All images by Andrea Securo. Used with Creative Commons permission.
The grandeur of the Milky Way on a clear and moonless sky is one of the favorite celestial subjects of landscape photographers and astrophotographers alike. It’s easy to see why, despite the planning and preparation often involved. We see this in the breath-taking snaps taken by Italian photographer and geophysics student Andrea Securo during some nights spent in the Dolomites. Photographing the Milky Way in strategic locations remains on the bucket list of many photographers. Such locations allow us to document the galaxy’s passing along a patch of the night sky without the light pollution and obstructions of the city. Also, the natural formations and silhouettes provide interesting foreground elements that frame the resulting image.
Andrea picked a great time to capture the beauty of the Milky Way’s celestial stride. He squeezed in an astrophotography session during a summer trek up the Dolomites, a mountain range in northeastern Italy popular among skiers and mountain climbers. He pointed his camera up the night sky to photograph the faint glow of the band of light formed by stars that cannot be individually distinguished by our naked eye.
A lot of consideration goes into capturing a flawless image of the night sky, let alone the majestic Milky Way. You have to know the best times to go (cloudless and moonless nights are ideal), and pick a location that doesn’t obstruct your view of the galaxy. Then, there are often sleepless nights of multiple tries involved. But the final images, like the ones taken by Andrea here, say it’s all worth it.
Andrea’s Milky Way photos show us a great way to use the natural landscapes as an interesting framing of the night sky. The silhouettes of the jagged peaks of the Dolomites, as well as the towering rock formations serving as the foreground in some photos, emphasize the grandeur of nature and the cosmos.
Check out Andrea Securo’s Behance portfolio and 500px page to see more of his landscape photography.
