mayhill, New Mexico.
Remote Astronomical Society (RAS) Observatory, Mayhill, New Mexico, USA, 19 September 2017
Takahashi FSQ106 telescope at 106 mm, Paramount ME mount, SBIG STL-11000M camera, 530-mm f/5 lens, exposure: four LRGB frames, each frame 30 minutes each

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Why celebrity photographer Manfred Baumann uses ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2019

22 Oct

Celebrity photographer Manfred Baumann has been using a pre-release version of ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2019 for a while, and in this article he shares his impressions of using the software.

As a photographer, there are plenty of software programs out there that all want my attention (and my money). ACDSee is a name that will be familiar to many digital photographers, going right back to the 1990s. Designed originally as an image organization tool for digital photographs, ACDSee has evolved over more than 20 years to become a fully featured digital asset manager and editing platform. These days it’s basically a ‘one-stop shop’ for digital photographers.

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Like most photographers, I prefer taking pictures to sitting in front of a computer. For that reason, the software I use has to be fast, uncomplicated and self-explanatory. A Raw Converter is like a digital darkroom for me – everything else is optional. I’ve been using ACDSee for years. The latest version, Photo Studio Ultimate 2019, competes directly with the world’s best Raw editors, offering in-depth editing features alongside advanced image cataloging and organizational tools.

New in the 2019 version is face detection and automatic face recognition,

One of my favorite things about Photo Studio Ultimate’s editing power is the option to use layers when working on my Raw files. New in the 2019 version is face detection and automatic face recognition, which allows you to find photos of clients, friends or relatives at the click of a button. I don’t think many people would have difficulty recognizing some of my portrait subjects, but face detection and recognition are useful features when I’m organizing images for my clients.

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Photo Studio Ultimate also brings improvements to black and white editing, which let me individually adjust the contrast and brightness of different channels. I can even use the Edit Brush to paint these adjustments onto specific parts of an image. Monochrome editing is at the heart of a lot of my workflow, and the improved black and white mode features in Ultimate 2019 are really useful.

ACDSee is ideal for photographers who prefer to take photos rather than sit in front of the computer

It is important to continue growing, and as an artist, you always want to make sure that viewers can recognize your signature in your photographs. I like to think that I catch what others might not have seen. My primary focus is using images to say something about the essence of the person I’m photographing, and it’s all about the imagery: quality before quantity. Quality can be recognized by the fact that a good image doesn’t go out of date.

I would say ACDSee is ideal for photographers who prefer to take photos outdoors or in the studio rather than constantly sitting in front of the computer. It is cost effective, fast, and offers more features than most of its competitors. With Photo Studio Ultimate I really don’t need to use additional software in my workflow; I can usually do everything I need to do without leaving the app.

When it comes to image organization and cataloguing I do this exclusively in ACDSee Studio Ultimate now. It’s the quickest and easiest way for me to work.

Learn more about ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2019

Manfred Baumann lives and works in Europe and the USA with his wife, Nelly. Throughout a long and varied career he has photographed celebrities from the worlds of acting, sports, and fashion for some of the top publications in the world.

A passionate advocate for animal rights, images from Baumann’s ‘Mustangs’ project have been exhibited in the Natural History Museum, Vienna.

See more of Manfred’s work

This is sponsored content, created by ACD Systems. What does this mean?

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Why Goal Planning Is the Key to Growing as a Landscape Photographer

09 Oct

“I invest so much time in my landscape photography, but can’t tell how much I’m improving or even where I’ll be in a year. I think I’m getting better, but slowly and haphazardly.”

Do you have a strategy for becoming a better photographer? What areas do you want to improve in over the next few weeks? Most of us learn passively, but what if you could get more out of every shoot and see progress in months instead of years?

It starts with being intentional – something we don’t often practice in the day-to-day.

Taking an active role can double your learning speed. And it starts by setting measurable goals and introspecting your photos – and yourself – often.

Sella Towers, Dolomites, Italy

Brunate Lago Di Como, Italy

A couple of years ago I wasn’t noticing much improvement in my photography. It was definitely there, but it happened slowly and I didn’t have a clear direction of how I wanted to improve in the future.

Fast forward to my last trip to Oregon, where I made a point of applying some goal planning and retrospectives before, during and after the shoot. I learned more in two weeks than I had in two years, and brought back some of my favorite photos to date.

Mt Bachelor, Cascade Lakes Bend, Oregon

Smith Rock Bend, Oregon

Maybe you’ve heard of objectives and key results (OKRs) or ‘being results-oriented’ from managers or personal trainers. They seem like fuzzy topics, but there’s nothing more empowering than charting your own course to improvement.

I couldn’t be happier with the improvement I noticed while peeking at photos from just two years ago. Whether it’s a cursory glance or a deeper artistic critique, I can see measurable improvement that directly correlates with intentional goal planning.

And it’s not just the keeper shots that have improved. I shoot noticeably fewer photos (more of which end up being keepers), and it takes less editing for me to finish them up.

Here’s how you can take an active role in charting your own improvement as a landscape photographer.

1. Document Your Objectives

Have you stopped to ask yourself why you’re a landscape photographer in the first place? Your “Why?” doesn’t have to be etched in stone, but it will guide how you invest your time and money into growing.

Here are some example objectives. “I invest time in my landscape photography because:”

  • “I love to travel.”
  • “I want to make a full-time living.”
  • “I want to capture unique locations.”
  • “I want to grow my local following.”
  • “I want to be the best in my craft.”

You probably have several objectives in mind, so the next step is to prioritize them. Which objective(s) trumps the others in the competition for your time? Objectives are critical because they help us identify conflicts of interest. Once you start formulating goals, you want to ensure they naturally support your objective.

For example, you may be a landscape photographer because you love traveling, but your goal is to sell prints to local condos. These may well clash with each other, as marketing your work to local businesses would mean less freedom to travel. You may need to find another way to support your wanderlust – even if it’s unrelated to photography.

2. Formulate Effective Goals

Setting a goal often has a disheartening tone. We’ve all made goals or resolutions that yielded no results other than self-reproach. “Oh, I didn’t lose 10 pounds.” “I didn’t write half as much as I wanted.”

Self-reproach is often a symptom of a poorly chosen goal. Effective goals aren’t about slapping yourself for missing them. They’re about deliberately deciding how you want to invest your time and resources. It’s about determining the trajectory you want to take instead of floating with the fluctuations of each day.

Here are two of my personal goals:

  1. Capture and produce better photography
  2. Expand my photography audience

But while these goals capture a general direction, they aren’t concrete. So I like to follow them up with more specific formulations for what success looks like.

  1. Expand portfolio with shots that have a compelling foreground, middleground and background.
  2. Write for two new publications.

3. Apply and Adapt Shoot Goals

Along with your general goals and results, set specific goals for each landscape photography trip. I often source my shoot goals from notes I took in the field, or frustrations I faced in post production.

On my last trip to Ireland and the UK, I set some goals that I reread during each shoot:

  • Create a sense of depth with fog and haze
  • Root the image with stronger foregrounds
  • Consciously identify shapes in the composition
  • Capture the energy in water and clouds with long exposures
  • Take 20% fewer photos with a higher ratio of winners
  • Shoot more verticals to emphasize height

Man-O-War Bay, Dorset, England

South Stack Lighthouse, Wales

Referencing these goals when I hit the field bumps me out of my status quo. Over the past two years, I’ve found that most of my measurable growth as an artist came from setting and intentionally applying shoot goals.

4. Break Goals into Results

Objectives give you direction. Goals give you outcomes. But neither tells you how to accomplish them or how much progress you’ve made towards them. That’s where results come in.

How will you accomplish your goals? You can’t. They’re too big, and say nothing about what actions you should take. To reach your goals, they need to be broken down into small, measurable steps called results – small tasks you can complete in no more than a day. A well-formulated result must measurably contribute towards the overall goal.

Results need to be carefully phrased so they reflect tangible outcomes. For example:

  • “Edit for one hour every day.”
  • “Spend 30 minutes writing about photography.”

These results are ineffective because they involve time. Who cares whether you spent 30 minutes editing or three hours? Instead, phrase them in terms of tangible outcomes:

  • “Finish a rough edit of three photos today.”
  • “Finish outlining my upcoming photography post.”

