Nightscapes

Nightscapes are landscape photos taken at night, when the only light available comes from stars or moonlight. Because there is so little light, nightscapes are especially challenging to photograph, typically requiring long (multi-second) exposures using cameras and lenses that capture as much light as possible. By accumulating light over a period of time, the camera can reveal images that are too faint for our eyes to see. Because our eyes do not see color at low light intensities, nightscape photographs are often created in black and white to more naturally replicate the scene as it would appear to our eyes.

Unlike our eyes, the sensors in digital cameras do not lose color sensitivity in low light. This makes it possible to capture stunning images of colorful landscapes even in the dark of night, with bright stars arrayed across deep blue skies. It’s a view we can never see in real life, but which the camera reveals to us.

The photos below are all taken in dark sky areas of Colorado and Canada, where pollution from artificial lighting is minimal.