![\"Pete](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Pete-Lawrence-Milky-Way.jpg\")
\t\t\tThe splendour of the Milky Way’s core, photographed from the Atacama Desert, Paranal, Chile<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n
Prize-winning picture<\/h2>\n
It\u2019s fitting, then, that Pete has served on the judging panel for Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year for eight years. \u2018Every year the quality of entries is incredible, but I\u2019m looking for something that makes me gasp,\u2019 he explains. The panel includes astronomers, as well as experts in art and science. \u2018There are quite a few of us, and there are quite a few arguments,\u2019 he laughs. \u2018Ultimately I think we all learn something from each other.\u2019<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s winning image by Yu Jun of China shows an effect known as Baily\u2019s beads, created by the Moon passing in front of the Sun during a total solar eclipse. It was a popular choice with Pete. \u2018I\u2019ve seen similar attempts at this type of picture, but I\u2019ve never seen it done this well,\u2019 he enthuses. \u2018Often you look at a sequence like this and you know something is wrong \u2013 maybe the images are misaligned slightly \u2013 and you lose confidence in the work. But here everything is perfect; it\u2019s a joy to look at.\u2019<\/p>\n\t\t
![\"Grand](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Bailys-Beads-\u00a9-Yu-Jun-630x323.jpg\")
\t\t\tGrand Prize and Our Sun category winner, ‘Baily’s Beads’. Image by Yu Jun<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n
The basic approach<\/h2>\n
To achieve this level of perfection Yu Jun used a Canon EOS 5D Mark II with a Sigma 150-600mm lens, and an aperture of f\/10. The final result is a composite of multiple \/1,600sec exposures. Many of the winning and commended entries were taken using cameras attached to telescopes, but Yu Jun\u2019s entry is proof that striking results can be achieved using a pro-spec DSLR and telephoto lens. \u2018There is a huge range of equipment available for astrophotography,\u2019 explains Pete. \u2018But simple pictures of the Moon rising above foreground scenes are achievable with relatively basic kit \u2013 even a smartphone pointed down the eye of a telescope can yield decent results.\u2019<\/p>\n
The equipment and approach required depend on the subject you are trying to capture. Shooting the Moon, for example, requires little more than a DSLR (with a high- frame rate) and a telephoto lens of 250mm or more. But to capture maximum detail you also need a long focal length telescope, and an equatorial mount (which has one axis aligned to the celestial pole). Next, you need to find a spot that allows an unobstructed view of the Moon, as far away from buildings and sources of light as possible.<\/p>\n
\u2018The litmus test for a dark sky is whether or not you can see the Milky Way,\u2019 says Pete. With the location and gear sorted you need to select a low ISO (to avoid excessive noise) and experiment with shutter speeds of around 1\/30sec (underexposing slightly to avoid blowing out the highlights).<\/p>\n\t\t
![\"Pete](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Pete-Lawrence-Seven-Sisters.jpg\")
\t\t\tA single 420sec exposure of the Pleiades, of Seven Sisters, open cluster<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n
Acceptable post-processing<\/h2>\n
Naturally, the files produced require a fair amount of post-processing, and Pete has his own views as to what is acceptable with regards to the competition. \u2018If you\u2019re pulling out details or trying to show information that is already there, that\u2019s fine,\u2019 he says. \u2018But you need to be honest. There are a lot of experts out there and they pick up on these things very quickly. I\u2019ve even seen images where people have grabbed shots from Hubble and blended it with their own picture, but this is a pretty extreme example!\u2019<\/p>\n
Pete has noticed a growing interest in astrophotography in recent years, which he attributes to TV programmes as well as media interest in the mission of British astronaut Tim Peake. \u2018When people buy a telescope now, their first question is often: \u201cHow do I attach a camera to it?\u201d\u2019 he says. Having attached his own camera to a telescope for many years, it would be easy for Pete to become jaded. \u2018After a while you have to develop a coping mechanism to deal with what you are experiencing,\u2019 he admits. \u2018The distances and vastness are so immense that you can easily become desensitised. There is a slight sadness about that, because I can still remember the excitement and energy of those early days. But the passion is still there; it has just shifted to a different place.\u2019<\/p>\n
About Pete Lawrence<\/h2>\n
To see more of Pete\u2019s work, visit www.digitalsky.org.uk<\/a>. For details about the competition, including advice on shooting astronomy pictures, visit www.rmg.co.uk<\/a>. Pete was featured in the film Slow Time<\/em> in association with Leffe beer \u2013 to see the video, visit YouTube.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Astronomer and astrophotographer Pete Lawrence has been on the judging panel for Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year for eight years. He tells Tracy Calder what he\u2019s looking for in a winning image<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":323,"featured_media":97389,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[374],"tags":[],"product-category":[],"class_list":["post-97208","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interviews"],"yoast_head":"\n