I know. I’m going to be called a killjoy. “It’s my photo! I can do what I want!” And you’re right. I’m not the night photography police. But you know, I am here to help you.
Therefore, I’ll ask politely: This year, can we stop taking photos with flashlight beams pointing at the Milky Way? Please?
It’s a cliché
All the same, people have been doing this for years. It seemed to suddenly start about five years ago. And it’s never stopped. It’s the day photography equivalent of taking a photo of a model on train tracks or photographing people sitting on a couch in a grassy field.
Yes, it’s a cliché. And you want your night photos to stand out from the pack, don’t you? Don’t you?
When there are actually video tutorials telling you how to create Milky Way photos with flashlight beams pointing at them, you know it’s run its course, right?
It’s bad for animals
To photograph this, you typically need an absurdly bright beam. Especially if it is not hazy or dusty. That messes up animals’ sleep habits and sets them off. It’s startling. You don’t want to do that, do you?
It makes zero sense
When does anyone point a flashlight at the Milky Way? Yeah. Never. It never happens. Why? Because it makes zero sense. You can’t see them any better doing this.
And see those Milky Ways that you tried so hard to photograph? Well, they’re less visible now because, well, you’re creating light pollution, the very thing that you tried to avoid.
Besides, when was the last time you saw someone aiming their flashlight at the Milky Way? Yeah. Never.
It’s not patriotic
After all, you’ve never seen a single photo of Abraham Lincoln doing this, have you? Be like Abe.
Take up the challenge
Let’s challenge ourselves to create more compelling, original night photography images this Milky Way season. Something that has more original subject matter. We’ve seen plenty of people aiming flashlights at the Milky Way, and really, even enough people photographing glowing tents in the foreground. Consider trying something else, just for the fun of it. Thank you in advance.
Hahaah guilty as charged! Ken you’re absolutely right.
Just remember, I’m here to help! :D
First, the best thing Abraham Lincoln ever said was “Let’s see what this galaxy class starship can do.” Second, I don’t know why anyone would waste time trekking to an absurdly dark place to find the very best Milky Way conditions and then just blow it out with a flashlight. Way to showcase the dark sky. Milky Way selfies have become the night photography spam of the internet. I’ve unfollowed IG and FB pages because they’ve essentially turned into Milky Way selfie factories and they all look exactly the same. I tried to shoot a light house property last year… Read more »
Perhaps that was more sensible than his initial greeting to Lt. Uhura.
This hashtag of yours is pure genius. I anxiously await the t-shirt.
Did you really just use the term Milky Ways – as in, plural? :)
I did! Obviously, it’s short for “images”. You know, as in “Milky Way images”.
In other words, I’m not putting forth a multiverse theory. No, not just yet.
absolutely silly article…the thought police are out in full force demanding that they only take pictures approved by him and in the way he wants to see them taken…worry about your own photos instead of dictating what others should do.
The first part is correct. It’s an absolutely silly article. The rest, not so much. I’m not the night photography police. It’s just a fun, humorous suggestion. No need to bust out the pitchforks.
Biggest threat to night sky photography is Elon Musk and his constellation of hundreds of STARLINK satellites. Elon is currently launching his permanent “orb” around the Earth
Agreed, this could genuinely be an issue to night sky photography, particularly Milky Way photography.
Makes absolutely no sense?
Well, in my opinion sometimes it´s a little bit difficult and really dangerous NOT having turned on one’s head torch while taking a picture of the Milky Way … hahaha … (see picture attached) but you are very welcome to join me on one of my climbs to be “foreground object” without a light source … 🤣🤣🤣
Haha! And gorgeous photo, Nicholas!!
One could always take a night photo of the Milky Way and composite it with a landscape. That would make an equally unnatural image.
Sorry that I couldn’t really agree on your points, I always believe that there are multiple possibilities on taking a photo, photography should be something fun actually. Regarding your points on it is bad for animals, then I believed when you travel in the middle of night into some dark place, then set up your camera with tripod, and you did use torch or some light source to light up your foreground (clearly shown in your photo), I believed those acts were equally causing some disruption to the animals. I suggested you go and advice the whole world regarding light… Read more »
There are multiple possibilities on taking a photo. I simply have grown weary of seeing images of people pointing flashlights at the Milky Way and voiced my opinion the way you are voicing yours. I am not the flashlight police, so if you want to take photos like this, have at it. Regardless, the article is more tongue-in-cheek, and really, pointing flashlights up in the air will do far less harm to animals than having cars drive through dark areas or whatever.
I think this article is very well intentioned and it makes sense when talking about the night sky. But as a bird photographer who’s constantly been told I am “harming” animals when I use a flash (I am not unless they are hummingbirds on a nest with an egg and I do it about 1-2% of the time I use my camera) I think it’s more likely that the amount of harm we do as humans merely being here on this planet with the animals is more significant than a guy using a flashlight. But you got lots of comments… Read more »
There’s no question. I really didn’t write this article with anything more than a tongue-in-cheek approach. Obviously, if we are comparing the amount of harm we do to animals, driving cars with headlights through dark areas, having giant lights pointed up straight at the sky from our non-dark sky communities, pollution, plastic, and much more do far more harm than some guy pointing a flashlight in the air for a few minutes. And yes, for some reason among night photographers, whenever you mention that pointing flashlights at the Milky Way is a tired cliche, you get a lot of people… Read more »