Luc Roymans on Photographing the Night Sky and the Aurora Borealis

Photographer Luc Roymans shares how he captures stunning pictures of the night time sky and his exceptional journeys photographing the aurora borealis.

The night time sky by no means ceases to amaze. Whether or not it’s pitch black, stuffed with stars, or glowing with the aurora borealis, there’s one thing about it that captures our consideration and retains it. Capturing pictures of the night time sky might be an expertise not like some other for photographers.

“While you’re taking pictures nature, you might be typically disconnected from on a regular basis life,” says Luc Roymans. Primarily based in Antwerp, Belgium, Roymans is an inside and structure photographer whose images have appeared in Elle Deco UK, O! Journal, The Guardian Weekend, de Architect, amongst others. His pictures showcase the playful and distinctive ways in which nature and structure intersect. Whereas structure pictures is his bread and butter, Roymans’ pictures of the night time sky are equally enthralling. In in the present day’s article, Luc shares his photographic journey and the way he captures unbelievable pictures of the night time sky. 

A Love of Design Pre-Pictures 

I grew up in Antwerp, Belgium. Life was easy again then. No mobile phone, barely any web. I used to be alleged to turn into a pilot or engineer. I really like arithmetic and assume in an summary, graphical means, which, ultimately, led to me turning into a photographer specializing in inside design, structure, and nature.

After I was nineteen and a school drop-out, I went on vacation with my childhood good friend to Laguna Seaside, California. Over there, I noticed a Thomas D. Mangelsen artwork gallery that blew me away. I bought a digicam throughout that trip and began taking pictures (slide movie again then). After I bought again dwelling, my mother had enrolled me in a Bachelor of Pictures course. I by no means actually shot with it as a “interest” in thoughts. As quickly as I began, I envisioned it will at some point turn into my primary supply of revenue.

Regionally, I’ve some very proficient pals who undoubtedly pushed me (again within the day) to enhance my ability set. My favourite photographers had been Frans Lanting and Thomas D. Mangelsen. In the mean time, it needs to be Vincent Munier. I graduated in 1999 and have been taking pictures ever since. It took me greater than ten years to succeed in some extent I might reside solely from pictures. Till that time, I did each kind of job you may think about.

Exploring Nature, the Night time Sky, and Structure

I really like the voyage that it is advisable to make in some ways to get “the shot” you take note of. It takes a number of work, effort, time, and cash to do most photographs. The ultimate image isn’t even that necessary to me. I misplaced many good photographs as a result of I most well-liked to get pleasure from what was taking place in entrance of me, as a substitute of taking pictures. The night time sky is good as a result of the entire world we all know goes to sleep, and one other wakes up. With cameras lately, you need to use lengthy publicity to essentially make the night time sky come to life.

That being stated, whereas I really like photographing the night time sky, structure and inside pictures is my bread and butter. This supplies me with a gradual and good revenue. Nature offsets that in some ways. It’s a lot much less comfy, you will have a lot much less management over circumstances surrounding a shoot, and it’s a lot, a lot tougher to make a revenue from it. I want each to remain in stability, and each feed on one another creatively. They’re each forms of pictures that require specialised tools and nice technical abilities.

Capturing Images of the Aurora Borealis and Humpback Whales

I bought the possibility to shoot each humpback whales and the aurora borealis in Andenes, Norway. It was a pictures journey organized by my good friend Yves Adams, who’s an expert nature photographer and journey organizer. It was winter so we knew we’d have very quick days. Through the day, we went out on RIB boats searching for whales. Then, at night time, we’d search for a pleasant background and hope for the aurora borealis. Trying to find the aurora borealis is at all times a ready sport. There are specialised apps that forecast predictability, that are very useful. However, you additionally want clear skies, in order that narrows down the alternatives drastically.

Capturing the humpback whales was like a religious expertise to me. The humpback got here in direction of us and got here out of the water to really look you within the eye. We usually have to hide and camouflage to mix into the surroundings as a lot as attainable. To have one other animal being so curious and clearly clever was mind-blowing for me on an emotional stage.

See, whenever you’re taking pictures nature, you might be typically disconnected from on a regular basis life for a few days, or weeks. You’re positioned in a bubble the place solely pictures and your environment matter. While you get again to regular life, it typically takes a really very long time to adapt once more to normality.

Experiencing Extra By way of Pictures 

Nature pictures, for me, is a approach to expertise issues and locations I might by no means expertise in any other case. The digicam offers me the aim I have to make sure sacrifices, to have the ability to have extraordinary experiences most individuals can solely dream about. Being in nature is nearly at all times a really humbling expertise, so it has completely modified each side of me.

You additionally, fairly often, find yourself in much less developed elements of the world, which re-educates you on how fortunate you might be with the life you reside. I don’t see myself as a creator—extra like a craftsman who loves registering issues as stunning as attainable. And, to the younger photographers, I might say dangle in there and by no means give up. It took me greater than ten years of backbreaking work and funding. If I can try this, so can anybody.

Cowl picture by Luc Roymans.

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