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Photography plays a powerful role in the dark sky movement. A photograph of the naturally dark sky connects those who’ve never laid eyes on the naturally dark sky to a universe hidden behind the veil of skyglow. Similarly, images that portray the impact of light pollution can spark conservation awareness and action. Photography has the power to transport us and inspire us to connect with and ultimately protect the night.

In celebration, DarkSky is hosting the fourth annual Capture the Dark Photography Contest! It is free to enter and open to entrants worldwide.

ANNOUNCING OUR WINNERS!

Winner - Connecting to the Dark

The sky is like a dome, covering field

Name of Photographer: Tianwei Wang
Location of photo: Haisen chulu, Alashan Right Banner
Description: Just before and after the maximum of Perseid meteor shower, look up to the Milky way on Sunday, and the meteor radiates from the position of Perseid to the whole sky. The fish eye projection effect is the best way to show all this.
Technical information: Single Exposure | NIKON D800 | Lens: sigma 14 1.8 art | Aperture: f/1.8 | ISO: 2000 | Shutter speed: 60s

 2nd Place - CONNECTING TO THE DARK

The Lookout

PHOTOGRAPHER: Ranit Dholey

 3rd Place - CONNECTING TO THE DARK

Sea Pianist

PHOTOGRAPHER: Zhaohai Zhang

Winner - International Dark Sky Place

Lily's Whisper

Name of Photographer: Ethan Su
Location of photo: Hehuan Mountain Dark Sky Park
Description: The fragrance of Lily attracts night moth dancing in the air, the mist cover Milky Way one after another, the gentle breeze carry fresh floral compose this pleasant summer night. Didn’t expect that Lily blossoms above 3000m altitude in summer, while I was scouting for new shooting spot in Hehuan Mountain Dark Sky Park.
Technical information: Blend| Sony A7R4 | Aperture: Foreground: f8, Sky: f2.8 | ISO: Foreground: ISO1250, Sky: ISO800 | Shutter Speed: Foreground: 1/30, Sky: 240sec*3shots & stack for noise reduction

 2nd Place - INTERNATIONAL DARK SKY PLACE

Aurora and Milky Way along the California Trail

PHOTOGRAPHER: Noel Benadom

 3rd Place - INTERNATIONAL DARK SKY PLACE

Cosmic candles

PHOTOGRAPHER: Josh Taarud

Winner - The Impact of Light Pollution

"Dark" skies in the mountains?

Name of Photographer: Constantine Themelis
Location of photo: Tre Cime di Lavaredo
Description: After a long day of enjoying and photographing the Italian Alps, I decided to capture a wide panorama to show you how beautiful Tre Cime is. The combination of the wild airglow, the coming clouds and the light from Rifugio Locatelli made the whole scene really special. However, it really hit me that even up in the mountains, I could not find pure dark skies. Tourism is expanding at a wild and unstoppable rate. You can clearly see the yellow glow of the "nearby" hotels expanding for hundreds of kilometers. So, what's next? The final result is a 10-image panorama.
Technical information: Panorama | Camera: Canon EOS Ra | Lens: Sigma 28mm f1.4 | Aperture: f1.4 | ISO: 1600 | Shutter speed: 10sec

 2nd Place - THE Impact of Light Pollution

A multi-million star hotel

PHOTOGRAPHER: Morteza Salehi

 3rd Place - THE Impact of Light Pollution

Light Pollution in Rush Valley from Salt Lake City light dome

PHOTOGRAPHER: Royce Bair

Winner - The Bright Side of Lighting

My neighborhood

Name of Photographer: Celeste Boudreaux
Location of photo: Corona de Tucson, Arizona
Description: My neighborhood adhering to dark sky measures. You will notice our outdoor lights have covers on them. My house isn't in this image but I even use red lights under my covers. These measures allow us to see the milky way with the naked eye even though we are a suburb of Tucson, AZ.
Technical information: Single Exposure | Canon5d | Lens: Rokinon 24mm | Aperture: 2.8 | ISO: 1600 | Shutter speed: 25s

 2nd Place - THE Bright Side of Lighting

Bathroom under the Sky

PHOTOGRAPHER: Petr Horálek

 3rd Place - THE Bright Side of Lighting

Small Town Starry Nights

PHOTOGRAPHER: Joe Casias

Winner - Creatures of the Night

Milky Way above the Turquoise Wonderland

Name of Photographer: Petr Horálek
Location of photo: Soneva Jani
Description: The bioluminescent plankton belongs to the night nature all around the world as part of the natural ecosystem. If not disturbed by artificial light, it helps to preserve the rich ecosystem as protection but also as food. Plus, with no light pollution, you can enjoy such wonderful natural light in the night. 
Technical information: Single Exposure | Canon Ra | Lens: Samyang 24mm | Aperture: 2.2 | ISO: 5000 | Shutter speed: 15s

