I have become obsessed with that perfect night sky picture. We live under a perfect night sky, clear enough to see the spontaneous flare of a shooting star, a passing plane or satellite.
Photographing the night sky has reminded me more of being in the moment than most other moments in nature have done. In the winter, with a still minus 25 Celsius night, the fingers pinch, bare feet (yes) sear –– I am too lazy to dress properly –– all because the night sky has caught me by surprise and I have to dash around to get camera, tripod and perhaps a coat.
Photographing the night sky can bring you into the moment, as you wait for the 25 second exposure, staring skywards, or it can take you far from the moment as you stare longingly at the camera, hoping that the picture will be clear (meanwhile the night sky revolves over head, clear as a bell, wondering if I’ll have the wherewithal to take note).
One night I half cursed as the camera focused on the Southern sky, while a shooting star streaked overhead, not that far off from a fish that got away story, but I do see them from time to time. Nothing that you can plan on.
I post this picture because I think it may be the clearest one I have taken so far, you can’t set focus on infinity, it must be just short of infinity, and for some reason I managed to set the focus just right, somewhere between here and forever. Indeed I must have been in the moment to remember all of this…
Andrew Binks 