Foreword

The night sky is an essential part of nature and not just an astronomer’s laboratory. However, for many people who live in urban light dominated areas, this part of nature is completely lost. Astrophotography in any form and level, either by only a photo camera and tripod or a complete set of telescopic equipment, helps to reclaim the forgotten beauty of the night sky.

There are few other scenes in nature that astound me so deeply in the way that the rise of the Milky Way does. I have photographed such fiction-like starry scenes from bizarre locations of the planet; from the boundless darkness of the African Sahara when the summer Milky Way was arching above giant sandstones, to the shimmering beauty of the Grand Canyon under moonlight, and crystal sharp sky of Himalayas when the bright winter stars were rising above the roof of the world Mt. Everest. Astrophotography is not only about recording a part of the outer space. It leads you to a life of adventures and enjoyment which are not experienced by most of the people on this planet.

The age of digital imaging has revolutionized astrophotography. The possibility of creating inspiring images of the night sky with today’s off-the-shelf digital cameras, which was once only possible with highly sophisticated equipment, made a considerable amount of public interest to amateur astronomy and astrophotography, specially to nightscape (night sky landscape) imaging which is also often referred to as landscape astrophotography. This potential has been grown further since 2007 when an international photography and outreach program, called The World At Night (TWAN), started to increase public awareness on importance of natural night skies to our environment, culture, and art. Being the founder and director of this program allowed me to communicate with fellow astrophotographers around the globe and to learn about their characters, challenges, passions, and goals.

Mike Shaw is both an academic photography and astronomy educator and avid experienced night sky photographer who has experienced both generations, from the time of film cameras to these years that digital sensors are dominating photography. His world-class images and experiences are generated through both knowledge of physics and practice of photography. There are scattered online resources to educate nightscape photographers on various technical aspects. However, a step-by-step printed guide book has been a major missing element in the field. The “Complete Guide to Landscape Astrophotography” is an innovative and timely resource for both amateur and professional photographers with interest in the night sky and lowlight nature imaging, specially from an astronomical perspective and importance of planning. I’m privileged to collaborate with Mike Shaw on the growing number of projects such as joint workshops.

BABAK TAFRESHI
APRIL 2016