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Kiwi Milky Way images named among world’s best in astrophotography competition

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“Winter’s Airglow” – Southern Alps, New Zealand. Photo / Larryn Rae, Capture The Atlas, Milky Way Photographer of the Year

Stargazing might be the most universal of pastimes. At every point on the planet, since ancient times, people have been looking heavenwards for after dark. Looking for our place in the universe. If there’s one unifying cosmological landmark it would have to be the Milky Way.

In China it is referred to as the ‘Heavenly River’, in parts of Eastern Europe it is a ‘Pathway of the Birds’ and sub-Saharan Africa has names including the Backbone of the Sky. Although it has many names it’s a view out on our place in the Galaxy we all share. There is also only one Milky Way of the Year Awards.

Now in its sixth year, the specialist astrophotography award has had submissions from across six continents. Awards hosts Capture The Atlas has published 25 stellar images in their annual shortlist, showing details you’d never see with the bare eye.

Three of which were taken in New Zealand.

New Plymouth-based Brendan Larsen found his perfect view of the milky way over the photogenic Mt Taranaki. Determined to get the perfect shot the camera was angled towards the maunga to align with the star belt at 2.30am.

“I’m really pleased with how many colours I was able to capture with my camera, filters, and long exposures,” said Larsen.

“Milky Way Rising over Stony River & Mt Taranaki” –
Taranaki, New Zealand. Photo / Brendan Larsen, Capture The Atlas, Milky Way Photographer of the Year

Larryn Rae was another Kiwi photographer staying up late in the mountains for the perfect shot.

“This was some of the craziest airglow I have ever seen! Airglow is when atoms get charged and excited in the upper atmosphere by the sun and emit this wonderful colour and cloud-like pattern.” The veteran Auckland-based photographer had been shortlisted in previous years.

Larryn wasn’t the only photographer to capture a night sky tinged with the Southern lights.

18-year-old Tom Rae was photographing the skies over Lake Tekapo when – to his delight – dancing lights formed on the horizon.

“Celestial Radiance” –
Lake Tekapo, New Zealand. Photo / Tom Rae, Capture The Atlas, Milky Way Photographer of the Year

“Midway through my Milky Way panorama, a faint glow appeared on the horizon—my first aurora! What followed was a spectacular light show of flowing beams and vibrant colours.” The young photographed described his “limited time photographing the night sky” has been both “awe inspiring”, if sometimes frustrating.

While the starry view of the Milky Way was a unifying theme judge Dan Zafra was looking for local landmarks and recognisable locations to ground the astral scenes.

Apart from New Zealand’s Southern Alps other earthly backdrops included Patagonian Chile’s Torres del Paine and the alien-looking bottle trees of Socotra – near Yemen.

“Modern cameras can capture vibrant details and colours in the night sky beyond what our eyes can see,” said Zafra. “However, what really matters in any great image is the photographer behind the camera, who provides the idea, plan, and creativity to bring the image to life.”

Capture The Atlas, Milky Way Photographer of the Year

“Celestial Shield” – Ávila, Spain. Photo / Iván Ferrero, Capture The Atlas, Milky Way Photographer of the Year

“The Night Train” - Graubünden, Switzerland. Photo / Alexander Forst, Capture The Atlas, Milky Way Photographer of the Year — “The Night Train” – Graubünden, Switzerland. Photo / Alexander Forst, Capture The Atlas, Milky Way Photographer of the Year

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Jaya Hunn uses passion for plant and animal conservation to win 2022 Landcare Junior photography competition

A young boy looks closely at a flower through a camera lense.

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Jaya Hunn was at home sick when he learned his picture of a sundew plant had won a national photography competition hosted by Landcare Australia.

The 11-year-old Canberra boy’s passion for conservation and plant life was recognised for the image of the plant glistening with dew at Umbagong District Park in Canberra’s north.

It was one of two national winners in Landcare Junior’s “What’s in your backyard?” 2022 photography competition.

A carnivorous sundew plant in a pile of mulch. — “Sticky sundews” by Jaya Hunn won the 2022 Landcare Junior “What’s in your backyard?” photography competition.(Supplied: Jaya Hunn)

“[A sundew] is a carnivorous plant that traps flies and insects,” Jaya said.

“They smell the sweet smell of the tips of the tentacles, and when the flies land on them they get stuck there and digested by the plant.

“I like them because other plants tend to move not at all while carnivorous plants have some of the highest plant move speed of all the plants.”

He said it was very exciting to find out his photo had won the national prize and was a personal favourite of celebrity judge Costa Georgiadis, especially since Jaya hadn’t even set out to enter the contest.

“I’ve been doing some land care down the Umbagong Park with Landcare group and then I just took this photo of a sundew because we found out when we were weeding,” he said.

“Then when I heard about the competition, I decided to enter it.”

‘No conservation, no plants, no life’

Jaya’s mother Di Hunn said her family have always loved being in the garden, but their love of tending to the great outdoors really took off during COVID-19 lockdowns.

A young boy with a camera and a woman in a pink hat stand on wet river rocks. — Di Hunn says she and Jaya became more involved in local conservation during lockdown.(ABC News: Matt Roberts)

“With the lockdown, and the schools being shut in particularly, we were just so lucky to have this local reserve,” she said.

“We were really keen to start helping look after this lovely place, so we started going to Landcare.

“Rosemary, who leads it, has been so encouraging of Jaya. She was the one that suggested he started taking photos for the group.”

Di and Jaya got involved with the Umbagong Landcare Group in Latham and began learning more about their local plants and animals from other members.

Jaya took to discovering more about his natural surrounds and now he is passionate about conservation in Canberra and beyond.

“No conservation, no plants, no life,” he said.

“That’s basically the end for humankind so you have to keep every tiny bit of natural parks clean and safe, and that’s basically contributing to the life of all mankind.”

Nurturing the land ‘from the word go’

Jaya is hopeful the notoriety from winning the photography contest could help him do more for Landcare’s conservation effort.

“I want to maybe make a website, starting small and maybe ending up in protests to help nature survive,” he said.

“I want to take the national acknowledgement – a lot of people know me now – and try to make lots of people go into Landcare to make national parks and nature reserves a bit more beautiful.

“They’ve got rubbish all over them and the Landcare groups help to get rid of some of the rubbish.”

An older woman in a sun hat smiles. — Rosemary Blemmings says many young people are enthusiastic about nature conservation.(ABC News: Peter Lusted)

Rosemary Blemmings has volunteered with Landcare for about 30 years and said Jaya’s enthusiasm isn’t uncommon for someone his age.

“Young people have always been interested because they’re at a level where they can see these things,” she said.

“The trick of course is how to send over the message of how to treat other species.”

Rosemary said while more people have become more conscious of nature protection, the group’s work is far from done and could even use more pairs of hands.

“Just putting the suburbs in has done enormous damage to the habitats of animals and plants, and to the shape of the land,” she said.

“It’s important to have [land care groups] nurturing them right from the word go.”

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ART BEAT: Debra Barnhart takes her nature photography to the tumultuous Farallon Islands | Entertainment

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‘No conservation, no plants, no life’

Nurturing the land ‘from the word go’