LONDON, Oct. 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Photography is now available on prescription for people struggling with their mental health, as part of a pilot project launched by Wex Photo Video and supported by the National Academy of Social Prescribing (NASP).
Dr Alex George spends time outdoors using photography to support his well-being. The NHS Doctor and Mental Health ambassador is supporting a new pilot programme by Wex Photo Video to help people struggling with their mental health.
Social prescribing works by a GP or healthcare professional referring a patient to a link worker who gets to know the individual and prescribes activities to enrich their life. Through the ‘Photography on Prescription’ programme, patients and community groups will access equipment provided by Wex and photography masterclasses with the goal of improving their mental health.
Research suggests that taking part in creative activities such as photography can help people suffering from depression, anxiety and even PTSD[2] by boosting self-esteem, reducing stress and combatting loneliness. Social prescribing can reduce the need for medical support and has been shown in some cases to reduce GP consultations by an average of 28% and A&E attendances by 24%[1].
Paul Wareham, Marketing Director of Wex Photo Video, says; “Photography can be so much more than a hobby; it’s a powerful tool for conveying emotion. By giving people with mental health difficulties access to masterclasses, equipment and ongoing support, we want to connect them to a wider community; help develop their self-esteem and give them a channel for self-expression. Whilst photography will never be the total solution, we hope that this project will help some people who are currently struggling.”
Three community groups have already signed up to be a part of the programme including Arts Network in London, creativeShift in Bristol and START Centre in Greater Manchester. It will include;
Photography masterclasses: Wex Photo Video will host in-person photography masterclasses to educate participants about the art and science of photography, allowing them to build a community at the same time as developing their skills and techniques. The masterclasses will be led by photographer Daniel Regan who uses the power of photography to facilitate difficult conversations and explore complex emotional experiences
Photography equipment: Participants in the programme will be able to use provided Canon cameras with their photos printed out in specially created journals to help them embark on their creative journey
Online resources: Wex Photo Video will provide online resources to programme participants so they can continue to explore the world of photography beyond the pilot project
Supporting ‘Photography on Prescription’, Dr Alex George, an NHS doctor and mental health ambassador says: “Social prescribing can boost self-esteem and improve your mental wellbeing. Having recently taken up photography, I can say first-hand that there is something truly remarkable about being behind the camera. Many people with mental health issues struggle to express their thoughts and emotions with words, which can make it difficult to convey how they are feeling and what they need. The saying goes that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ – that’s exactly what makes photography such a powerful outlet for self-expression.”
The first masterclass was held at Arts Network on 26th September and focused on the theme of ‘Who am I?‘. Using the Canon cameras, participants captured images to tell a story about their identity with Daniel Regan encouraging them to look at their world differently.
Feedback from the participants was positive with Daniel’s creative direction helping to inspire and focus the group. Laura, from Lewisham in London, said she would absolutely use photography to support her mental well-being and that she “feels more motivated than ever to use her camera to express [her] emotions.”
Charlotte Osborn-Forde, Chief Executive of the National Academy for Social Prescribing, says: “Social prescribing typically involves a GP or other healthcare professional referring a patient to a link worker who works closely with that person to understand the issues that are affecting their health and wellbeing. From there, the link worker supports that person to develop a plan, which could include getting practical support for housing or debt, or taking part in activities like gardening, dance, cooking, painting or, thanks to initiatives like this, photography.
A key part of the NHS’s Personalised Care programme, social prescribing can make a huge difference to people experiencing loneliness, poor mental health or a wide range of physical health conditions.”
The project is the first step in what Wex hopes will become a long-term initiative to support people, especially those with low level mental health issues, through photography. Their ambition is to expand the ‘Photography on prescription’ programme to partner with more community groups and add to their online resources.
For more information on Wex Events and how to use photography as a therapeutic tool, please visit the website here.
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On 29 July 2022, on a shore of Lake Baikal, Evenki people from all over Russia gathered for the first time. The Evenki are Indigenous people of reindeer herders, and at the Tungus congress they had the opportunity to visit their original homeland, the cradle of their culture. More recently, the Evenki have occupied a vast territory from the Yenisei River to Kamchatka, from Yakutia to China.
Above: A children’s reindeer race during the herders’ festival. Right: Valery Evseev was born in the taiga into a family of reindeer herders. With the fall of the USSR in 1991 they lost all their animals. In 2020, the government of the Republic of Sakha reopened the Syuldyukar state farm. Far right: Alla Kourbaltinova has spent her entire life camping near the village of Iengra, in the Neryungri region, in the taiga of southern Yakutia. Despite the death of her husband three years ago, she continues to raise her herd of 215 reindeer, with her son Aleksei and three employees. Below: Prokopiï, an Evenki hunter renowned throughout Yakutia, celebrates his 60th birthday in Yakutsk
Nature is everything for the Evenki people. They are traditional hunters who have been roaming the eastern forests of Siberia for centuries. The Evenki settled in the taigas of Yakutia, among larch, blueberry and reindeer moss. They lived in the presence of deer, elk, brown bear, fox, capercaillie, sable, taimen, pike, whitefish, perch and trout. It is therefore no coincidence that names of many natural sites here have Evenki roots.
Clockwise from top left: the Evenki have a history of bartering fur from reindeer and hunted animals; the patterns of traditional Evenki costumes are inspired by nature; a construction worker and activist from Yakutsk visits Oymyakon, the coldest village in the world; Aliona Antipina, 11, of Russian origin, was born in Iengra
For their nobility and courage, these nomads were called “the aristocrats of Siberia”. It was the Evenks of Yakutia who guided Russian prospectors to the riches of the subsoil, playing the role of mushers for geologists whom they taught to survive in a harsh climate. Like many Indigenous peoples elsewhere in the territory, they enabled the industrial development of the Soviet Union.
The photo at the bottom left: A hereditary reindeer herder, working as musher of geological expeditions. The photo at the bottom right: Sadynsky taiga, reindeer herding brigade, 1967. The photo at the top right: Three men working as reindeer mushers and guides in 1964 in Yakutia’s Lensky district
Today, Russia is the third largest producer of gold, while one out of three diamonds mined in the world comes from Yakutia. Somehow, the Evenki cohabit with the industrialists who exploit their lands, sacrificed on the altar of economic growth. They regret it all the more because they hoped for a better tomorrow for their children.
The diamond industry organised drilling and extraction in the forest near the rural town of Syuldyukar, attached to the town of Mirny – the richest region of Yakutia – without warning its residents or local authorities. Here, the mayor came to meet the site manager to invite him to speak to the locals and offer to pay them compensation
The taiga is massively demolished, the beds of rivers are ransacked and the water tables are polluted.
