Andrew Whyte, a specialist in long-exposure photography, embarked on a series of overnight shoots in two Dark Sky spots – Northumberland National Park and the Brecon Beacons.
Dark Sky Discovery sites are areas of the UK judged to suffer less light pollution and thus be better for viewing and photographing the night sky.
The Sony Alpha 7s is one of only two cameras to offer ISO sensitivity up to ISO 409,600, the other being Nikon’s D4s, and is thus well-equipped for low-light shooting.
Areas depicted in Andrew’s images include the Milky Way above Elf Kirk viewpoint in Northumberland National Park and Pontsticill Reservoir in the Brecon Beacons.
The photographs coincide with the ending of British Summer Time this weekend, which will provide increased opportunity for observing the night sky in evenings.
Bob Mizon from The British Astronomical Association said, ‘As British Summer Time ends on October 26th and we revert to ‘real’ time, stargazers and photographers both dedicated and casual can look forward to longer observing sessions outside.
‘Town dwellers may see many of the brighter stars, and planets, from back gardens, but, with a little effort, they can visit unpolluted rural sites and take advantage of the many recently created Dark Sky areas of the UK.’
Photographer Andrew Whyte commented, ‘As a long-exposure photographer, ‘I’ve been truly blown away by the image quality I can capture in low light using the Sony a7S – the shots are incredibly low noise, and the camera’s sensitivity opens up so many possibilities for the photographer.’
To see what we thought of the Sony Alpha 7s, read Richard Sibley’s full review.
