Navaneeth Unnikrishnan discovered his passion for astrophotography by accident when he took a long exposure photograph of the Milky Way, back in 2014. This 28-year-old photographer from Kerala now captures ethereal shots of deep-sky objects that range from nebulae to galaxies. By Kasturi Das
1. Were you always interested in astronomy?
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As a child, I was interested in space science. My father ignited that curiosity in me. He would show me pictures of outer space, and that sparked an interest. But it faded with time. As you grow up, your dreams take a back seat, allowing other things to take prominence.
Sometime in 2013, I bought a basic DSLR camera. I knew the basics of photography, and I learnt the rest from the internet. I started off as a wedding photographer because I needed money to buy photography equipment, which can be quite expensive. I didn’t want to bother my parents, despite them being supportive of my decision to pursue photography after my engineering degree. I discovered my interest in astrophotography soon after.
2. You say astrophotography happened almost by accident. Tell us about it.
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One evening, way back in 2014, I was sleeping on the terrace of my house. When I woke up, there was something different in the sky. It was the Milky Way, but I didn’t know it then. I took a long exposure shot of it on my camera. The photo looked very different from how it appeared to the naked eye. I was amazed and realised I could shoot sky objects. I started reading up about it, which led me to the subject of deep-space objects, like galaxies and nebulae. I was quite intrigued and wanted to try out deep-space photography. What began with the Milky Way took me to untouched lands, which led me to shoot landscapes and do aerial photography as well.
3. You’ve shot some stunning aerial shots, too.
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Aerial is easy to shoot compared to other genres. Shots have to be pre-planned and lighting conditions need to be checked. Shots can be improvised, but you rarely fly the drone and find the perfect frame to shoot.
4. Tell us about your workshops.
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I conduct night-sky workshops in Spiti and Iceland. I usually do two Spiti workshops and one Iceland workshop per year. The Spiti workshop happens between June to August and is usually a week-long affair. Same for Iceland. The workshops are uncertain this year due to the pandemic.
5. What are some of the best places to shoot the night sky in India?
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Definitely Spiti Valley, and parts of Ladakh. These are high altitude regions where there is no light pollution, which makes them perfect for night sky photography.
6. What’s your favourite shoot location?
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Iceland never disappoints! I get to shoot plenty of photos whenever I visit the country. It’s a beautiful place; the people are nice; the landscape is untouched, and there’s a lot of geological activity—which makes it very interesting.
7. What are some challenges of astrophotography?
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There are two types of astrophotography: wide-field imaging, and deep space imaging. The former involves using your DSLR and lens to shoot the night sky, without any extra equipment. Not too many people try the latter because it requires various equipment—telescopes, tracking mounts, etc.—and you’ve to be in remote regions to be able to shoot the night sky. And carrying more than 30 kilos of equipment to such remote locations is no joke! That’s one reason why many people don’t easily opt for deep space photography, despite having a genuine interest in the subject.
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