Above: Children are taught the Evenki language in a kindergarten in Iengra, the only village in Yakutia where the inhabitants have retained its use. Right: on the Iengra fur farm, the Evenki breed sables and foxes. A sable skin can sell for 3,000 rubles (£25), and a white fox skin for 8,000 rubles. Far right: Galina Lazareva lives alone in Iengra. In the late 1960s, she worked with mining company geologists. For several years she was a guide for gold prospectors in southern Yakutia. Below: Galina’s great-granddaughter sings at the Baptist church House of Prayer. Representatives of this evangelical Christian movement arrived in Iengra in 1992
The preservation of nature is the priority for the Evenki. Without the reindeer and the environment that nurtures them, they will no longer be able to exist as a people. They are native and attached to their land, and an integral part of the ecosystem.
Top left: Radik eats pork rillettes on the back of a snowmobile after a day of fishing with his father in the frozen taiga. Top right: Victor Starkov, a retired coal boiler driver, fishes in Oymaykon, the coldest permanently inhabited rural Yakut settlement on the planet. That day, it was -55C. Above: Georgy Sofronov practises lasso throwing. He is a multiple Russian champion in northern combined events, including lasso throwing and sled jumping, two traditional Evenki sports. Right: traditionally in the taiga, the wife of a reindeer herder is responsible for bringing firewood and water, sometimes from a frozen river
Nikita Zimov, the director of the Northeast Science Station in Yakutia which is used as a year-round base for international research in arctic ecology, observes the thawing of permafrost layer in Duvanny Yar, located along the Kolyma River above the Arctic circle in Yakutia
Meet Zay Yar Lin, a distinguished photographer hailing from Myanmar, whose work has garnered international acclaim and numerous awards. His lens traverses the globe, capturing exquisite and impactful images that delve into the essence of various cultures, traditions, and everyday life.
For Zay, the magic of photography lies in the interplay of lighting, composition, and color, each element adding depth and allure to his visual narratives. Beyond these technical aspects, he believes in the profound significance of capturing moments and weaving compelling stories through his lens. Zay’s passion finds its focus in three distinctive styles: culture, portraits, and landscapes. Through these lenses, he skillfully tells the stories of people and places, painting vivid and meaningful portraits of the world around us.
Scroll down and inspire yourself. Please check Zay’s Website and Instagram for more amazing work.
You can find more info about Zay Yar Lin:
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As an internationally recognized and award-winning photographer hailing from Myanmar, Zay journey in the realm of photography began in 2014. Fueled by a passion for creativity, his aim has always been to capture the essence of interesting, beautiful, and awe-inspiring moments through his lens.
Photography quickly became Zay’s love affair, prompting me to embark on extensive travels and capture the world’s wonders. Despite his role as a seafarer, serving as the Captain of a ship, he dedicated his precious vacation time to honing his craft. Zay’s ultimate aspiration? To transition into a full-time professional photographer.
Being largely self-taught, Zay relied on the wealth of knowledge and inspiration available on social media and online photography communities. It was through these platforms that he cultivated his skills and found his artistic voice. In 2014, his dedication bore fruit when he clinched his first international photography award—an achievement that served as a powerful catalyst, propelling his further into the realm of photography.
In addition to unveiling its new iPhone 15 lineup and releasing iOS 17, Apple finished off September by sending out the first beta of iOS 17.1 to developers and public beta testers alike.
While we’re still in the early stages of exploring what iOS 17.1 will ultimately bring to the table, it appears to at least be laying some of the groundwork for iOS 17 features that are yet to arrive, and it’s also fixed a few annoying bugs along the way.
However, it also brings a few other fun and useful tweaks. One of which is, as the folks at 9to5Mac discovered, a much more flexible way of displaying your favorite photos on your Lock Screen.
One of the most significant and fun features to arrive in iOS 16 last year was the ability to customize your Lock Screen far beyond a single static wallpaper. A wealth of new options let you turn your iPhone screen into something more akin to an Apple Watch face, complete with complication-style widgets, live backgrounds for things like astronomy and weather, and even dynamic photo galleries.
That last one was a breath of fresh air for those who like to keep things interesting, but sadly, it had a few limitations that meant you weren’t always seeing the best of your photo collection whenever you picked up your iPhone.
The Lock Screen, dubbed Photo Shuffle, could randomly cycle through images, either changing them up on an hourly or daily schedule or each time you unlocked or tapped your iPhone. However, your selections in the dynamic album were limited to filtering by four categories: People, Pets, Nature, or Cities.
While the People category let you choose who you wanted to include pictures of, the other three relied on Apple’s machine learning to select images that Apple thought might be worth putting on your Lock Screen.
Although iOS 16 later added a way to remove specific photos from the shuffle, that had to be done individually for each image and could get quite cumbersome if your iPhone brought up a larger list of photos you didn’t want to see.
Thankfully, Apple has added a new option in iOS 17.1 that should prove highly useful for Photo Shuffle fans who were disappointed with what iOS 16 had to offer.
As 9to5Mac discovered, creating a new Photo Shuffle now offers the option to use an Album instead of the predefined categories. For now, at least, this is an either-or choice — you can use a single album, or you can choose the People/Pets/Nature/Cities categories, but you can’t mix both.
For the most part, the album selections are also mostly limited to those you’ve manually created. The Favorites album is available, but other Smart Albums like Selfies, Portrait, and Recents aren’t included.
Further, once you’ve saved a Photo Shuffle Lock Screen using an album, you won’t be able to switch it over to the categories or vice-versa. You can change the selected album, but if you want a Photo Shuffle Lock Screen for people or pets, you’ll need to create a new one.
The same applies to using an album for an existing Photo Shuffle Lock Screen. The album option doesn’t appear when editing a current screen, only when creating a new one. However, it’s important to remember that we’re dealing with the very first iOS 17.1 beta here, so that could change before the final release.
Note that even when using an album for Photo Shuffle, iOS 17.1 will still try to limit what appears to those photos that are appropriate for your Lock Screen, but unfortunately, there’s no Don’t Feature Photo option on the pop-up menu when pulling photos from an album, so the only way to get rid of a picture you don’t want is to remove it from the album entirely. Again, though, that might change by the time iOS 17.1 is released to the public.
Last year, iOS 16 introduced a whole new world of dynamic lock screens to personalize your iPhone experience.
One of these options was the Photo Shuffle lock screen, which randomly cycled through images from your photo library. However, it was missing a critical point of customization that made it hard to use for most people. But thankfully, this functionality gap has now been filled with iOS 17.1 …
Since the launch of iOS 16, the Photo Shuffle wallpaper let you choose from several categories, based on the types of images detected in your Photos app library and camera roll. You could choose to shuffle images of People, Nature or Pets.
The problem was these automatic collections were often incomplete, and could not be edited – you couldn’t add or remove photos other than filtering out particular detected faces altogether in the People collection. This made the lock screen often useless as it would surface images that weren’t necessarily relevant or interesting, and no real way to fine tune it.
As of iOS 17.1, there’s a new option when you create a Photo Shuffle lock screen: the ability to choose a specific album. This gives you the control to choose what images you want to see on your lock screen, by curating a specific album or simply using the Favorites album.
