Cambridge photographer’s photo is out of this world
Matt Quinn’s image of the Milky Way selected for commemorative stamp collection
A Cambridge photographer with a penchant for shooting skyscapes is being honoured for a photograph that can only be described as out of this world.
Matt Quinn’s image capturing the Milky Way Galaxy is one of two stellar images selected for Canada Post stamps celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.
Quinn learned his photo, taken during a trip to the Bruce Peninsula, was chosen in December, but he had to keep the news under wraps until it was announced in June.
“When I got the stamp in my hand, it was a magical moment.”
A few of the stamps will be saved as a keepsake, including one taken from an envelope Quinn plans to post to himself.
The local photographer learned the art of shooting the night sky after joining the Waterloo Region chapter of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, practising at an observation tower near Listowel.
He decided to take his photography to a new level and ventured out on a camping trip to Bruce Peninsula National Park, one of the darkest places in Ontario.
He set his alarm for the middle of the night and set his camera up.
Though Quinn liked his photo, he didn’t have a clue at how celebrated it would become.
“I was super excited to have it,” he said. “But I didn’t really think much of it. I just put it into my collection.”
A few years later, an agency working with Canada Post saw one of his other images in a magazine and a quick search through his online photo archives unearthed the Milky Way photo.
While seeing his image recognized as part of the stamp collection has Quinn bursting with pride, the photographer’s true thrill comes in chasing the stars with his lens.
“It’s just this nice bridge between science and art,” he explained. “It is very technical in the sense that you have to understand the physics around how the planet turns, and you can only take a photo for so long before it starts to blur out.”
Part of the charm in shooting stars is also chasing the right conditions.
“There’s this trifecta of things that have to line up,” shared Quinn. “You have to be in a dark location when the moon’s not up at night, so you have to understand the moon phases. And, of course, it’s got to be clear, so the weather has to be co-operative.”
And if he has his way, he’ll be looking up at the stars for some time to come. In fact, he’s hoping to inspire others through his artwork and by sharing photography tips on a new YouTube channel.
“Now it’s more about the why I do it, more than learning how to do it,” he said. “It’s about creating a composition that would inspire people to get out themselves and experience the night sky.”