A date with the Cosmic Marvels
My journey into serious photography began in 2023. Since then, I've ventured into various genres of photography, including wildlife, landscape, street, and portrait photography. One genre that has long intrigued me is astrophotography. However, I lacked both the technical guidance and the necessary equipment, such as a wide-angle lens, a sturdy tripod, and access to locations with clear skies and minimal ambient light—essential for capturing the night sky in all its glory.
The opportunity came when I was introduced to Subodh Shetty, a highly talented photographer and Nikon Brand Ambassador based in Dubai, through a mutual connection. After a brief conversation, Subodh graciously invited me to join a group of photography enthusiasts for an astrophotography trip which he was organizing in the coming weeks.
Finally, the day arrived. Our destination was the Al Quaa desert, a popular spot for viewing the Milky Way, just a couple of hours' drive from Dubai. Luck was on our side as the sky remained perfectly clear. By the time we neared our destination, the sun had already set, and the desert was bathed in the enchanting glow of the blue hour.
The fading light cast a serene hue over the vast sand dunes, transforming the sky into a deep indigo, while the horizon retained the last whispers of orange. The desert, typically harsh and unforgiving, morphed into a peaceful, almost mystical landscape as the moon began to shimmer against the velvet sky.
By the time we reached our destination, darkness was settling in. We quickly gathered our gear and made our way to the nearest sand dune, which offered a perfect vantage point for stargazing. As we were setting up, we spotted a Starlink satellite passing overhead.
Night and Astrophotography relies on a technique called "long exposure." In this method, the camera's shutter remains open for an extended period, up to 20-30 seconds, to capture the brilliance of the night sky—details that are not fully visible to the naked eye. Our first assignment was "light painting." One of our teammates posed on top of the dune, holding a torch up to the sky, while another used an LED light rod to weave a design around her. The result was ethereal; as the blue rays of the torch pierced the night sky, it looked as though she was painting the cosmos.
By this time, it was pitch dark and the shadows of the milky way had begun to emerge. Free from light pollution, the desert offers one of the clearest views of the galaxy, with its stars, planets, gas, dust, and dark matter bound together by gravity.
The Milky Way appears as a faint, misty band to the human eye because our vision isn’t sensitive enough to pick up its intricate details, vibrant colors, or the dimmest stars, especially under low-light conditions. However, through long exposure photography, a camera’s sensor gathers light over an extended period, unveiling stunning details hidden from the naked eye and exposing the galaxy's full depth and beauty, giving it an almost ethereal quality.
For the next hour, we continued capturing the cosmic marvels. Eventually, it was time to return home. As we left the desert’s darkness and re-entered the city’s bright glow, our hearts were full—fulfilled by the universe’s grandeur and the promise of returning to explore it once more.