The iOS system will still analyze the content of the album to find the most suitable pictures, such as portraits to apply the overlapping subject over the time effect. But it means you will only ever see the photos that you want to see. Point it at a hand-crafted album of holiday or baby pictures and it will now dutifully oblige.
iOS 17.1 is currently in developer and public beta. It will be available as a free update for all iPhone and iPad users later this month.
How to create a Photo Shuffle lock screen
Long-press on your current lock screen to open the gallery view.
Press the blue ‘Add’ button at the bottom of the screen.
Press Photo Shuffle at the top of the Add New Wallpaper panel.
Press the new Album option and choose your album.
Select Shuffle Frequency to customize how frequently you will see a different photo.
Press ‘Use Album’ button to confirm and optionally choose a color filter by swiping side-to-side, like black and white.
Finally, press Add button in the top-right corner of the screen to start using your new lock screen.
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On the first page of Micaiah Carter’s debut photography book, “What’s My Name,” there is a picture of three men in ’70s garb—high-waist slacks, black leather vest, round sunglasses—posing on the checkered floor of a photo studio. One of the men sits on a stool, while the other two are standing, dapping each other up. Carter, who has made a name for himself as one of the most in-demand celebrity and fashion editorial photographers, did not shoot this particular image. It comes from a trove of family pictures he sprinkled throughout his 230-page book, which is being published by Prestel and will be available for purchase on October 3. The tome features images of superstars like Zendaya and Megan Thee Stallion rendered in Carter’s signature artistic style: soft, colorful, and cozy, lending the distinct feeling that you know the subjects personally. In the case of the photo of the three men, Carter knows them better than most: the guy on the right, who’s biting down on a wooden pipe and holding up his fist, is Carter’s father. “That’s an image of him and his friends in Vietnam,” the photographer says. “It’s part of a series of shoots they did at a local portrait shop. My dad had these in his scrapbook and let me use them for my projects while he was alive.”
When Prestel approached Carter to create a book of his photographic works, the photog instantly knew he wanted to include images from his family’s archive. In college, he’d leaf through pictures of his grandparents, parents, aunts, and uncles—which reminded Carter that a penchant for style and having a great eye was in his blood. “This series of images guided me,” he adds. “When looking at my family album and my own, I realized there were a lot of subconscious juxtapositions between the two.” Among them: “a viewpoint of where things are today, especially compared to the photos of the past,” he says. “It gave me a real look at my parents’ endurance during the Civil Rights era and into the Black Power movement. Comparing them to my images tells the story of where we are now, and the expression and revolution that still exists since the ’70s.”
An homage to his lineage can even be found in the title of the book, whose foreword was written by Tracee Ellis Ross (she and Carter have been friends since he shot the photographs for her inaugural Pattern campaign). “‘What’s my name’ is a saying that my family uses all the time. It gives a sense of identity to who you are.”
Below, browse through a sampling of the photos in “What’s My Name.”
At just 11 years old, Blue Ivy Carter has proven she’s nurturing several artistic talents — and her grandma, Tina Knowles-Lawson, just revealed yet another one.
On Sunday, the doting grandmother shared a video on Instagram. Recording herself in a dressing room mirror, Knowles-Lawson said, “Hi! I’m here with the makeup guru, makeup extraordinaire, Miss Blue Ivy Carter.” Blue waved in the background as her grandma shared, “She just did my makeup. She’s been doing my makeup for years, and I really like it.”
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 14: Tina Knowles-Lawson attends a special screening and brunch for Warner Bros’ “King Richard” at NeueHouse Los Angeles on November 14, 2021 in Hollywood, California. Photo by Maury Phillips/Getty Images.
Knowles-Lawson’s gorgeous look included red lipstick, a shimmery smoky eye, contoured cheeks, a wash of blush, and filled-in brows. She continued, “I just don’t know about… I don’t know if you can see it, but I’ve got, like, little glittery stuff on the top.” Knowles-Lawson opined, “I think I might be a tad bit too old for glitter on the top of my eyes,” and Blue emphatically refuted in the background with a firm “No!”
The businesswoman asked her followers what they thought about the makeup, and they all agreed with Blue. “Mama Tina that shimmer is popping,” one person wrote. They added, “Age ain’t nothing but a number.” Someone else commented, “Look so good!!! Blue is very gifted.” Another follower funnily wrote, “If the legend Blue says the glitter works, it WORKS ”
Other fans simply praised the 11-year-old’s skill, with one effusing, “That’s right! Princess of many talents .” Another person expressed how impressive it is that Blue has been doing her grandma’s makeup for so long, writing, “For years??! wow! This is crazy! I love it!”
In the caption of the post, Knowles-Lawson wrote, “Blue IV Carter. never ceases to amaze me. She can draw, she can paint, she can do makeup, she can play the piano and the list goes on!” The proud grandmother added, “She reminds me so much of my multi-talented younger babygirl! @solangeknowles who could do well just about anything she put her mind to! But I love her makeup it is so amazing!!!”
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The night sky tonight and on any clear night offers an ever-changing display of fascinating objects you can see, from stars and constellations to bright planets, the moon, and sometimes special events like meteor showers.
Observing the night sky can be done with no special equipment, although a sky map can be very useful, and a good telescope or binoculars will enhance some experiences and bring some otherwise invisible objects into view. You can also use astronomy accessories to make your observing easier, and use our Satellite Tracker page powered by N2YO.comto find out when and how to see the International Space Station and other satellites. We also have a helpful guide on how you can see and track a Starlink satellite train.
You can also capture the night sky by using any of the best cameras for astrophotography, along with a selection of the best lenses for astrophotography.
Read on to find out what’s up in the night sky tonight (planets visible now, moon phases, observing highlights this month) plus other resources (skywatching terms, night sky observing tips and further reading)
Related: The brightest planets in October’s night sky: How to see them (and when)
Monthly skywatching information is provided to Space.com by Chris Vaughan of Starry Night Education, the leader in space science curriculum solutions. Follow Starry Night on Twitter @StarryNightEdu and Chris at @Astrogeoguy
Editor’s note: If you have an amazing skywatching photo and would like to share them with Space.com’s readers, send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to [email protected].
Calendar of observing highlights
Sunday, October 1 – Bright Moon beside Jupiter (all night)
On Sunday night, October 1, the bright, waning gibbous moon will shine close enough to the very bright planet Jupiter for them to share the view in binoculars (orange circle). (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)
On Sunday night, October 1, the bright, waning gibbous moon will shine close enough to the very bright planet Jupiter for them to share the view in binoculars (orange circle). The duo will rise in the east at around 8 p.m. local time and then cross the sky all night long. By sunrise on Monday morning, the moon and Jupiter will be positioned high in the west. By then Jupiter will be positioned a palm’s width below the moon.
