Starry Brushstrokes

A photo sequence of about 2000 shots. From the photographer: ” There are places so beautiful that they are the destination of many photographers. It is therefore difficult to be able to capture the sky and the landscape without risking being unoriginal. Yet, if you have a real passion, you can always try not to walk the walked paths. This is the case of this shot in which I wanted to shoot the Plemmirio lighthouse in an original way while waiting for the planetary alignment that would take place in the morning. Following this desire, I brought my crystal ball with me … no joke here is not astrology but astrophotography … with which I pointed towards the celestial equator and in particular towards the constellation of Orion. I focused on the sphere and played with the bokeh to let the stars blur. In reality, the real subject of the image is not the lighthouse but the star trail made with about 2000 shots with a completely original technique for me in which the blurred stars have traced clear lines in pastel colors as if they were real shots brush in the sky! The sphere plays an equally important role because it allows the observer to understand what is being filmed by viewing the context in focus inside a small glass globe. Aside from the artistic approach to shooting, this image shows some elements of scientific interest. The first is the color of the stars among which the orange of the “cold” star Betelegeuse and the blue of the hot “Rigel” stand out. You can even see the magenta of the Orion nebula! Another interesting element is the curvature of the traces: practically linear for the stars of the Orion belt because the celestial equator passes them while is is possible to appreciate the curvature towards the north of Betelgeuse and towards the south of Sirius. Lastly, the Moon and Venus rise from the sea and take color from the red to orange and yellow due to the earth’s atmosphere.”

Technical details: Canon 6d, Sigma 20mm, f/2.8, iso 3200, 13 sec, 1944 shots, crystal ball