Each of these results produces something of value – edited photos and an outlined post – and can be completed in one sitting. And the faster you complete each result, the sooner you can move on to other things.

Breaking down goals into results is hard to do in any field, whether it’s productivity, photography or software development. And it’s the number one reason we fail to accomplish anything.

Don’t tackle a goal and plan as you go. Planning and execution are two different skills. And when we do them simultaneously we ironically spend the least time on the hardest part: planning. It sounds counterintuitive, but once I break the goal into results, executing them is usually the easiest part.

What about self-imposed deadlines? Personally I’ve had limited success with them because time is a poor measure of progress. I sketch out a rough timeline (“by this time next year”), but I keep those dates with my goals instead of my results. As long as my results are prioritized, deadlines are often arbitrary because I’m always working on the most valuable results.

How are you spending your time so each minute counts? Results are the answer, not time.

5. Do a Retrospective

The learning doesn’t end after a shoot. In fact, I learn the most by reviewing photographs from the shoot that didn’t quite work out. It sounds counterintuitive, but thanks to a cognitive bias called survival bias we tend to:

  • overestimate what we can learn from successful shots
  • underestimate what we can learn from shots that didn’t make the cut.

Consequently, we end up discarding our best source of learning material.

To beat survivorship bias, conduct a retrospective on some of your failed shots to understand why they didn’t work, and what you’ll do differently next time.

Slea Head, Dingle, Ireland

None of my shots from Slea Head on Ireland’s Dingle Peninsula worked out. But later in the trip I applied the lessons I learned about S-curve placement and busy water textures to capture a shot of Loch Garry in the Scottish Highlands.

Loch Garry, Scotland

Retrospectives are incredibly effective at distilling lessons that will set your next shoot up for success. And they often form my shoot goals for the next trip. On this year’s trip to Oregon, my goals changed to reflect the lessons I learned from Ireland and the UK:

  • Capture two stunning images per day for a total of 26 from the trip.
  • Identify the emotion of a scene, then highlight it with composition and light.
  • Spend 30% less time snapping photos, and instead spend it testing compositions.
  • Shoot exclusively at dawn and twilight, and spend the rest of the day trying compositions on my smartphone.
  • Use an ND filter for water without exception.
  • Identify a strong foreground, middleground, and background before snapping.
  • Don’t waste a second on angles filled with busy textures.

I would have forgotten many of these shoot goals if I hadn’t written them down and reviewed them before each shoot. Being intentional paid off. As I said earlier, I learned more in two weeks than I had in two years of shooting, and produced some of my favorite work to date.

Roads End, Oregon

Chart Your Course to Improvement Intentionally

While goal planning comes in many flavors and terminologies, they all share the goal of helping individuals connect desired outcomes with strategic actions. The key to accelerated growth is to learn intentionally, not passively.

Spend a few minutes over coffee today to document why you are a landscape photographer, what you want to become, and how you will accomplish it. Whether you’re in the field, post production, or an office crunching through tangential work, goal planning will ensure you’re investing your time well and learning as much as possible from your efforts.

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3 Quotes for the Creative Photographer

18 Sep

Most of us photographers struggle with our creativity. As time goes on you’ll likely experience fewer moments of passionate inspiration and longer periods of hard work and creative dryness.

It was during a period of creative dryness in my photography business that I discovered a whole breed of photographers who had been able to express their creativity in surprising ways.

They brought every part of their life to their photography, found beauty in unlooked-for places, and got in over their heads. Their ideas were just what I needed to breathe new life into my own photography.

Let me share with you three quotes that will help you understand yourself as a creative photographer.

3 Quotes for the Creative Photographer - boat on a lake

It’s liberating as a creative photographer to forget about making money or comparing yourself to other photographers and just go play with your camera. For me, it’s climbing sand dunes or wading through water at sunset. It brings me to life.

1. You Bring Your Whole Self

“You don’t make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved.” – Ansel Adams

When you first became a photographer you likely focused on finding the perfect camera and lenses. For a while, it was all about chasing gear. But in the end, the gear doesn’t satisfy. Unless it helps you expand your creative horizons it becomes a worthless dust collector sitting on a shelf somewhere.

Fuji Cameras - 3 Quotes for the Creative Photographer

These are my favorite cameras to use. The Fuji x100s is perfect for everyday life. I’m nostalgic about the photo quality of the iPhone 4s. It was the first phone camera I ever used. The Fuji XT1 along with a portrait lens and silent shutter mode is perfect for portraits.

You probably tried your hand at copying what you saw on Pinterest or other photo sharing groups. I bet that once you were successful you got bored and moved on quickly.

Gear and gimmicks don’t satisfy you. In fact, you’re more likely inspired by the books you read, even though they are non-visual because they fire up your imagination.

3 Quotes for the Creative Photographer - kid in a dingy on a lake

Two winters before this photo was taken, my imagination had been fired up after reading “The Wind in the Willows.” But I had no idea how to capture that in photos. That is until one spring when the bay that we live on overflowed its banks and took over our yard! I bought a dingy for my son, put on my chest waders and spent the evening in and on the water. Ratty would be proud of us.

The creative photographer brings to their work their whole life, their whole selves. That usually includes a whole host of other creative endeavors like music, painting, writing, or acting, even if you pursued them at different moments in life.

Photograph of Alice Cooper - 3 Quotes for the Creative Photographer

Though I loved photography as a kid, I was a musician before I became a photographer. Knowing what it’s like to perform and connect with the audience, I always look for those engaging moments when I photograph bands. Is there anything more engaging than Alice Cooper in a straight-jacket staring down the barrel of your lens?

Alice Cooper with a booze bottle. 3 Quotes for the Creative Photographer

An Alice Cooper performance goes beyond the music and incorporates drama as well. The story that is played out for the audience is part fiction and part biographical. Alice brings everything to the stage, including his past battles with alcohol, showing the audience and fellow musicians what can be accomplished in life and art.

2. Making Beauty Out of Chaos

“I don’t just look at the thing itself or at the reality itself; I look around the edges for those little askew moments – kind of like what makes up our lives – those slightly awkward, lovely moments.” – Keith Carter

As a creative photographer, you’re often going to feel like you don’t fit in. You’ll likely find it hard to commit to one type of photography for the rest of your life (or as a business).

Here’s one idea that might characterize everything you photograph; beauty out of chaos.

Creative photographers are often at the fringes, on the edge of chaos and order, in unpredictable situations, trying to make something beautiful in difficult situations.

Kieth Carter quote - 3 Quotes for the Creative Photographer

Many of us deeply resonate with Carter’s words as we “look around the edges for those little askew moments.” While it’s natural to photograph the happy, predictable moments of life, I’m most at home looking around the edges. When a little guy “acts up” he’s taken out of the game to the edges for a time-out. But aren’t these the defining moments of life? I was drawn by the boy’s face and his inability to look his father in the eye.

boy and his father - 3 Quotes for the Creative Photographer

The situation was irresistible to me as a photographer. It was a “theological” moment and I was fascinated by the boy’s unwillingness to look his father in the eye. He expressed himself through his hands and fingers instead.

kid wiping his eyes - 3 Quotes for the Creative Photographer

I love that even the dirt on his arm speaks to his guilt. You can’t plan these moments, you just appreciate them as they come.

You’re likely drawn to “the real,” not being satisfied with mere poses but what happens between the poses, at the edges of a photo session – those “slightly awkward, lovely moments.”

Window silhouette of 2 kids - 3 Quotes for the Creative Photographer

No parent in their right mind would allow their kids to play in the curtains. Those curtains will end up a complete mess. But, even for just a moment, I saw beauty in that mess.

Golden hour silhouette - 3 Quotes for the Creative Photographer

Sometimes those moments in the window are more serene. I couldn’t help but notice afterward that the curtain ties were “slightly askew.”

3. You’ve Got to Get in Over Your Head

“I realize more and more what it takes to be a really good photographer. You go in over your head, not just up to your neck.” – Dorothea Lange

With the pursuit of the perfect camera behind you (happy to use whatever camera you’ve got on hand), and Pinterest a distant memory, you bring everything you’ve got to your photography. But even when you find yourself up to your neck, you’re still holding back.

There’s nothing to force your creativity quite like walking into a situation that puts you in way over your head. You’ll be forced to figure out what to do at the moment.