Monday, October 2 – Moon between Uranus and the Pleiades (all night)
In the eastern sky on Monday evening, October 2, use your binoculars to view the scattered stars of the Pleiades cluster (also known as Messier 45) twinkling just a few finger widths to the left (or 2 degrees to the celestial north) of the bright, waning gibbous moon. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)
In the eastern sky on Monday evening, October 2, use your binoculars to view the scattered stars of the Pleiades cluster (also known as Messier 45) twinkling just a few finger widths to the left (or 2 degrees to the celestial north) of the bright, waning gibbous moon. The cluster, which covers a patch of sky several times larger than the moon, will be a challenge to see against the bright moon’s glare. Instead, hide the moon beyond the lower right edge of your binoculars’ field of view. Skywatchers viewing the scene later, or in more westerly time zones, will see the moon tucked in closer below the cluster. The bright planet Jupiter will shine off to the moon’s upper right. The magnitude 5.7 blue-green dot of Uranus, which is also visible in binoculars, will be positioned about midway between the moon and Jupiter.
Tuesday, October 3 – View Rupes Altai (all night)
On Tuesday night, October 3, the curved terminator on the moon will fall just to the right (or lunar east) of a large, curved escarpment on the moon known as Rupes Altai. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)
On Tuesday night, October 3, the curved terminator on the moon will fall just to the right (or lunar east) of a large, curved escarpment on the moon known as Rupes Altai, making that feature especially easy to see with sharp eyes and through binoculars and telescopes. The cliff, which climbs up to 0.6 miles or 1 km above the lunar surface, is actually part of the rim of ancient Mare Nectaris. Its curve runs parallel to the edge of that large, dark basin, which will appear to its upper right (lunar northeast), partly in shadow.
Watch for the large crater named Piccolomini straddling the southeastern end of the cliff. Rupes Altai is highlighted every lunar month when the waxing moon is about 5 days past new and again when the waning moon is approaching third quarter.
Friday, October 6 – Third Quarter Moon (at 13:48 GMT)
The moon will complete three quarters of its orbit around Earth, measured from the previous new moon, on Friday, October 6 at 9:48 a.m. EDT, 6:48 a.m. PDT, or 13:48 GMT. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)
The moon will complete three quarters of its orbit around Earth, measured from the previous new moon, on Friday, October 6 at 9:48 a.m. EDT, 6:48 a.m. PDT, or 13:48 GMT. At the third (or last) quarter phase the moon appears half-illuminated, on its western, sunward side. It will rise around midnight local time, and then remain visible until it sets in the western daytime sky in early afternoon. Third quarter moons are positioned ahead of the Earth in our trip around the Sun. About 3½ hours later, Earth will occupy that same location in space. The week of dark, moonless evening skies that follow this phase are the best ones for observing fainter deep sky targets.
Saturday, October 7 – The Dolphin Swims the Southern Sky (all night)
During the evening in early October, the small constellation of Delphinus is positioned high in the southern sky. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)
During the evening in early October, the small constellation of Delphinus is positioned high in the southern sky. Look for its five 4th magnitude stars shining just to the lower left (or celestial southeast) of the line connecting the very bright stars Deneb and Altair. According to Greek legend, Poseidon, god of the seas, was assisted in a matter of the heart by a friendly dolphin, so he rewarded it with a place of honor in the heavens.
Delphinus’ brightest two stars are bluish Sualocin, at the top of its head, and whitish Rotanev, at the nape of its neck. Those funny appellations are actually the name of 19th-century astronomer Nicolaus Venator spelled backwards. Gamma Delphinus, the star marking the dolphin’s nose, is a close-together double star with one component a greenish color. Despite swimming close to the Milky Way, Delphinus’ only prominent deep sky objects are two globular clusters designated NGC 7006 and NGC 6934, which are also numbers C42 and C47, respectively on Sir Patrick Moore’s Caldwell List.
Sunday, October 8 – The Andromeda Galaxy (all night)
In October, the Andromeda Galaxy is climbing the northeastern sky during evening. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)
In October, the Andromeda Galaxy is climbing the northeastern sky during evening. This large spiral galaxy, also designated Messier 31 and NGC 224, is 2.5 million light years from us, and covers an area of sky measuring 3 by 1 degrees (or six by two full moon diameters)! Under dark skies, M31 can be seen with unaided eyes as a faint smudge located 1.4 fist diameters to the left (or 14 degrees to the celestial northeast) of Alpheratz, the star that forms the left-hand (northwestern) corner of the square of Pegasus.
The three westernmost stars of Cassiopeia, Caph, Shedar, and Navi (Gamma Cas), also conveniently form an arrow that points towards M31. Binoculars will reveal the galaxy better. In a telescope, use low magnification and look for M31’s two smaller companion galaxies, the foreground Messier 32 and more distant Messier 110 (inset).
Tuesday, October 10 – Crescent moon near Venus and Regulus (pre-dawn)
For several mornings surrounding October 9, the very bright planet Venus will travel past Leo’s brightest star Regulus in the eastern sky (dotted red path). (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)
For several mornings surrounding October 9, the very bright planet Venus will travel past Leo’s brightest star Regulus in the eastern sky (dotted red path). A pretty sight will greet early risers on Tuesday morning, October 10 when the crescent of the old moon will shine close to the duo for a few hours before sunrise. Regulus will sparkle between the moon and the planet. All three objects will look terrific in binoculars and make a nice photo when composed with some interesting foreground scenery.
Thursday, October 12 – Morning Zodiacal Light for Mid-Northern Observers (pre-dawn)
During autumn at mid-northern latitudes every year, the ecliptic (green line) extends nearly vertically upward from the eastern horizon before dawn. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)
During autumn at mid-northern latitudes every year, the ecliptic (green line) extends nearly vertically upward from the eastern horizon before dawn. That geometry favors the appearance of the faint zodiacal light in the eastern sky for about half an hour before dawn on moonless mornings. Zodiacal light is sunlight scattered by interplanetary particles that are concentrated in the plane of the solar system – the same material that produces meteor showers. It is more readily seen in areas free of urban light pollution.
Between now until the full moon on October 28, look for a broad wedge of faint light extending upwards from the eastern horizon and centered on the ecliptic. It will be strongest in the lower third of the sky, below the bright planet Venus. Try taking a long exposure photograph to capture the zodiacal light, but don’t confuse it with the Milky Way, which is positioned nearby in the southern sky
In the constellation of Perseus, Algol, also designated Beta Persei, marks the glowing eye of Medusa from Greek mythology. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)
In the constellation of Perseus, Algol, also designated Beta Persei, marks the glowing eye of Medusa from Greek mythology. The star is among the most accessible variable stars for skywatchers. During a ten-hour period that repeats every 2 days, 20 hours, and 49 minutes, Algol dims noticeably and re-brightens by about a third. This happens when a fainter companion star with an orbit nearly edge-on to Earth crosses in front of its much brighter primary, reducing the total light output we perceive.
Algol normally shines at magnitude 2.1, similar to the nearby star Almach (aka Gamma Andromedae). But when fully dimmed, Algol’s brightness of magnitude 3.4 is almost identical to Rho Persei (or Gorgonea Tertia or ρ Per), the star sitting just two finger widths to Algol’s lower right (or 2.25 degrees to the celestial south). On Thursday evening, October 12 at 8:24 p.m. EDT or 00:24 GMT, Algol will be at its minimum brightness. At that time it will be located in the lower part of the northeastern sky. Five hours later the star will return to full intensity from a perch nearly overhead.
