All photos by Damien Guiot. Used with Creative Commons permission.
When it comes to summer scenes, it’s always sunsets at the beach or the golden sunrise that gets the spotlight. But nighttime can also be a great shooting opportunity during summer. This is what Damien Guiot shows us in his stunning collection of starry nightscapes shot around the Vosges in France. For those of us who have skipped shooting the night skies in favor of the deep blues and vibrant golds of sunrise and sunset, this series will inspire us to try it out.
Guiot shows us why summer nights, with clear, moonless skies, are the best for dabbling in astrophotography. The Vosges, a low mountain range in eastern France near the border with Germany, proved an excellent location for this purpose with the variety of elements for both background and foreground, both natural and man-made. Aside from the sea of stars, a prominent feature of this series is the ever-popular band of stars from the Milky Way Galaxy.
Looking at these starry nightscapes, there are a few points we can pick up for when we want to get into this type of photography ourselves. Astrophotography typically works best in remote spots, far away from the light pollution produced by cities. However, Guiot was also able to work with a little bit of light in the distance, appearing as a golden glow when captured in long exposure. In some photos, he also lit up some elements in the foreground to serve as extra points of interest that draw our eyes up to the stars. While these shots worked, it’s easy to see why those set against the deep blue sky, with hardly any light pollution glow in the horizon, are among the most striking in the series.
Do check out Damien Guiot’s Behance portfolio and Facebook page to see more of his work and stay updated with his photography.