Rock band photography - 3 Quotes for the Creative Photographer

I still remember the first time I took the stage as a musician. It was a high school talent show on a makeshift stage in the cafeteria. All I could think was, “How did I get myself into this?” I knew I wasn’t qualified in any way to be on that stage (even though it was just a bunch of tables pushed together). But the moment took over and I knew I was made for the music.
To this day, I look for raw emotion when photographing musicians.

I daresay that, for most of us, going in over our heads means overcoming ourselves. Overcoming our social anxiety, fear, and laziness. While a little social anxiety, introversion, or laziness can kill your creativity – it can also fuel it.

Successful creative photographers talk about how they challenged themselves through their fears and assumptions and constantly embraced constraints that forced them to grow as people and as photographers.

What do you look like as a creative photographer?

I love hearing from you. Which ideas do you resonate with and what do you look like as a creative photographer? Let’s chat in the comments below.

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4 Less Popular Types of Lighting Every Photographer Should Know

20 Aug

How can you, as a photographer, best use lighting to your advantage? Working with different kinds of light can be a challenge for even the most seasoned photographers. This often leads to a common suggestion: “Point your shadow at the subject.” Yet certain underutilized less popular types of lighting can actually enhance your photographs.

macro photography bokeh flower dahlia - Types of Lighting

In this article, you’ll get tips for working with four different types of natural lighting, including shade, overcast light, and strong backlighting. Hopefully, you’ll come away with the know-how and inspiration to start using more creative lighting in your own photographs.

macro photography bokeh flower tulip - Types of Lighting

1. Shade plus front light

By “shade plus front light” I’m referring to the lighting situation when the sun is behind you (and coming over your shoulder), but the subject is shaded. That is, the sun would normally front light the subject, but it is blocked by an object.

macro photography bokeh flower trout lily - Types of Lighting

I shaded this trout lily with my body, resulting in a shaded subject and a well-lit background.

Many photographers like to ignore shaded subjects. However, I love this lighting situation for a few reasons.

The first is that it is easier to expose for a shaded subject. You don’t have to deal with intense highlights and shadows. Instead, you can rest easy knowing that the range of lights and darks in your image will be rendered properly by your camera’s sensor.

purple flower - Types of Lighting

Another shaded but front lit situation. Notice the brighter background here.

The second is that this lighting scenario offers up wonderful backgrounds. This is an especially powerful technique when shooting during the “golden hours”, the time just after sunrise and just before sunset.

If you can position the subject so that the sun falls behind it, you can take images with rich, warm background colors. The key is to expose for the main subject (i.e., meter off it), and let the background remain bright. Use a wide aperture to ensure that the background is thrown out of focus.

macro photography bokeh flower cosmos - Types of Lighting

Shading this cosmos flower allowed me to produce a more subtle looking subject with a beautiful background.

Shaded subjects can make for great photographs if you know how to use them!

2. Shade plus backlight

To continue with the “shade” theme, let’s discuss another underutilized type of light: shade and backlight.

By this, I am referring to a situation with a shaded subject where the sun is positioned behind that subject so that you are pointed toward the sun. In this situation, you cannot do the shading yourself. Instead, you have to rely on environmental features to block the light.

macro photography bokeh flower - Types of Lighting

This flower was shaded by some nearby grasses. I was able to get these background highlights by including the edge of the sun in the frame.

What does this type of lighting offer you? Similar to a shaded and front lit subject, a shaded but backlit subject is easier to expose.

If you’re struggling to photograph a brightly colored flower, for instance, it might be beneficial to find a similar specimen in a shaded area. This will help prevent you from blowing out the highlights on the flower’s petals.

macro photography bokeh flower aster - Types of Lighting

Another compelling reason to use this particular type of lighting is that it can create beautiful bokeh. I’m not really talking about bokeh in the sense of that smooth, creamy look that we photographers love (for that, go back to shade plus front light).

Rather, I’m referring to those beautiful geometric shapes that occasionally appear in the background of photographs.

macro photography bokeh flower tulip - Types of Lighting

Notice the slight highlights in the background, created by the shade-sun combination.

How do you do this?

In a backlit environment, the light is often filtered through the surrounding greenery. These are often leaves, but also grasses, shrubs, branches, tree trunks, etc. The rays of the sun are broken up into small points of light, which are then rendered in that geometric fashion when incorporated into your images.

This is a beautiful effect that can add an extra punch to your photographs.

3. Overcast lighting

This type of lighting is more commonly used than the two mentioned above, but overcast light (i.e., light on cloudy days) deserves a mention.

macro photography bokeh flower aster - Types of Lighting

I photographed these flowers on a cloudy afternoon.

You might think that the camera should stay inside on overcast days. After all, the subjects aren’t very well lit, and everything seems a bit gloomy and bland.

Actually, overcast days are fantastic for photography. Especially if you go out toward the middle of the day when the sun is high in the sky (and blocked by clouds), you’ll find wonderfully diffused lighting.

The clouds act as a giant softbox, subtly lighting the entire landscape. This results in colors that are deeply saturated. Macro photographers such as myself love overcast lighting because our flower photographs become much more colorful.

macro photography bokeh flower tulip - Types of Lighting

Another advantage to shooting on overcast days is similar to that of shaded lighting in that the subjects are easier to expose well. There is no bright sunlight to create harsh shadows and unpleasant highlights.

Therefore, overcast days can be a great choice for photographing brightly colored subjects.

4. Direct backlighting

Direct backlighting refers to situations where the sun is directly behind the subject (and therefore directly in front of the photographer).

macro photography bokeh flower tulip - Types of Lighting

The sun is just out of the frame here, above the tulip.

This type of lighting is difficult to work with. Photographers often come away with unwanted flare and a drastically underexposed subject. However, using backlighting is simpler than you might think. Just remember a few key guidelines.

The first thing to note is that I don’t like to use direct backlighting unless the sun is low in the sky. Otherwise, instead of achieving a charming, warm look, you’ll find yourself with a harsh, contrasty image. Sunrise and sunset are your windows, so you’ll need to work quickly and efficiently.

Second, don’t put the sun in the image itself. This will result in a nearly impossible lighting situation. Instead, block the sun with your subject. Move around a bit. Get down low. If you do decide to include the sun in the image, put it at the very edge of the frame (as I did in one of the photos above).

macro photography bokeh flower bleeding heart - Types of Lighting

Backlighting (the sun was in the background on the right-hand side) produced some really interesting bokeh in this bleeding heart photograph.

Third, make sure that your subject stands out against the background. I often try to compose with the subject against the sky.

Fourth, expose for your main subject. Don’t worry about the bright background. Then, once you’ve settled on an accurate exposure for the subject itself, feel free to raise or lower the exposure. Lower it for a slightly darker, more dramatic look (and if you lower it a significant amount, you’ll end up shooting a silhouette). Raise it for a slightly brighter, in-your-face type image.

While there are certainly variations in backlighting conditions, these four guidelines will get you well on your way to shooting some creative backlit images.

Conclusion

While it can be difficult to think outside the box and take risks when it comes to lighting, the rewards can be great.

Try using some of the lighting scenarios discussed above: shade and front light or backlight, overcast light, or even direct backlighting.

Your images will become far more diverse and a lot more impressive!

macro photography bokeh flower aster - Types of Lighting

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Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 shortlist revealed

24 Jul

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 Shortlist

AR 2665 and Quiescent Prominence. © ?ukasz Sujka (Poland)

The sunspot AR2665 was one of the most active regions in 2017 on the right you can see a phenomenal quiescent prominence extending from our star, the Sun. This type of prominence lasts for a very long time and its structure is quite stable. The photo is a composition of two images: one of the magnificent prominence and one of the Sun’s surface. The surface is much brighter than the prominence so it is a negative to reveal details of Sun chromosphere (spicules and filaments).

Budy Dlutowskie, Poland, 9 July 2017

TS Individual 102/1100 telescope, etalon from Lunt50ThaPT+B1200+BelOptik ERF+TV barlow x2, Sky-Watcher NEQ6 Pro mount, ZWO ASI 178 MM-C camera, 1100mm f/11 lens, 10ms exposure

Some of the best pictures of stars, planets and deep space have been revealed in the shortlist of the 2018 Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition. The annual contest is run by the Royal Observatory in Greenwich London, and is currently in its 10th year. Organizers say they received 4200 images from amateur, professional and young photographers in 91 countries.