Saturday, October 14 – New Moon and Annular Solar Eclipse (at 17:59 GMT)
Skywatchers in the Americas (except Alaska and the southern tip of South America) and the surrounding portions of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans will be treated to a solar eclipse when the moon passes the sun at new moon on Saturday, October 14. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)
Skywatchers in the Americas (except Alaska and the southern tip of South America) and the surrounding portions of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans will be treated to a solar eclipse when the moon passes the sun at new moon on Saturday, October 14. Since the moon will have reached apogee several days earlier, it will still be far enough from the Earth and small enough not to completely block the sun’s disk, resulting in an annular solar eclipse, or “ring of fire.”
The narrow track where true annularity will be visible will begin near Eugene, Oregon at 16:15:52 GMT or 9:15:52 a.m. PDT. From there the annular eclipse will sweep southeast through parts of Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and western Texas – treating Corpus Christi to annularity for 5 minutes centred on 16:58:17 GMT or 11:58:17 a.m. CDT. The ring will next pass over the Yucatan Peninsula and portions of Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama, then Colombia south of Bogota and central Brazil. It will move offshore at Natal, Brazil at 19:47:29 GMT or 4:47:29 p.m. BRT, about half an hour before the sun and moon set in the west. The regions surrounding the annularity track will see a partial solar eclipse. Exact times for your location can be obtained from astronomy apps like Starry Night and SkySafari. No part of this solar eclipse will be safe to look at without proper protective solar filters.
Sunday, October 15 – Razor-thin Crescent Moon near Mars (after sunset)
Above the western horizon after sunset on Sunday, October 15, the very slim crescent of the moon will be positioned two finger widths (or 2 degrees) from Mars. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)
Above the western horizon after sunset on Sunday, October 15, the very slim crescent of the moon will be positioned two finger widths (or 2 degrees) from Mars. At mid-northern latitudes the duo will be very hard to spot in the twilit sky. From there, Mars will be located to the moon’s right. Observers at tropical latitudes and farther south will see the duo much more easily, with Mars located to the moon’s lower right. Regardless of viewing location, they’ll be cozy enough to share the view in binoculars (orange circle), but don’t point optical aids in their direction until the sun has completely set.
Wednesday, October 18 – Crescent Moon in the Scorpion’s Claws (after dusk)
After dusk on Wednesday, October 18 look a short distance above the southwestern horizon to see the pretty waxing crescent moon shining several finger widths to the upper left of the bring reddish star Antares, the heart of Scorpius. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)
After dusk on Wednesday, October 18 look a short distance above the southwestern horizon to see the pretty waxing crescent moon shining several finger widths to the upper left of the bring reddish star Antares, the heart of Scorpius. They’ll share the field of view of your binoculars (orange circle) until they set around 8 p.m. local time. Hours earlier, observers in southwestern Asia can watch the moon pass in front of (or occult) Antares. For those in the Azores, eastern Canary Islands, most of Europe (except northern Scandinavia), most of northern Africa, and the rest of the Middle East, the occultation will occur in daytime.
Friday, October 20 – Double Shadow Transit on Jupiter (06:00 to 07:40 GMT)
Early on Friday morning, October 20 observers with telescopes in the Americas can watch the round black shadows of two of Jupiter’s moons cross the giant planet together for more than 90 minutes. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)
Early on Friday morning, October 20 observers with telescopes in the Americas can watch the round black shadows of two of Jupiter’s moons cross the giant planet together for more than 90 minutes. Io‘s small shadow will begin its trip across Jupiter’s equator at 1:41 a.m. EDT or 5:41 GMT. Ganymede‘s much larger shadow will appear in Jupiter’s southern polar region at 2 a.m. EDT or 06:00 GMT. They’ll cross together until Ganymede’s shadow moves off the planet at 3:40 a.m. EDT or 07:40 GMT, leaving Io’s shadow to complete its crossing about 10 minutes later.
Saturday, October 21 – Orionids Meteor Shower Peak (pre-dawn)
The annual Orionids meteor shower is produced when the Earth crosses through a cloud of small particles dropped by repeated passages of Comet Halley in its orbit. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)
The annual Orionid meteor shower is produced when the Earth crosses through a cloud of small particles dropped by repeated passages of Comet Halley in its orbit. Viewed in a dark sky during the peak of the shower, 10 to 20 bright and fast-moving meteors are usually seen each hour. Although this shower is active from September 26 to November 22, it will peak in the Americas on the evening of Saturday, October 21, when Earth will be crossing the densest region of the particle field.
Start watching for Orionids after dusk on Saturday night, especially after the half-illuminated moon sets around 11:30 p.m. The very best viewing time for the Americas will be before dawn on Sunday morning, October 22 when the sky overhead will be plowing directly into the particle cloud. Orionids meteors will appear anywhere in the sky, but they can be traced back to their radiant in the constellation of Orion.
Sunday, October 22- First Quarter Moon (at 03:29 GMT)
The moon will complete the first quarter of its journey around Earth on Sunday, October 22 at 03:29 GMT. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)
The moon will complete the first quarter of its journey around Earth on Sunday, October 22 at 03:29 GMT. That translates to Saturday, October 21 at 11:29 p.m. EDT or 8:29 p.m. PDT. At first quarter, the moon’s 90 degree angle from the sun will cause us to see it half-illuminated – on its eastern side, and shining near the Teapot-shaped stars of Sagittarius after dusk.
At first quarter, the moon always rises around mid-day and sets around midnight, so it is also visible in the afternoon daytime sky, too. The evenings surrounding first quarter are the best ones for seeing the lunar terrain when it is dramatically lit by low-angled sunlight, especially along the terminator, the pole-to-pole boundary that separates the lit and dark hemispheres.
Monday, October 23 – Venus at Greatest Western Elongation (pre-dawn)
On Monday, October 23, Venus will reach its greatest separation, 46.5 degrees west of the sun, for its current morning appearance. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)
On Monday, October 23, Venus will reach its greatest separation, 46.5 degrees west of the sun, for its current morning appearance. The very bright, magnitude -4.5 planet will be shining in the eastern sky from the time it rises at about 3:30 a.m. local time until dawn. Viewed through a telescope, Venus will show a waxing, half-illuminated disk (inset) spanning 24.2 arc-seconds.
Tuesday, October 24 – Bright Moon near Saturn (evening)
After dusk on Tuesday evening, October 24, look in the lower part of the southern sky for Saturn’s yellowish dot shining almost a fist’s diameter to the upper right (or 9 degrees to the celestial west) of the waxing gibbous moon. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)
After dusk on Tuesday evening, October 24, look in the lower part of the southern sky for Saturn’s yellowish dot shining almost a fist’s diameter to the upper right (or 9 degrees to the celestial west) of the waxing gibbous moon. By the time Saturn sets in the west-southwest around 2:15 a.m. local time, the diurnal rotation of the sky will have lifted the moon to Saturn’s upper left and somewhat farther from the planet. On the previous evening, Saturn will shine to the upper left of the moon.
