COUNTRY PASSION
Lockdown gave international interiors photographer Mark Nicholson the opportunity to see the night sky and planetary constellations through a new lens
Mark Nicholson shares his fascination with star trail photography
Home for me is the Oxfordshire Cotswolds near Chipping Norton. I love the countryside around our house, as well as the distinctive architecture and Cotswold stone.
Bereft of work and missing the creativity of my job during lockdown, I wanted to learn a new skill. I had always admired stunning pictures of the night sky and decided to teach myself the art of star trail photography. I worked out precisely where the North Star lay (given that the earth effectively rotates on its axis), and then allowed around two hours exposure to capture the earth’s rotation, which results in the stars creating a trail that the camera tracks and records.
After a few failed attempts, I managed to shoot a star trail in my garden one night. I then experimented in and around my village, benefitting from the stunningly clear night skies. The lack of aircraft in the sky, and little-to-no light pollution, made the process of creating a star trail image much easier. It was the perfect time to point a camera lens at the sky.
The fields behind our house were a good place to start, although cityscapes also make for an interesting foreground. For anyone keen to try it, all you need is a digital SLR camera and a sturdy tripod.
I loved the feeling of escapism and the connection with nature and wildlife in the dead of night. I’ve also learned a lot about the planets and constellations, as well as the earth’s movement. During lockdown it certainly put things into perspective and was a welcome distraction.
I’d like to carry on capturing dramatic images of the night sky, but, as it involves shooting late into the night, I may not be able to do much of it during busy periods of work. On a clear night though it is tempting! It’s a bit of fun and good to have a personal project going between photography commissions.
I hope to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania next year, and capturing a star trail above it could be spectacular. Closer to home, I’d love to do a shoot on the north coast of Cornwall during a full moon with the movement of the sea in the foreground.
I’m keen to slowly build on what I’ve learned, with the view of perhaps holding an exhibition one day.
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To see Mark’s interiors photography, visit marknicholson.com or head to his Instagram account @marknicholson.photographer