Entrants compete across eight categories for the top prize of £10,000 (approx. $ 13,000) while the under 16s stand a chance of winning £1500. Shortlisted and winning entries form part of a book of the completion, and an exhibition is held at the National Maritime Museum, also in Greenwich, London.

The overall winner, and the winners of the Sir Patrick Moore prize for Best Newcomer and Robotic Scope Image of the Year, will be announced on 23rd October 2018.

For more information see the Royal Museum Greenwich website.

Press release

ROYAL OBSERVATORY GREENWICH’s “INSIGHT INVESTMENT ASTRONOMY PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2018” SHORTLISTED IMAGES TO THIS YEAR’S COMPETITION SELECTED

– WINNERS ANNOUNCED 23 OCTOBER 2018
– EXHIBITION OPENS 24 OCTOBER 2018

A mesmerising mosaic of the Great Orion and the Running Man Nebula, a magical scene of an Aurora Borealis exploding over the south coast of Iceland, a solar transit of the International Space Station between the massive sunspots AR 12674 and AR 12673; Royal Observatory’s Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 has received thousands of exceptional images once more. The competition, which is run by the Royal Observatory Greenwich sponsored by Insight Investment and in association with BBC Sky at Night Magazine, is now in its tenth year and continues to go from strength to strength, receiving over 4,200 spectacular entries from enthusiastic amateurs and professional photographers, taken from 91 countries spanning the globe. This year has also seen a phenomenal increase in entries from our aspiring young astrophotographers.

Shortlisted images from this year’s entrants include a glorious Milky Way looming over a thunderstorm that lights up the sky, star trails sweeping over the extraordinary sacred altars in Inner Mongolia, a majestic image of deep space framed by the Breiðamerkurjökull, the glacial tongue that extends from the largest glacier in Europe, Vatnajökull.

The range of subjects is not just limited to our planet. Photographers have also captured sights from across our Solar System, galaxy and the wider universe; from the second largest planet, Jupiter, which lies 746 million miles away from Earth when the two are closest and over a billion miles apart at their most distant; the striking and often overlooked Nebula NGC 2023, at 4 light years in diameter it is one of the largest reflection nebulae ever discovered; to the bright IC 342 also known as the ‘Hidden Galaxy’ that sits near the galactic equator, an obscure area with thick cosmic gas, bright stars and dark dust.

The competition’s judges include renowned comedian and keen amateur astronomer, Jon Culshaw; Editor of BBC Sky at Night Magazine Chris Bramley; the Royal Observatory’s Public Astronomer, Dr Marek Kukula and a host of experts from the worlds of art and astronomy. The winners of the competition’s nine categories and two special prizes will be announced on Tuesday 23 October at a special award ceremony at the National Maritime Museum. This year’s and previous winning images will be displayed in a commemorative exhibition that will celebrate 10 years of outstanding astrophotography, at the National Maritime Museum from Wednesday 24 October. Winners and shortlisted entries will also be published in the competition’s official book, available on 24 October from bookstores and online. The awards ceremony can be followed live on Twitter #astrophoto2018.

Website: www.rmg.co.uk/astrophoto
Twitter: @ROGAstronomers
Instagram: @royalmuseumsgreenwich
Facebook: Royal Museums Greenwich
Astrophotography Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/astrophotos

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 Shortlist

A Magnificent Saturn. © Avani Soares (Brazil)

In high resolution planetary photography having a good view of a planet is a key factor but also completely out of a photographer’s control. In this image the photographer was lucky to capture our second largest planet, Saturn, in all its glory. After stacking 4,000 out of 10,000 frames we can admire details such as the beautiful polar hexagon, the Encke Division and even the crepe ring.

Canoas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, 29 July 2017

Celestron C14HD Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, Powermate 2X + Filter Baader UV-IR cut Celestron CGE Pro mount, ZWO ASI 290 MC camera, 7820 mm f/22 lens, stacked from 4000 frames

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 Shortlist

Andromeda galaxy. © Péter Feltóti (Hungary)

Andromeda Galaxy has always amazed the photographer. The dust lanes and bright star clusters in its arms, the emblematic galaxy shape of it, and the magnificent look of this great star city make it one of his most desired objects to photograph. This image was taken using a 200mm mirror and creating a three panel mosaic.

Mez?falva, Hungary, 20 October 2017

SkyWatcher 200/800 Newton astrograph telescope, SkyWatcher NEQ6 pro mount, Canon EOS 600D camera (modded), 800 mm f/4 lens, ISO 800, 3.79-second exposure

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 Shortlist

Aurorascape. © Mikkel Beiter (Denmark)

The conditions the night the image was taken were not ideal because of the bright moon lighting up the sky. The photographer managed to overcome this obstacle and capture the incredible Aurora Borealis above the fjord at Haukland in the gorgeous Lofoten archipelago, Northern Norway. The small pool of water with rocks made the perfect foreground and a natural leading line into the frame.

Haukland Beach, Norway, 26 February 2018

Canon EOS 5DS R camera, 17mm f/2.8 lens, ISO 2000, 8-second exposure

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 Shortlist

Cave Man. © Brandon Yoshizawa (USA)

Battling the light pollution in Malibu, California the photographer brilliantly framed our galaxy, the Milky Way, inside a sea cave, 25 miles away from the heart of downtown Los Angeles. In order to achieve this outstanding shot planning it ahead and waiting for the perfect conditions of low tide and clear skies was very important. The image required two exposures; one to capture the details of the dark cave and one for the Milky Way. Both exposures were taken back to back without moving the camera or changing the composition.

Malibu, USA, 28 March 2017

Nikon D750 camera, 14mm f/4 lens, ISO 1600, 119/1 exposure

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 Shortlist

Mosaic of the Great Orion & Running Man Nebula. © Miguel Angel García Borrella and Lluis Romero Ventura (Spain)

The Orion Nebula, also known as Messier 42, M42, or NGC 1976, is a diffuse nebula situated in the Milky Way, south of Orion’s Belt in the constellation of Orion. It is one of the brightest nebulae and is visible to the naked eye during a clear night sky. M42 is 1270 light years from our planet and is the closest region of massive star formation to Earth. It is estimated to be 24 light years across and it has a mass of about 2,000 times more than that of the Sun. This image is the result of the efforts of two astrophotographers using different equipment from their observatories. Located hundreds of kilometres away from each other, they chose the Orion Sword are as a common target to render.

The software suites used in this image are Maxim DL, Pixinsight and Photoshop CC 2017. Àger, Monfragüe, Spain, 2 January2017 Astrodon LRGB Gen2 I-Series True-Balance telescope, Astrodon LRGB Gen2 I-Series True-Balance, Titan 50 Losmandy & ASA DDM85 mount, SBIG & Moravian STL 11000 C2 & G3-11002 camera, 2720mm and 2840mm f/6.8 and f/8 lens, 42 hours exposure

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 Shortlist

Rigel and the Witch Head Nebula. © Mario Cogo (Italy)

The dark Namibian sky was the perfect location to capture the wonder of the Witch Head Nebula and Rigel. The Witch Head Nebula is a very faint molecular gas cloud which is illuminated by supergiant star Rigel, the seventh brightest star of the sky and the brightest star in the constellation of Orion.

Tivoli Southern Sky Guest Farm, Namibia, 20 August 2017

Takahashi FSQ 106 ED telescope, Astro-Physics 1200 GTO mount, Canon EOS 6D Cooling CDS Mod camera, 385mm f/3.6 lens, ISO 1600, 1, 3 and 6 mins total 5 hours exposure

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 Shortlist

The Eagle nebula. © Marcel Drechsler (Germany)

The Eagle Nebula, also known as Messier 16, is a young open cluster of stars, surrounded by hot hydrogen gas in the constellation Serpens and lies at a distance of 7,000 light years from Earth. Taken at the Baerenstein Observatory in Germany, the photo is a RGB-Ha-OIII image and shows off the radiant red and blue colours of the nebula. In the centre you can spot the famous Pillars of Creation.