Wednesday, October 25 – Crater Copernicus (all night)
The nights starting on Wednesday, October 25 will be particularly good for viewing the prominent crater Copernicus, which is located in eastern Oceanus Procellarum, the dark region located due south of Mare Imbrium and slightly northwest of the moon’s centre. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)
The nights starting on Wednesday, October 25 will be particularly good for viewing the prominent crater Copernicus, which is located in eastern Oceanus Procellarum, the dark region located due south of Mare Imbrium and slightly northwest of the moon’s centre. This 800 million year old impact scar is visible with unaided eyes and binoculars – but telescope views will reveal many more interesting aspects of lunar geology.
Several nights before the moon reaches its full phase, Copernicus exhibits heavily terraced edges (due to slumping), an extensive ejecta blanket outside the crater rim, a complex central peak, and both smooth and rough terrain on the crater’s floor. Around full moon, Copernicus’ ray system, extending 500 miles (800 km) in all directions, becomes prominent. Use high magnification to look around Copernicus for small craters with bright floors and black haloes – impacts through Copernicus’ white ejecta that excavated dark Oceanus Procellarum basalt and even deeper highlands anorthosite.
Saturday, October 28 – Full Hunter’s Moon Partially Eclipsed near Jupiter (at 20:24 GMT)
The full moon of October will occur at 4:24 p.m. EDT, 1:24 p.m. PDT, or 20:24 GMT, on Saturday, October 28. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)
The full moon of October will occur at 4:24 p.m. EDT, 1:24 p.m. PDT, or 20:24 GMT, on Saturday, October 28. This full moon is traditionally called the Hunter’s Moon, Blood Moon, or Sanguine Moon. The Anishinaabe people of the Great Lakes region call it Binaakwe-giizis, the Falling Leaves Moon, or Mshkawji-giizis, the Freezing Moon. The Cree Nation of central Canada calls it Opimuhumowipesim, the Migrating Moon – the month when birds are migrating. The Haudenosaunee (Iroquois / Mohawk) of Eastern North America use Kentenha, the Time of Poverty Moon. Full moons in October always shine in or near the stars of Cetus and Pisces.
This full moon will partly dip into Earth’s shadow, producing a partial lunar eclipse visible across Africa, Europe, and Asia. Observers there will see a small bite out of the moon’s southern limb between 19:35 and 20:53 GMT, with a maximum of 12% of the moon’s diameter inside Earth’s shadow at 20:15 GMT. Lunar eclipses are safe to photograph and view without eye protection. Watch for the bright planet Jupiter shining close enough to the lower left of the moon for them to share the view in binoculars (orange circle).
Sunday, October 29 – Bright Moon Points to Uranus (all night)
A short time after the bright, still very full moon clears the treetops in the northeastern sky on Sunday evening, October 29, the planet Uranus will be situated less than three lunar diameters below it, or 1.6 degrees to the moon’s south-southeast. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)
A short time after the bright, still very full moon clears the treetops in the northeastern sky on Sunday evening, October 29, the planet Uranus will be situated less than three lunar diameters below it, or 1.6 degrees to the moon’s south-southeast. As the pair cross the night sky together, the moon’s easterly orbital motion will carry it farther from Uranus and diurnal rotation will shift the moon above the planet in the hours before dawn.
While the blue, magnitude 5.6 ice giant planet is normally easy to see in binoculars and backyard telescopes, so much bright moonlight next door will make that difficult. Uranus will occupy the sky between Jupiter and the bright Pleiades star cluster for some time, so look for the distant planet on nights when the moon isn’t around.
Monday, October 30 – Moon below the Pleiades (predawn)
As the morning sky begins to brighten on Monday, October 30, the scattered stars of the Pleiades cluster will be located a few finger widths above the moon in the western sky. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)
As the morning sky begins to brighten on Monday, October 30, use your binoculars to view the scattered stars of the Pleiades cluster (also known as Messier 45, Subaru, and the Seven Sisters) located a few finger widths above the moon in the western sky. The brighter sky will reduce the moon’s glare, allowing the seven sister stars, which are spread over an area near four times larger than the moon, to be seen more easily.
Tuesday, October 31 – The Spooky Owl Cluster (all night)
NGC 457, better known as the Owl Cluster, ET Cluster, or Dragonfly Cluster, is dominated by two prominent, close-together, yellow stars (Phi Cas and HD 7902) that form the eyes, a sprinkling of dimmer stars for the body and feet, and two curved chains of stars that look like upswept wings (inset). (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)
One of my favorite spooky objects can be seen in binoculars or a backyard telescope on autumn evenings. It’s one of the many bright, open star clusters in the W-shaped of Cassiopeia, the Queen, which you’ll find in the northeastern sky. NGC 457, better known as the Owl Cluster, ET Cluster, or Dragonfly Cluster, is dominated by two prominent, close-together, yellow stars (Phi Cas and HD 7902) that form the eyes, a sprinkling of dimmer stars for the body and feet, and two curved chains of stars that look like upswept wings (inset).
The critter is positioned with its head pointing away from Cassiopeia, which circles the north celestial pole, so it rotates through the night. The cluster occupies the 90 degree corner of a right-angle triangle that is completed by the stars Gamma Cas and Ruchbah. It’s about two finger widths above (or 2 degrees to the celestial south-southwest of) Ruchbah – as if the queen is bouncing the baby owl on her knee!
Visible planets in October
Mercury
Mercury as it will appear in the October night sky. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)
As October begins, the magnitude -1.0 planet Mercury will be visible above the eastern horizon for a short time before sunrise – but its daily drift sunward through Virgo will soon hide it from view. After it passes the sun at superior conjunction on October 20, the speedy planet will commence a poor evening apparition for mid-northern latitude observers, but a good showing for those in the tropics and farther south, where telescope views will show its fully illuminated, 4.7 arc-seconds-wide disk.
Venus
Venus as it will appear in the October night sky. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)
The brilliant planet Venus will continue to dominate the eastern pre-dawn sky during October. At the beginning of the month, the magnitude -4.7 “morning star” will rise around 3:15 a.m. local time. In a telescope it will display a waxing crescent phase and an apparent disk diameter of 31.7 arc-seconds. With each passing day, Venus will grow in illuminated phase and shrink in size while diminishing in brightness.
Venus will spend all of October traveling prograde eastward through Leo, passing 2 degrees south Leo’s brightest star, Regulus on the nights surrounding October 9. The pretty, waning crescent moon will pose to Venus’ upper left (or celestial north) on October 10. On October 23, Venus will reach its greatest separation of 46.5 degrees from the sun. At the end of October, Venus will be rising around 3:30 a.m. local time, shining at magnitude -4.4, and exhibiting a 22.3 arc-seconds-wide disk and a slightly gibbous phase in backyard telescopes.
