Jun 4
“Land of Ice”
Kavan Chay
Capture the Dark Photo Contest
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seen from United States
seen from Germany
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seen from Türkiye
seen from United Kingdom
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seen from United States
“Land of Ice”
Kavan Chay
Capture the Dark Photo Contest
“Crown of Light”
“The auroral display from this night was a global phenomenon, with many people getting their chance to witness it. I drove to these sea stacks just outside of Christchurch, hopeful that I’d get the Aurora Australis shot that I’d been searching for. I think I managed it with this.”
Kavan Chay
Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year
“Crown of Light”
“The image was taken during the G5 storm, the most extreme level of geomagnetic storm, in May. The reds were a level of intensity the photographer had never experienced.”
Kavan Chay - New Zealand
ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Royal Observatory Greenwich
Evolution of Stars
The first image I captured from this spot in Otago, New Zealand, is the one I feel kick-started my astrophotography journey. The set of sea stacks provided a foreground subject facing the right direction, and being a local spot relatively free of light pollution, it was the perfect location to capture the Milky Way core. It felt fitting to try again with a few extra years of experience and an astro-modified camera, which allows for easier capture of hydrogen-alpha-rich regions of the sky. The years of experience made panoramic shooting and editing easier
Kavan Chay
Milky Way Photographer of the Year Competition
Title
Snowy Games
Kavan Chay
New Zealand
Neutral Density Photography Awards 2023
“Explosions Of The Sky”
Taiari Beach, Otago, New Zealand.
By Kavan Chay
Northern Lights Photographer of the Year
Divinity
Capturing a setting Milky Way core from this beach on the west coast of New Zealand had been on my list for a long time, with the starfish-covered reef offering a distinctive and compelling foreground. The terrain is hazardous, with gaps between the rocks posing a real risk, and the rapidly rising tide added constant pressure throughout the shoot. Despite these challenges, I was able to capture the necessary frames, returning to shore just in time. Due to the changing tide, the upper rows of the sky panorama were photographed from the beach, while the lowest row was captured from the reef to maintain proper alignment and perspective in the final composition.
Photograph: Kavan Chay