One of the most powerful forms of photography that can encourage us to consider our perspective on the world and humanity, is astrophotography. If you’re not familiar with the term, it refers (generally) to photographers who head out at night (away from urban light pollution) to photograph the night sky, including stars, meteors, planets and even parts of our own Milky Way Galaxy. It can also refer to capturing images of the cosmos from scientific observatories such as the Hubble Space Telescope and others.
In light of this inspiring form of photography, I thought it would be great to do another interview. California native Brad Goldpaint (currently residing in Mt. Shasta) seemed like the perfect choice. I recently discovered his web site and images via Google+ and was instantly floored by many of them. I think you’ll agree as you examine some of his photos of the night sky, Brad’s insights are worth paying attention to for any aspiring astrophotographer.
The Mask & The Mirror © Brad Goldpaint
Q: Brad thanks for taking the time to discuss your photography. What made you decide to go into astrophotography? Do you have any background in astronomy? Any photographers in particular have an influence on your decision?
Absolutely, Dan. Thank you for having me! My passion for the night sky began during my early adolescence, when my father took me out into the California desert, far away from the city lights of our suburban home in Southern California. I fondly remember looking up to the dark skies as my dad pointed out the Hale-Bopp comet. The anomaly at the time looked like a “fuzzy star” to my young eyes and set in motion a desire to clearly capture special moments within the night sky, in relation to our natural surroundings. The specialness of father/son time and experiencing a new and different viewpoint of my world motivated me to begin self-studying the art of astro-photography… .