Mars
Mars as it will appear in the October night sky. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)
Marswill spend October positioned just above the western horizon after sunset while it steadily approaches the sun. The magnitude 1.6 planet will be very hard to see from northern latitudes, but it should be visible from the tropics or farther south. Skywatchers there can try to spot the very slim crescent of the young moon positioned two finger widths above Mars (or 2 degrees to the east) on October 15.
Jupiter
Jupiter as it will appear in the October night sky. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)
The brilliant planet Jupiter will be travelling retrograde westward through the stars of southern Aries during October, in preparation for its opposition on November 3. On October 1 the magnitude -2.8 planet will rise around 8 p.m. local time along with the bright, waning gibbous moon, then cross the sky to gleam high in the west before sunrise. For the rest of the month Jupiter will appear 4 minutes earlier per night, eventually shining from dusk to dawn. Over the month, Jupiter will brighten a little and grow in apparent size from 48 to 50 arc-seconds.
Binoculars will reveal Jupiter’s four large Galilean moons flanking the planet. A backyard telescope will show its equatorial bands. A better quality instrument will reveal the Great Red Spot every 2nd or 3rd night, Jupiter’s Galilean satellites frequently eclipsing and occulting one another, and the passages of the round, black shadows they cast upon the planet.
Early on the morning of October 20 observers with telescopes in the Americas can watch the shadows of Io and Ganymede cross the giant planet together for more than 90 minutes. The full moon will return to pose just north of Jupiter on October 28.
Saturn
Saturn as it will appear in the October night sky. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)
More than a month past opposition, the prominent, creamy-yellow dot of Saturn will shine well above the southeastern horizon after dusk as October begins. The magnitude 0.6 ringed planet will culminate due south in late evening and then set during the wee hours of the morning. Saturn will be travelling retrograde westward through western Aquarius all month long – with faint Neptune following 25 degrees to its east. Viewed in a telescope during October Saturn will show an apparent disk diameter of 18.3 arc-seconds, and its rings will subtend 42.5 arc-seconds.
Saturn’s rings will be tilting more edge-on to Earth every year until the spring of 2025 and are already noticeably less wide. Quality optics and good seeing conditions will allow you to see the dark, narrow Cassini Division in the rings and the enlarging wedge of shadow that Saturn’s globe casts upon them. Watch for a handful of Saturn’s moons arrayed as tiny dots around the planet. The bright, waxing gibbous moon will hop past Saturn on October 23-24.
Uranus
Uranus as it will appear in the October night sky. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)
During October blue-green Uranus will be moving slowly retrograde west through the stars of eastern Aries and following far brighter Jupiter across the night sky. On October 1, their separation will be 8.3 degrees, but Jupiter’s faster retrograde motion will widen that to 10.8 degrees on Halloween. The Pleiades Cluster will be positioned a similar distance to Uranus’ lower left (or celestial northeast).
As October begins, the magnitude 5.66 planet, which is visible in binoculars and backyard telescopes in a dark sky, will be rising at about 8:30 p.m. local time. At the end of the month, it will be appearing two hours earlier. Uranus’ small, 3.8 arc-seconds-wide disk will best be seen in a telescope during the wee hours of the morning when the planet will be relatively high in the southern sky. On October 29, the waning gibbous moon will shine about 3 degrees to the left (or celestial north of) Uranus.
Neptune
Neptune as it will appear in the October night sky. (Image credit: Chris Vaughan/Starry Night)
Just weeks past opposition, the distant, magnitude 7.8 planet Neptune will cross the night sky all night long during October, following much brighter Saturn, which will be shining about 24 degrees to Neptune’s upper left (or celestial west). Neptune will be moving slowly retrograde westward about 7 degrees below (south of) the circle of stars that forms Pisces’ western fish. Viewed in a large telescope, Neptune’s apparent disk size will be 2.35 arc-seconds. Its large moon Triton should be visible under good conditions.
Skywatching terms
Gibbous: Used to describe a planet or moon that is more than 50% illuminated.
Asterism: A noteworthy or striking pattern of stars within a larger constellation.
Degrees (measuring the sky): The sky is 360 degrees all the way around, which means roughly 180 degrees from horizon to horizon. It’s easy to measure distances between objects: Your fist on an outstretched arm covers about 10 degrees of sky, while a finger covers about one degree.
Visual Magnitude: This is the astronomer’s scale for measuring the brightness of objects in the sky. The dimmest object visible in the night sky under perfectly dark conditions is about magnitude 6.5. Brighter stars are magnitude 2 or 1. The brightest objects get negative numbers. Venus can be as bright as magnitude minus 4.9. The full moon is minus 12.7 and the sun is minus 26.8.
Terminator: The boundary on the moon between sunlight and shadow.
Zenith: The point in the sky directly overhead.
Night sky observing tips
Adjust to the dark: If you wish to observe fainter objects, such as meteors, dim stars, nebulas, and galaxies, give your eyes at least 15 minutes to adjust to the darkness. Avoid looking at your phone’s bright screen by keeping it tucked away. If you must use it, set the brightness to minimum — or cover it with clingy red film.
Light Pollution: Even from a big city, one can see the moon, a handful of bright stars, and the brightest planets – if they are above the horizon. But to fully enjoy the heavens — especially a meteor shower, the fainter constellations, or to see the amazing swath across the sky that is the disk of our home galaxy, the Milky Way — rural areas are best for night sky viewing. If you’re stuck in a city or suburban area, use a tree or dark building to block ambient light (or moonlight) and help reveal fainter sky objects. If you’re in the suburbs, simply turning off outdoor lights can help.
Prepare for skywatching: If you plan to be outside for more than a few minutes, and it’s not a warm summer evening, dress more warmly than you think is necessary. An hour of winter observing can chill you to the bone. For meteor showers, a blanket or lounge chair will prove to be much more comfortable than standing, or sitting in a chair and craning your neck to see overhead.
Daytime skywatching: On the days surrounding first quarter, the moon is visible in the afternoon daytime sky. At last quarter, the moon rises before sunrise and lingers into the morning daytime sky. When Venus is at a significant angle away from the sun it can often be spotted during the day as a brilliant point of light – but you’ll need to consult an astronomy app to know when and where to look for it. When large sunspots develop on the sun, they can be seen without a telescope — as long as you use proper solar filters, such as eclipse glasses. Permanent eye damage can occur if you look at the sun for any length of time without protective eyewear.
In today’s fast-paced world, capturing the attention of your audience has become more challenging than ever. Whether you’re promoting an event, advertising a product, or simply trying to convey a message, a well-crafted poster can be a powerful tool in your arsenal. But what separates an ordinary poster from one that truly captivates? The answer lies in the art of crafting captivating poster photos. In this guide, we will explore the key elements and techniques that can help you create visually striking posters that leave a lasting impact.
1. Define Your Objective
Before you dive into the creative process, it’s essential to define the primary objective of your poster. What message do you want to convey? Who is your target audience? What action do you want them to take after seeing your poster? These questions will guide your design choices and help you create a poster that serves its purpose effectively.