Baerenstein, Germany, 9 August 2017

Celestron RASA telescope, Baader narrow band filters, Celestron CGEpro mount, ZWO Asi1600mmc camera, 620mm f/2.2 lens, ISO 139, 10.5 hours exposure

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 Shortlist

Thunderstorm under milky way. © Tianyuan Xiao (Australia)

A glorious Milky Way looms over a thunderstorm that lights up the Florida sky. The photographer wanted to show the great contrast between stable (Milky Way) and moving (thunderstorm) objects in the sky.

Perry, USA, 21 August 2017

Canon EOS 5D Mark III camera, 25mm f/3.2 lens, 30/1 exposure

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 Shortlist

Aurora Borealis on the coast of the Barents sea. © Michael Zav’yalov (Russia)

From the city of Yaroslavl in Russia to the coast of the Barents Sea in the Arctic Circle, a party of three travelled 2000 kilometers to capture the magnificent Northern Lights. The photographer stayed in the village of Teriberka in the Murmansk Oblast district for five days. After four days of bad weather, with heavy snow and thick clouds the sky finally cleared on the last day and the Northern Lights appeared in all their glory.

Murmansk/Teriberka, Russia, 28 February 2017

Nikon D750 camera, 20mm f/4 lens, ISO 2000, 30/1 exposure

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Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 shortlist revealed

24 Jul

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 Shortlist

AR 2665 and Quiescent Prominence. © ?ukasz Sujka (Poland)

The sunspot AR2665 was one of the most active regions in 2017 on the right you can see a phenomenal quiescent prominence extending from our star, the Sun. This type of prominence lasts for a very long time and its structure is quite stable. The photo is a composition of two images: one of the magnificent prominence and one of the Sun’s surface. The surface is much brighter than the prominence so it is a negative to reveal details of Sun chromosphere (spicules and filaments).

Budy Dlutowskie, Poland, 9 July 2017

TS Individual 102/1100 telescope, etalon from Lunt50ThaPT+B1200+BelOptik ERF+TV barlow x2, Sky-Watcher NEQ6 Pro mount, ZWO ASI 178 MM-C camera, 1100mm f/11 lens, 10ms exposure

Some of the best pictures of stars, planets and deep space have been revealed in the shortlist of the 2018 Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition. The annual contest is run by the Royal Observatory in Greenwich London, and is currently in its 10th year. Organizers say they received 4200 images from amateur, professional and young photographers in 91 countries.

Entrants compete across eight categories for the top prize of £10,000 (approx. $ 13,000) while the under 16s stand a chance of winning £1500. Shortlisted and winning entries form part of a book of the completion, and an exhibition is held at the National Maritime Museum, also in Greenwich, London.

The overall winner, and the winners of the Sir Patrick Moore prize for Best Newcomer and Robotic Scope Image of the Year, will be announced on 23rd October 2018.

For more information see the Royal Museum Greenwich website.

Press release

ROYAL OBSERVATORY GREENWICH’s “INSIGHT INVESTMENT ASTRONOMY PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2018” SHORTLISTED IMAGES TO THIS YEAR’S COMPETITION SELECTED

– WINNERS ANNOUNCED 23 OCTOBER 2018
– EXHIBITION OPENS 24 OCTOBER 2018

A mesmerising mosaic of the Great Orion and the Running Man Nebula, a magical scene of an Aurora Borealis exploding over the south coast of Iceland, a solar transit of the International Space Station between the massive sunspots AR 12674 and AR 12673; Royal Observatory’s Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 has received thousands of exceptional images once more. The competition, which is run by the Royal Observatory Greenwich sponsored by Insight Investment and in association with BBC Sky at Night Magazine, is now in its tenth year and continues to go from strength to strength, receiving over 4,200 spectacular entries from enthusiastic amateurs and professional photographers, taken from 91 countries spanning the globe. This year has also seen a phenomenal increase in entries from our aspiring young astrophotographers.

Shortlisted images from this year’s entrants include a glorious Milky Way looming over a thunderstorm that lights up the sky, star trails sweeping over the extraordinary sacred altars in Inner Mongolia, a majestic image of deep space framed by the Breiðamerkurjökull, the glacial tongue that extends from the largest glacier in Europe, Vatnajökull.

The range of subjects is not just limited to our planet. Photographers have also captured sights from across our Solar System, galaxy and the wider universe; from the second largest planet, Jupiter, which lies 746 million miles away from Earth when the two are closest and over a billion miles apart at their most distant; the striking and often overlooked Nebula NGC 2023, at 4 light years in diameter it is one of the largest reflection nebulae ever discovered; to the bright IC 342 also known as the ‘Hidden Galaxy’ that sits near the galactic equator, an obscure area with thick cosmic gas, bright stars and dark dust.

The competition’s judges include renowned comedian and keen amateur astronomer, Jon Culshaw; Editor of BBC Sky at Night Magazine Chris Bramley; the Royal Observatory’s Public Astronomer, Dr Marek Kukula and a host of experts from the worlds of art and astronomy. The winners of the competition’s nine categories and two special prizes will be announced on Tuesday 23 October at a special award ceremony at the National Maritime Museum. This year’s and previous winning images will be displayed in a commemorative exhibition that will celebrate 10 years of outstanding astrophotography, at the National Maritime Museum from Wednesday 24 October. Winners and shortlisted entries will also be published in the competition’s official book, available on 24 October from bookstores and online. The awards ceremony can be followed live on Twitter #astrophoto2018.

Website: www.rmg.co.uk/astrophoto
Twitter: @ROGAstronomers
Instagram: @royalmuseumsgreenwich
Facebook: Royal Museums Greenwich
Astrophotography Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/astrophotos

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 Shortlist

A Magnificent Saturn. © Avani Soares (Brazil)

In high resolution planetary photography having a good view of a planet is a key factor but also completely out of a photographer’s control. In this image the photographer was lucky to capture our second largest planet, Saturn, in all its glory. After stacking 4,000 out of 10,000 frames we can admire details such as the beautiful polar hexagon, the Encke Division and even the crepe ring.

Canoas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, 29 July 2017

Celestron C14HD Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, Powermate 2X + Filter Baader UV-IR cut Celestron CGE Pro mount, ZWO ASI 290 MC camera, 7820 mm f/22 lens, stacked from 4000 frames

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 Shortlist

Andromeda galaxy. © Péter Feltóti (Hungary)

Andromeda Galaxy has always amazed the photographer. The dust lanes and bright star clusters in its arms, the emblematic galaxy shape of it, and the magnificent look of this great star city make it one of his most desired objects to photograph. This image was taken using a 200mm mirror and creating a three panel mosaic.

Mez?falva, Hungary, 20 October 2017

SkyWatcher 200/800 Newton astrograph telescope, SkyWatcher NEQ6 pro mount, Canon EOS 600D camera (modded), 800 mm f/4 lens, ISO 800, 3.79-second exposure

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 Shortlist

Aurorascape. © Mikkel Beiter (Denmark)

The conditions the night the image was taken were not ideal because of the bright moon lighting up the sky. The photographer managed to overcome this obstacle and capture the incredible Aurora Borealis above the fjord at Haukland in the gorgeous Lofoten archipelago, Northern Norway. The small pool of water with rocks made the perfect foreground and a natural leading line into the frame.

Haukland Beach, Norway, 26 February 2018

Canon EOS 5DS R camera, 17mm f/2.8 lens, ISO 2000, 8-second exposure

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 Shortlist

Cave Man. © Brandon Yoshizawa (USA)

Battling the light pollution in Malibu, California the photographer brilliantly framed our galaxy, the Milky Way, inside a sea cave, 25 miles away from the heart of downtown Los Angeles. In order to achieve this outstanding shot planning it ahead and waiting for the perfect conditions of low tide and clear skies was very important. The image required two exposures; one to capture the details of the dark cave and one for the Milky Way. Both exposures were taken back to back without moving the camera or changing the composition.

Malibu, USA, 28 March 2017

Nikon D750 camera, 14mm f/4 lens, ISO 1600, 119/1 exposure

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 Shortlist

Mosaic of the Great Orion & Running Man Nebula. © Miguel Angel García Borrella and Lluis Romero Ventura (Spain)

The Orion Nebula, also known as Messier 42, M42, or NGC 1976, is a diffuse nebula situated in the Milky Way, south of Orion’s Belt in the constellation of Orion. It is one of the brightest nebulae and is visible to the naked eye during a clear night sky. M42 is 1270 light years from our planet and is the closest region of massive star formation to Earth. It is estimated to be 24 light years across and it has a mass of about 2,000 times more than that of the Sun. This image is the result of the efforts of two astrophotographers using different equipment from their observatories. Located hundreds of kilometres away from each other, they chose the Orion Sword are as a common target to render.