 2nd Place - Creatures of the Night

Symphony of the Cosmos

PHOTOGRAPHER: Tengyu Cai

 3rd Place - Creatures of the Night

glowworm

PHOTOGRAPHER: HAIKUN LIANG

Winner - Deep Sky

The Celestial Spider Web

Name of Photographer: Zubuyer Kaolin
Location of photo: El Sauce
Description: The Tarantula Nebula is a bright starburst region in the Large Magellanic Cloud. It is visible from the southern hemisphere only so to capture it, I acquired some observation time from a remote observatory in Chile. Because of the pristine Bortle 1 sky in that region, I was able to capture this intricate image in Hubble Palette showcasing ionized Hydrogen, Sulfur and Oxygen gas. The resulting image fills me with a childlike sense of awe and wonder.
Technical information: subframe | Aperture: f/3.8 | Shutter Speed: 300 seconds per subframe

 2nd Place - Deep Sky

Messier 78 behind Barnard's Loop in Orion

PHOTOGRAPHER: Rolf Olsen

 3rd Place - Deep Sky

The Spaghetti Nebula, supernova remnant in Taurus

PHOTOGRAPHER: Wutichai Krodkiri

Winner - The Mobile Photographer

Dragon in the Magic Tree

Name of Photographer: Bin Chen
Location of photo: LIJIANG, YUNNAN
Description: I never thought that my mobile phone could take such a picture of the starry sky with a single sheet. I found such an angle of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain at night. In winter, M31 and Cassiopeia slowly fell to the top of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the northwest, and I took this picture through a strange dead tree.
Technical information: Single Exposure | Mobile device: vivo X90 Pro+ | Aperture: f1.8 | ISO: 4000 | Shutter Speed: 32 seconds

 2nd Place - The Mobile Photgrapher

Beaming Lights

PHOTOGRAPHER: Kate Garner

 3rd Place - The Mobile Photgrapher

Enjoying the Moon rise under the Milky Way core

PHOTOGRAPHER: Mihail Minkov

Winner - Youth

The Green Comet

Name of Photographer: Carl Crum
Location of photo: San Carlos, California
Description: As transitory as a comet, childhood flies by at an astonishing speed. Indeed, when I consider my growth as an astrophotographer, I find it difficult to believe that several years ago I had never even considered attaching my camera to a telescope and documenting celestial phenomena. Fortunately, comets, such as this photo of C/2022 E3 (ZTF), glow brightest when they approach the sun, a metaphor for how I intend to approach the blazing tribulations of adulthood. However, for the remainder of my youth, I will enjoy my ride around the sun and gaze fondly upon the cosmos.
Technical information: Stacked | Lens: Takahashi FSQ-106 | Aperture: F5 | ISO: Gain 20 | Shutter speed: 85 x 60s (1 hour 25 minutes)

 2nd Place - Youth

Within Arm's Reach

PHOTOGRAPHER: Neil Shet

 3rd Place - Youth

An Elephant You’ll Never Forget!

PHOTOGRAPHER: Harry Johnson

Winner - People's Choice Award

INESPERADO METEORO

Name of Photographer: Juan López Hoyos
Location of photo: Monument Valley, Utah
Description: I find it fascinating to photograph the milky way. Towards a panorama of its arc and suddenly a great and bright meteor streaks through space. Amazed to see it, I turned the camera towards where it was and was able to photograph him with the spectacular Milky Way in the background. Without a doubt, a wonderful and unforgettable moment that occurred by being connected with the universe.
Technical information: Single Exposure | CANON EOS 5D Mark IV | Aperture: f/1.8 | ISO: 3200 | Shutter Speed: 15 seconds

 2nd Place - People's Choice

Feeding My Soul

PHOTOGRAPHER: Dora Redman

 3rd Place - People's Choice

Best of Milky Way 2022

PHOTOGRAPHER: Ahmad Habibi Syah

Winner - Visit Utah Award

Desert Bloom

Name of Photographer: Marcin Zajac
Location of photo: Goblin Valley, Utah
Description: Taken in Goblin Valley State Park, an International Dark Sky Park.
Technical information: Blend | Camera Body: Nikon D810 | Camera Lens: Tamron 15-30 | Aperture: f2.8 | ISO: 800 | Shutter Speed: 2 minutes

Prizes

Winners of each category will receive a prize package that includes a feature in DarkSky's Nightscape publication, the DarkSky blog and social media, a DarkSky membership and DarkSky swag. Winners will also receive a prize of a gift box of Strgzr merchandise of a hat, t-shirt, small goodies and a field pouch from Peak Design.

The winner of the People's Choice award will receive a prize package that includes a $250.00 gift card to B&H, a feature in DarkSky’s Nightscape publication, the DarkSky blog and social media, a DarkSky membership and DarkSky swag. The people’s choice will be determined by public voting which will open on July 3rd.

Any photo taken in Utah will be eligible for the Utah Dark Sky Award - the winner of this award will receive a prize package that includes a feature in DarkSky's Nightscape publication, the DarkSky blog and social media, a DarkSky membership and DarkSky swag. Winners will also receive a prize of a gift box of Strgzr merchandise of a hat, t-shirt, small goodies and a field pouch from Peak Design.

Winning photos will be featured in an upcoming photo exhibit at the Shanghai Astronomy Museum.