Stars align for photographer’s lens

How often have you looked up at night and marvelled at the stars? Greg Stevens is a star-gazer with a knack for photography.

Stevens is one of the entrants in this year’s Franklin Arts Festival, with three works entered in the Floral and New Zealand categories.

A member of the Pukekohe Franklin Camera Club for 30 years, he had been a huge supporter of the arts festival and had entered nearly every year since it began in 1990.

‘‘It’s a matter of supporting local arts, and it’s also an opportunity to present your artwork to the public,’’ he said.

‘‘The Franklin Arts Festival is regarded as one of the top arts festivals in New Zealand.’’

Stevens said his current interest lay in astrophotography, although he had tackled many different subjects in the past, including weddings, V8 supercars and wildlife.

The Franklin resident said he often headed out at two or three in the morning to spend hours capturing the beauty of the Milky Way through his lens.

‘‘I’m enjoying the peace and quiet and serenity of taking the photos,’’ he said. ‘‘What looks like a simple photo … is hours and hours of work.’’

It’s a sight he wished more people had a chance to experience - Stevens is also actively involved in efforts to reduce light pollution to allow the beauty of the universe to shine through.

‘‘A lot of my work is about educating people about our dark skies … I firmly believe it is a human right to see the night sky.’’

The science behind the photos also played a large part in Stevens’ passion for the night sky.

He has spent time doing outreach to schools on the topic of astronomy, and even gave an impromptu lesson during this interview.

‘‘It’s just a matter of combining my interests in photography and astronomy. I enjoy the challenges of it,’’ he said.

‘‘Our eyes only see black and white but the camera sees colour.’’

THE FRANKLIN ARTS FESTIVAL

The festival runs from September 2-11 between 9am-4.30pm at the Pukekohe Town Hall and Franklin: The Arts Centre.

There are eight categories for artists. All artwork is for sale. For more on the festival see franklinartsfestival.co.nz different