Night photographs show us our connection with the night, with the night sky. And this plays a very important role in the movement of the dark sky; the global project that aims to raise awareness of the need to preserve precisely the dark skies to observe the stars.
“A photograph of a naturally starry sky connects those who have never laid eyes on the Milky Way with a universe hidden behind the veil of heaven’s radiance. It has the power to transport us, understand our place in the world and inspire us to connect with the night and ultimately protect it, ” the organizers comment.
To celebrate the night, the International Dark Sky Associations (IDA) organized the Photography Contest ‘Capture the Dark’ this 2020. In just two weeks, IDA received nearly 450 photographs from around the world that were then evaluated by a panel of judges international
Today we show you the winning and finalist photos of each category so that each of us can experience what it is like to connect with the dark. And it is that, contemplating a naturally dark night offers us perspective, inspiration and leads us to reflect on our humanity and our little place in the universe.
This is the first year in which this contest that guides us at night has been held, but we are sure that it will not be the last, given the success of its first call.
The winning photograph this year has been “Star Catcher” (Star Hunter), which was conducted by Mihail Minkov on the Black Sea Coast in Bulgaria. It is the one selected as the banner of the category: International Dark Sky Place.
“I have a 4 year old daughter who is really in love with the night sky. She is fascinated by planets, stars and the Milky Way. She always asks me to take her with me when I go to photograph the Milky Way. So I decided to make her part of the process and try show her what it is like to be under the dark sky and appreciate its beauty. I hope that one day she will remember it and this memory will make her a good and decent person, who really takes care of the planet, the gift of the night sky, and protects and develops those passions ” says the winning photographer.