The software suites used in this image are Maxim DL, Pixinsight and Photoshop CC 2017. Àger, Monfragüe, Spain, 2 January2017 Astrodon LRGB Gen2 I-Series True-Balance telescope, Astrodon LRGB Gen2 I-Series True-Balance, Titan 50 Losmandy & ASA DDM85 mount, SBIG & Moravian STL 11000 C2 & G3-11002 camera, 2720mm and 2840mm f/6.8 and f/8 lens, 42 hours exposure

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 Shortlist

Rigel and the Witch Head Nebula. © Mario Cogo (Italy)

The dark Namibian sky was the perfect location to capture the wonder of the Witch Head Nebula and Rigel. The Witch Head Nebula is a very faint molecular gas cloud which is illuminated by supergiant star Rigel, the seventh brightest star of the sky and the brightest star in the constellation of Orion.

Tivoli Southern Sky Guest Farm, Namibia, 20 August 2017

Takahashi FSQ 106 ED telescope, Astro-Physics 1200 GTO mount, Canon EOS 6D Cooling CDS Mod camera, 385mm f/3.6 lens, ISO 1600, 1, 3 and 6 mins total 5 hours exposure

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 Shortlist

The Eagle nebula. © Marcel Drechsler (Germany)

The Eagle Nebula, also known as Messier 16, is a young open cluster of stars, surrounded by hot hydrogen gas in the constellation Serpens and lies at a distance of 7,000 light years from Earth. Taken at the Baerenstein Observatory in Germany, the photo is a RGB-Ha-OIII image and shows off the radiant red and blue colours of the nebula. In the centre you can spot the famous Pillars of Creation.

Baerenstein, Germany, 9 August 2017

Celestron RASA telescope, Baader narrow band filters, Celestron CGEpro mount, ZWO Asi1600mmc camera, 620mm f/2.2 lens, ISO 139, 10.5 hours exposure

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 Shortlist

Thunderstorm under milky way. © Tianyuan Xiao (Australia)

A glorious Milky Way looms over a thunderstorm that lights up the Florida sky. The photographer wanted to show the great contrast between stable (Milky Way) and moving (thunderstorm) objects in the sky.

Perry, USA, 21 August 2017

Canon EOS 5D Mark III camera, 25mm f/3.2 lens, 30/1 exposure

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 Shortlist

Aurora Borealis on the coast of the Barents sea. © Michael Zav’yalov (Russia)

From the city of Yaroslavl in Russia to the coast of the Barents Sea in the Arctic Circle, a party of three travelled 2000 kilometers to capture the magnificent Northern Lights. The photographer stayed in the village of Teriberka in the Murmansk Oblast district for five days. After four days of bad weather, with heavy snow and thick clouds the sky finally cleared on the last day and the Northern Lights appeared in all their glory.

Murmansk/Teriberka, Russia, 28 February 2017

Nikon D750 camera, 20mm f/4 lens, ISO 2000, 30/1 exposure

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What are your greatest fears as a photographer?

24 Jul

In light of two big losses in the creative space – first that of Kate Spade and then that of the much loved and idolized Anthony Bourdain, there are a lot of questions being asked in the creative industry around success and personal happiness.

Why did this happen? What could have triggered these terrible tragedies? How many more are silently suffering? Is there such a thing as too much success? And alternatively what does success truly mean to us creatives?

Taj hotel Mumbai India at Sunrise - What are your biggest fears as a photographer?

Before I go any further with this article I have to make some things very clear. This article is not intended to make light of the situation(s) that lead to the demise of either Kate Spade or Anthony Bourdain. If anything, I really want us, the creative industry, to really sit up and take notice of the challenges and difficulties we all face in achieving our own levels of success.

I still use my Kate Spade wallet. In fact, it was the first wallet I gifted myself when I landed my corporate job 15 years ago. There was something about the Kate Spade brand that really resonated with me at that time – it symbolized femininity, freedom, success, and achievement.

Anthony Bourdain inspired me to dream big dreams and instilled a love of travel and people unlike anyone else I had ever seen. The fact that both of these global icons were lost in such similar situations really pushes us to ask those difficult questions around success, hustle, and challenges that go hand in hand.

So let’s start by addressing some of the most common fears that we photographers face on a day to day basis.

Fear #1 – How to make money as a photographer?

Let’s deal with the elephant in the room – I don’t think there really is a correct way to answer this question. Just as there are hundreds of genres of photography – from the super-niche to the really broad – there are hundreds of ways to make money with your photography.

Some of the most commonly explored ones are around consumer photography services, photography education, product sales, commercial photography, visual branding, etc.

I am of the opinion that diversifying your portfolio to include a few different revenue streams is a smart way to do business as a photographer. Diversification not only gives you the creative freedom to explore different genres of photography but also encourages you to learn new techniques and skills.

Additionally, earning a steady income during the off-season helps reduce the anxiety around money.

Moody Summer Florals - What are your biggest fears as a photographer?

Florals as images for digital screensavers as well as postcards and thank you cards are a nice way to sell prints and diversify your photography income.

Fear #2 – How to learn all the required technical stuff?

Photography is as much a science as it is an art form. If you don’t believe me just take a look at your camera user manual. To really get good at the art of photography you need to understand the technical terms as well as the soft skills like composition, posing, communicating, etc. There is a lot of stuff to learn and understand to really excel in this craft.

Luckily there are many online classes as well as in-person workshops that teach and train you in various aspects of photography. While you can really learn a lot from free courses, articles, and videos, there is a lot of value to be had in workshops and classes. Not only do you get to connect with professionals in the areas that you want to specialize in, you also get to meet others who are in the same boat as you.

Don’t view other photographers as your competitors. Instead, view them as your peers. These are the people who understand you and the passion you have for this field because they have it too. Focus on building your community of friends, peers, and people who you can connect with when you have difficulties and challenges.

Having a strong support system is really important especially in creative fields.

Fear #3 – That you don’t have the right gear

Let’s break this down into one simple question. What does one need to create an image? The answer is a camera!

It truly does not matter what camera you have. Just google iPhone photography and you will find some amazing artists who are creating phenomenal work with just their phones. Similarly, if you search for photographers who use entry-level DSLR cameras, you will find many great photographers who still work with a basic DSLR camera and a kit lens!

You don’t need the latest full frame or mirrorless camera and pro-grade lens to create great images. Focus more on learning and understanding the technical skills than on the gear.

When you are just starting out, experiment with different cameras and lenses to see which ones feel right. Rent or borrow gear from other photographers so you can become good at creating great images no matter the gear.

For the first two years of my business, I only had one camera and one lens. I rented the gear I needed depending on the job which helped me keep my costs low. There are many ways of being successful without going broke.

Pelican Flying over the water -

You will need different gear to photograph wildlife than you would to do food photography for a restaurant. But that does not mean you need to go buy all the gear out there for each and every genre. Use the basics first and then add on when you are ready!

Fear #4 – That your work isn’t good enough

In any field of work, the only way to produce great work is to do the work. There truly is no such thing as overnight success. You might look at someone who seems to have achieved a lot (which is really subjective by the way) and think that they have it easy.

But you don’t see the true reason for that success. You don’t see the late nights, the hustle, the constant planning and execution, the anxiety over money, the failures, the challenges and the struggles. You don’t see them because they are generally not talked about openly.

So before you question how to produce great work, go ahead and consistently do the work. Get out there and photograph even when you don’t want to. Photograph in different lighting situations to understand light. Work with different subjects so you know how to interact and communicate to get the look you want.

Reach out and connect with other creatives and collaborate on projects. Everyone who wants to make it big is willing to do the work, are you?

Sunset on the water with a cruise ship

Great work – work that you are proud of – takes practice. So get out there and practice everyday.

Fear #5 – Not getting any clients, inquiries, and bookings

You can have the best portfolio, the best website and the perfect studio space. But it all means nothing if you are not getting a steady stream of inquiries and clients.

The only way to really get clients and bookings is to actively go seek them. One way to seek new clients is to put yourself out there as a photographer/creative artist. Network with people from different industries, pitch your work to your ideal clients, market your work effectively and the inquiries will come.