For instance, if you’re designing a poster for a charity event, your objective might be to evoke empathy and encourage donations. In contrast, if you’re creating a poster for a rock concert, your goal could be to generate excitement and ticket sales.
2. Choose the Right Imagery
The choice of imagery is arguably the most critical aspect of crafting a captivating poster. Your visuals should be directly related to your message and evoke the desired emotions in your audience. Consider the following tips when selecting images:
High Quality: Always use high-resolution images to ensure clarity and sharpness. Blurry or pixelated visuals can instantly turn off potential viewers.
Relevance: Ensure that the imagery is relevant to your message or theme. If you’re promoting a beach party, for example, use images of sunsets, palm trees, or people having fun on the beach.
Contrast: Utilize contrast to make your visuals pop. Bold contrasts between colors or elements can create a visually striking effect.
Balance: Maintain a balance between text and visuals. While visuals are essential, don’t overcrowd your poster with images, making it difficult for viewers to read the text.
3. Typography Matters
Typography plays a significant role in poster design, which you can create and start exploring with StoryboardThat to get better results. The fonts you choose should complement the overall theme and message of your poster. Here are some typography tips:
Legibility: Ensure that your text is easy to read from a distance. Avoid overly decorative fonts that may be hard to decipher.
Hierarchy: Use font size and style to create a hierarchy of information. The most important details, such as the event name and date, should be prominent.
Alignment: Pay attention to text alignment. Centered text can convey a formal and balanced look, while left-aligned text may create a more dynamic feel.
Color: Use color strategically in your typography. The contrast between the text and background is crucial for readability.
4. Play with Color
Color is a powerful tool for evoking emotions and creating visual impact. The choice of colors should align with your message and theme. Different colors can convey various emotions:
Red: Passion, energy, excitement
Blue: Calm, trust, professionalism
Green: Growth, nature, health
Yellow: Happiness, optimism, warmth
Black: Elegance, sophistication, mystery
Consider the emotions you want to elicit and choose your color palette accordingly. However, be mindful of color psychology and cultural associations, as colors can have different meanings in different contexts.
5. Composition and Layout
The composition and layout of your poster are key elements in creating visual impact. A well-structured composition can guide the viewer’s eye and convey your message effectively. Here are some composition and layout principles to keep in mind:
Rule of Thirds: Divide your poster into a grid of thirds both horizontally and vertically. Place important elements along these lines or at their intersections to create a balanced composition.
Hierarchy: Establish a visual hierarchy by arranging elements in order of importance. The most critical information should have the most prominent placement.
Whitespace: Don’t be afraid to use whitespace. It helps reduce clutter and allows the viewer to focus on the essential elements.
Alignment: Maintain consistency in the alignment of text and visuals. This creates a sense of order and professionalism.
Conclusion
Crafting captivating poster photos is both an art and a science. It requires a deep understanding of your objectives, your audience, and the principles of design. By carefully selecting imagery, using typography effectively, playing with color, and paying attention to composition and layout, you can create posters that not only grab attention but also leave a lasting impact on viewers.
Until recently, a super-telephoto 800mm lens fixed at f/11 wouldn’t have been possible. This is because Canon EOS DSLRs simply won’t work with a lens at a minimum f/11 aperture as it can’t let enough light into the AF sensor for the AF to function properly. But thanks to the more advanced AF in the latest Canon EOS R mirrorless cameras, and their EVF (Electronic Viewfinder which brightens your view of scenes you’re shooting) an f/11 fixed aperture lens is possible. So Canon created the unique Canon RF 600mm f/11 IS STM and Canon RF 800mm f/11 IS STM super telephoto prime lenses!
It’s this narrow f/11 aperture that’s enabled Canon to make these lenses much smaller, lighter and cheaper, and the RF 800mm is impressively light and easy to shoot handheld, without any worries about arm ache associated with using such long lenses.
Having an 800mm super-duper telephoto lightweight lens started as a very exciting proposition, as I pictured myself taking amazing frame-filling shots of distant wildlife with ease! However, the RF 800mm has some distinct disadvantages when you start shooting in different scenarios.
For a start, I wouldn’t normally choose to shoot at f/11 with a telephoto for wildlife or sports, as I want to blur the background and would usually shoot around f/4 or f/2.8. The f/11 at 800mm is actually fine for blurring distant and clean backgrounds – eg a bird on a fence post with a greenery 50 yards away. But a bird in a tree with branches around, or squirrel on a forest floor, then the backgrounds look very messy.
Then there’s the impact f/11 has on your shutter speeds. Even shooting at ISO6400, I was only averaging 1/40 to 1/160 sec inside the woods in day; not fast enough to freeze the wildlife I’d set out to shoot. Plus the combo of IBIS and IS won’t help you get sharp shots if subjects aren’t totally still.
But I’m pleased to say I did find the perfect subject for a mega 800mm focal length at f/11. The RF 800mm is almost purpose built for the big, bright, faraway moon as you can see in the beautifully detailed shot on the right.
• Make sure you’re using the best lenses for wildlife photography
The RF 800mm f/11 weighs only 1260g and is 352mm when fully extended, and 282mm when retracted. It has a 95mm filter size; it’s the small f/11 aperture that’s enabled this diameter to be so relatively small, which makes the lens very portable.
2. Using a Canon RF 800mm lens
To start using the RF 800mm lens you need to twist to unlock it, then extend the lens, and twist to lock it back in place. We used the RF 800mm on a Canon EOS R6, and this combination proved to be a very lightweight setup for shooting handheld.
3. Autofocus setup
(Image credit: Future)
As we were setting out to photograph wildlife in the woods, we set up our R6’s AF using the Servo AF, AF method as Face + Tracking, Subject to detect to Animals, and Eye Detection enabled. These settings really make it easy to lock AF on wildlife.
4. Fine in sunshine
In sunny conditions at f/11 and ISO3200 with the RF 800mm, we had a fast shutter speed of 1/4000 sec – ideal for freezing even the most twitchy of little birds. But when we used the RF 800mm on darker days, or in low-light inside darker forests, things went slowly pear-shaped…
5. Struggles in lower light
In lower light levels at f/11, you’re forced to up the ISO to get decent shutter speeds. But even at ISO6400 I only able to shoot at 1/160 sec, which isn’t fast enough for most wildlife. Even if you do manage to bag a sharp subject, the f/11 aperture won’t significantly blur surrounding branches.
6. Moonlighting
While the RF 800mm is challenging to use for wildlife if not in sunny conditions, it’s the perfect lens for shooting the moon! I comfortably shot at f/11 for the brightly-lit moon at 1/250 sec and only ISO800. The detail in the moon’s craters is incredible, and I took some of my best moon photos.
PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine is the world’s only monthly newsstand title that’s 100% devoted to Canon, so you can be sure the magazine is completely relevant to your system. Every issue comes with downloadable video tutorials too.
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Check out the best cameras for wildlife photography, as well as our wildlife photography tips to get the most of your animal portraits.
