Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time
The Canadian Rockies have always offered breathtaking sights, but take this dramatic mountain setting and pair it with a rare comet that won’t be visible for another 6,800 years and you’ve got the recipe for an awe-inspiring photo opportunity – one that photographers only dream of.
For an Australian mechanical engineer turned award-winning travel and landscape photographer, this dream became a reality in July 2020.
Over July and August, comet NEOWISE became the “Holy Grail” of many photographers out there. I also had my own attempts to capture it before it goes away for another 6,800 years. It was uncertain whether or not the comet will survive its Sun flyby and return for our descendant to observe. But according to a recent image made with Hubble telescope, NEOWISE has survived and will be here for our children’s children’s children’s… children to observe.
Like probably every photographer out there, I was determined to see and shoot the comet NEOWISE. I’m not very skilled at astrophotography, but come on – this is something you see once in a million years (or 6,800, to be exact). So, I set out to find the best observation spot, find the comet, and shoot it. Did I succeed? Nope. But did I love every minute of this adventure? Hell yes!
Although the photos I ended up with are underwhelming, to say the least, this whole experience has taught me a lot. In this rather personal article, I’d like to share my journey and five of my biggest insights. Hopefully, it will inspire you, amuse you, and put a smile on your face, which is just what this comet chasing did for me.
In an attempt to enable high-speed internet all over the world, SpaceX has launched 540 Starlink satellites into orbit so far. The planned number is 12,000, but they’re already ruining the party for astronomers and astrophotographers alike. Daniel López recently tried taking a photo of the comet Neowise, but Starlink satellites ruined it completely.
I believe your social media timeline is covered in photos of the comet Neowise. Perhaps you’ve taken some photos yourself, too. But here’s something a little bit different. The astronauts on board the International Space Station (ISS) have captured photos of the comet from some 254 miles above the Earth. And then, Seán Doran turned them into this beautiful 7-minute video.
Astrophotographers have the opportunity to spot a rare object in the sky this month. A newly discovered comet, NEOWISE, is flying through the inner solar system for the first time in 6,800 years. (6,800 FRIGGIN YEARS!!!). This comet has been getting brighter and brighter in the early-morning sky and, in the coming days, it will make an appearance in the evening after sunset. It is now brighter than Halley’s Comet appeared when it whizzed through the inner solar system in 1986.
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