Sure this will take time but if you are in this industry for the long game then take the time to make a mark with your work.

Japanese temple in San Francisco

Fear #6 – That your portfolio isn’t diverse enough

Look, we all start somewhere and there is no shame in that. I remember when I first started building my portfolio I had a ton of pictures of my kids and those of my friends and family. I would practice every opportunity I would get with people I knew.

Slowly I started getting confident about my work and made it known that I was an aspiring family photographer. I didn’t focus on the sale but instead on building a network of clients. I networked with other photographers via in-person meetings as well as online forums and learned as much as I could about the business of photography.

Moody white flowers photos

So when you are just starting out, put yourself out there. Ask friends and family if you can practice your photography skills on them. Reach out to others and see if you can collaborate.

There is no lack of ways to build your portfolio – you just have to get comfortable with asking.

Fear #7 – Not knowing how to market yourself

We live in a very different world now more than ever. Everything is online and everyone is online. Traditional forms of marketing like print ads, radio, and TV don’t do as well as online and social media marketing.

Since social media and online presence seems to be the new status quo, make sure you have an online presence. And remember social media is all about being social! So make sure you are being social online by sharing a little bit about you and not just your work. Work on building a relationship with clients and potential clients because people will only buy from brands (and people) that they know, like and trust.

Invest in social media marketing and advertising as well as traditional forms of marketing. A lot of my work still comes from word of mouth and referrals, so make sure you are taking advantage of those channels as well.

Wedding couple against Chicago riverwalk background

Sharing and promoting your best work as part of your marketing campaigns is a great way to grow your reach and your business.

Conclusion

I hope these tips were helpful and shed light on some of the commonly expressed fears that others including myself regularly experience.

Please remember that you are not on an island without any help and nor are you the only one going through all these emotions and feeling of anxiety around your work. We all face these same issues time and time again.

The key is to objectively work through them and come out strong. If you are truly passionate about photography and want to make it a career, keep up the hard work and the fruits of your labor are bound to be as sweet as can be!

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5 Camera Bags That Every Travel Photographer Needs At Some Point

18 Jul

One of the great things about being a travel photographer is that you are almost always working outside. Sometimes this might be in a city and sometimes in the wilderness. Either way, one of the main attributes you will need is to be organized. This involves everything from research and planning, to your shot list and efficiency. It also includes being organized with your equipment and what you will need on a day to day basis.

There is a fine balance between carrying too much unnecessary equipment and what you actually will need. A vital part of carrying your equipment is choosing the right bag for the scenario you are going to be photographing. Not only are camera bags important in keeping your equipment safe and dry, but a good bag will also make it easier to carry equipment.

Especially when you will potentially be walking around all day. There are so many bags to choose from, so here are the five types of bags that you may need at some point.

person on a cliff overlooking the water - 5 Camera Bags That Every Travel Photographer Needs At Some Point

#1 – Day Bag

A day bag is usually the first bag that most people would purchase. It will also be the bag that gets the most usage. So it’s vital that you take into account the different options available to fit your needs. Before you rush out and buy one, consider the following factors:

day bag for camera gear - 5 Camera Bags That Every Travel Photographer Needs At Some Point

  • Size – What will you generally be carrying day to day? Most travel photographers will carry a telephoto lens and possibly a couple of smaller lenses. You may also carry a flash as well as memory cards, batteries and possibly a second camera.
  • Tripod – The first day bag that I ever purchased, didn’t have a way to attach and carry my tripod. I quickly realized how frustrating and tiring that was. Carrying a tripod means you are constantly having to put it down every time you want to take a photo. So when fleeting moments arrive you are not ready to snap away.
  • Non-photography space – Another big consideration when purchasing a day bag is how much additional space you will have to carry non-photographic items. For example, can you carry a bottle of water? Or a rain jacket? Is there somewhere safe and hidden away that you can keep your keys, mobile phone or even cash?
  • Accessibility – Would you really want to take everything out of your bag to get to those plasters right at the bottom? How quickly and easily you can access the various compartments of your bag is very important. For example, some bags will allow you to get your camera out from a side zipper without having to open the whole thing up.
  • Comfort – As a travel photographer you will often be out walking for hours. Being able to carry your equipment comfortably can mean the difference between going back to the hotel because you’re uncomfortable and in pain or carrying on.
  • Airline carry-on – Another consideration is whether your bag complies with the carry-on regulations of airlines. I always carry my camera equipment on the plane (I put my tripod in my suitcase) rather than check it in so have to make sure that my bag isn’t too big.

All of these are factors that need to be considered before purchasing a day bag. It’s taken me a few attempts to find the perfect day bag but my choice is the Lowepro ProTactic 450 camera bag.

It has plenty of storage for two cameras as well as a couple of other lenses and things like memory cards and batteries. It has a top zip, as shown below, that makes it easy to access my camera without needing to open the whole bag. I can also carry a large tripod attached to the bag as well.

5 Camera Bags That Every Travel Photographer Needs - Lowepro ProTactic 450 AW Camera Backpack

#2 – Hiking Bag

While a day bag is great for everyday use, sometimes it’s simply not big enough. For those photographers who like to hike or camp overnight, then a day bag won’t be able to hold all of your camera equipment and additional things needed like a tent, food, and water.

So the next bag up from a day bag is a hiking bag. But again it’s important to consider the factors below before purchasing your hiking bag.

5 Camera Bags That Every Travel Photographer Needs - man sitting on a rock by the ocean

  • Size – The first criteria for your hiking bag is the size that you will need. This will come down to what you are planning to photograph and the duration of your hike/trek. For example, if you are planning to camp overnight you will need space for a tent and sleeping bag. But if your hikes are one day ones then you could get away with something smaller. Factor in all the items you will need such as spare clothes, a first aid kit and even cooking utensils as well as your camera gear. Then find a bag to fit what you will be carrying.
  • Water reservoir – This might seem like a trivial point when considering a bag, but being able to have a drink without having to take your bag off is incredibly useful. So one thing that I would always recommend is buying a bag that either comes with a water reservoir or one that you can fit one into. You don’t want to have to constantly stop and take your bag off every time you want to have a drink.
  • Waterproof – Most outdoor bags these days will be somewhat shower proof, but some bags also come with a rain cover that you can place over the bag. These sometimes sit under the bag and can easily be accessed when you need them.
  • Adjustable – On any long walk or hike, comfort is vital. So look for a bag that allows you to be able to adjust the straps to fit your posture. The best thing to do is to try out your given bag for a few hours with your equipment locally before setting out on your trip.

My personal choice for a hiking bag is the Lowepro Pro Trekker 650 AW camera backpack. As I rarely camp overnight, this bag is big enough to carry my camera equipment and any additional daily items. There is also a side pocket for a water reservoir (not included) and you can strap a large tripod to it as well.

pro trekker LowePro bag - camera bags for travel photographers

Lowepro Pro Trekker 650 AW camera backpack

#3 – Sling Bag

There are times that even a day bag is too big and cumbersome to carry around. Sometimes all you need is a small bag to carry your camera and a few additional accessories. Sling bags are useful for this purpose and also because you can get things in and out without having to take your bag off.

There may also be occasions (i.e. in busy events) where you can keep your bag in front of you thus making it less inviting to pickpockets and thieves. You won’t be able to carry a lot of equipment or strap your tripod to it, but a good sling bag should still have plenty of room for what you need.

I pack my sling bag into my suitcase (it folds flat) and will use it on occasions when I don’t need to take a lot of equipment. For example, some museums or viewing platforms don’t allow backpacks whereas you’ll be okay with a sling bag.

My sling bag of choice is an older version of the Lowepro Passport Sling III camera bag. It’s surprisingly spacious for its size and I can fit my DSLR as well as a wide-angle lens and a telephoto lens inside. It also has space for memory cards and batteries as well as outside pockets which are useful for things like a water bottle.

sling bag - travel photographers camera bags

#4 – Toploader

These small camera bags are only big enough for one camera and one lens (if you want it for a telephoto lens make sure you purchase the bigger size). The real benefit of these bags are that you can keep your camera on your hip for easy access. So rather than having to take your bag off to pack or unpack your camera you can simply place in this bag as and when you need to.

I find that this is especially beneficial on long hikes or treks when I sometimes may not take a photo for long periods of time but I still have it on hand when a moment presents itself.

The less obvious benefit of these bags, which I realized recently, is when traveling by air. Airlines can be very picky about the weight of your checked-in luggage. So if you find that you are over the limit you can place some items from your luggage into this bag and take it onboard. For example, on a recent trip I was able to place the head from my tripod and few other small but heavy items into this bag and avoid paying the excess weight charge.

I take my Lowepro Toploader Pro 70 AW II camera case with me on every trip. If I can, I pack it in my suitcase and use it where necessary. If my suitcase is full, I put my camera in it and carry it onto the plane in addition to my day bag.

Lowepro Toploader bag - travel photographers camera bags

#5 – Hard Case

Another option to consider for traveling are hard cases. These are suitcases which are made of a tough material which is waterproof and dustproof. They are especially designed for transporting camera equipment.

The benefit of these cases is that your equipment will be safe inside from damage. But they are generally only useful for transportation rather than day to day use. Some of the latest models are designed with a camera backpack inside which allows you to wear it like a traditional day bag. But having tested one a while ago, they are not as comfortable as the traditional day bags.

Personally I have never found a need for one to date as I carry all my equipment in my backpack. But if you are going to be traveling to harsh conditions or face the likelihood of your equipment getting wet than it would be worth investing in a hard case.

Summary

Camera bags might not be the first accessory that comes to mind when building your photography equipment inventory, but they are incredibly important. Not only will they keep your equipment safe, but they might stop you from being uncomfortable or even in pain because of the weight you are carrying.

The important thing is to not rush out and buy all of the above at once. Over the years as the need arises, you can invest in a new bag. So, think carefully about what you need and do some research into the different types of bags available.

What camera bags do you have or find useful? Please share your recommendations below.

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2018 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year winner announced

29 Jun

2018 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year winners

Nature 1st Place – and Grand Prize winner
Photo and Caption by Reiko Takahashi / National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest | MERMAID

Reiko Takahashi’s image of a humpback whale calf’s tail has been named Grand Prize winner of this year’s National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year contest. Her caption for the photo reads:

I was fortunate to have encountered a humpback whale with her calf on my first day snorkeling near Japan’s Kumejima Island. Most of the time, the calf stayed close to her mom. At one point, the calf began jumping and tapping its tail on the water near us—it was very friendly and curious. Finally, the mother, who was watching nearby, came to pick up the calf and swim away. I fell in love completely with the calf and it’s very energetic, large and beautiful tail.

Winners in three categories have also been chosen, from over 13,000 total entries. Takahashi’s photo, titled Mermaid, also took first place in the Nature category – Cities and People round out the categories.

Take a look through the winning images above and see more outstanding photos from the weeks leading up to this announcement at National Geographic’s website.

2018 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year winners

Nature 2nd Place
Photo and Caption by hao j. / National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest | FLAMINGOS TAKING OFF

Thousands of flamingos are seen taking off from the colorful Lake Natron in Tanzania. Before taking off, flamingos need to take a short run on water to build up some speed. At that moment, their long, red legs create a series of water ripples on the surface of the lake. Looking down from the helicopter, these ripple lines look like giant aquatic plants flowing in the water. This photo was taken from a helicopter.

2018 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year winners

Nature 3rd Place
Photo and Caption by Marco Grassi / National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest | MARS

These natural sand towers, capped with large stones, are known as the Earth Pyramids of Platten. They are situated in Northern Italy’s South Tyrol region. Formed centuries ago after several storms and landslides, these land formations look like a landscape from outer space and continuously change over the years and, more accurately, over seasons. This natural phenomenon is the result of a continuous alternation between periods of torrential rain and drought, which have caused the erosion of the terrain and the formation of these pinnacles. As the seasons change, the temperatures move between extremes and storms affect the area, pyramids disappear over time, while new pinnacles form as well.

2018 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year winners

Cities 1st Place
Photo and Caption by Hiro Kurashina / National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest | ANOTHER RAINY DAY IN NAGASAKI, KYUSHU

This is a view of the main street from a tram in Nagasaki on a rainy day. The tram is vintage, but retrofitted with modern ticketing equipment. A conductor is no longer on board—only the lone driver. The quiet streetscape seen through the front windshield of the tram somehow caught my attention. This view presents quite a contrast to busy urban centers in Japan, such as Tokyo and Osaka. The ride on a vintage tram through the relatively quiet main street was a memorable experience during our week-long visit to the historic city of Nagasaki.

2018 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year winners

Cities 2nd Place
Photo and Caption by Enrico Pescantini / National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest | Geometry of the Sun

Teotihuacan means ‘the place where the gods were created,’ and that’s the exact feeling visitors have when they walk along the Avenue of the Dead at this Mexican archeological site. This pyramid was dedicated to the god of Sun, and I found it mesmerizing how the rising sun in the picture conquered just half the image, while the other half is in the shadows. I have always loved archeology and ancient civilizations, so I couldn’t wait to visit Mexico and explore the remains of the pre-Columbian civilization. I planned my visit to Teotihuacan at sunrise, to get a combination of golden sunlight, play of shadows, and few crowds around. I flew my drone to see if the image I had in my mind was really out there: luckily for me, this frame was just waiting for my camera!

2018 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year winners

Cities 3rd Place
Photo and Caption by Gaanesh Prasad / National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest | REFLECTION

On an early morning, I wanted to photograph the fog, which is epic in Dubai every year from December to January—and almost every photographer’s dream in this part of the world. Sadly, I could not get access to the rooftop and so I peeped through the glazed window on a lower floor. I was overwhelmed and excited to see how beautiful the city looks, and my excitement was quadrupled as soon as I saw the reflection of the road and building on the building that I was in. I immediately opened the window to the maximum permissible amount and clicked a single shot with stretched hands.

2018 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year winners

Cities Honorable Mention
Photo and Caption by Gary Cummins / National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest | ALONE IN THE CROWDS

In this photo, I tried to bring the intense and stacked living conditions that Hong Kong is famous for into perspective for the viewer. With so many people living in small spaces, it’s strange to see all these amenities empty. As a solo traveler, I’m often alone in crowds and this photo resonates with me. I barely scratched the surface of this incredible urban environment, but this image really summarizes my experience here.

2018 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year winners

People 1st Place
Photo and Caption by Alessandra Meniconzi / National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest | TEA CULTURE

For a long time, I have been fascinated by the ancient Mongolian method of hunting with Golden Eagles. In early 2018, I followed one family of eagle hunters during their migration from winter camp to spring camp. Mongolia is sparsely populated, but the inhabitants have a very hospitable and welcoming culture. Tea for Kazakh culture is one of the attributes of hospitality. Tea isn’t just a drink, but a mix of tradition, culture, relaxation, ceremony, and pleasure. Damel, seen here wrapped in heavy fur clothes, drinks a cup of tea to keep warm from the chilly temperatures in Western Mongolia.

2018 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year winners

People 2nd Place
Photo and Caption by TATI ITAT / National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest | LEIDA AND LAELLE – I WILL LIFT YOU UP

Since 2016, I’ve been involved with Haitian immigrants and refugees living in my city, Estrela. I have become friends with some families, and especially with twin sisters, Leïda and Laëlle. They say living in Brazil is like living in paradise—very different from the reality of their country of origin. They dream of becoming models and teachers, as a way to earn money to bring their other relatives from Haiti to Brazil, to live all near one another. On this day, they were playing in front of their home, improvising exercises to develop their imagination and creativity, as if they were actresses, and playing an imitation game with poses. Laëlle reached for Leida’s face and lifted her head up, showing her where she should look. At this brief moment, I took the photo.

2018 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year winners

People 3rd Place
Photo and Caption by MD Tanveer Hassan Rohan / National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest | CHALLENGING JOURNEY

This photograph was taken from Dhaka’s airport rail station during the Eid vacation. People were returning to their village homes to spend Eid with families, and the rush at the last hour was immense. One man caught my attention: he was dangling on a train’s handle with his family, trying to get inside the train. At that time, rain started and the train began to slowly move. The family had tickets to board the train, but couldn’t get to their seats. There are many people like him, who come to Dhaka for work—leaving their families and home villages—so when they get vacation, they don’t want to miss the opportunity to spend time with dear ones, no matter what.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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