Star chaser

'It's breathtaking even if you don't take any pictures,' says photographer in pursuit of scenes far from Earth

At a farm on the outskirts of Changchun, Jilin province, Tian Shiyu and his friends are taking pictures of the M42 Orion Nebula more than 1,300 light years from the Earth. The temperature outdoors is about -30 C. After seven hours in the cold, they finally get an image they are happy with.

Tian Shiyu, 28, has been a starry sky photo aficionado for four years. Before that he was just an amateur photographer keen on taking photos of his young daughter. He started to focus on the Orion Nebula in January 2014. In three years he has produced only three photos that he feels are satisfactory, but he says that's worth the effort.

He has spent tens of thousands of yuan purchasing high-grade equipment and was once stressed because he couldn't even understand the instructions without having professional knowledge.

Deep-space photography is a complete system - and a demanding one. Besides requiring skills and facilities, it involves an understanding of weather and how to overcome problems such as light from cities that reflects off the atmosphere and impedes the view into the void.

Apart from all that, Tian must ask his wife for leave every time he makes a date with the sky.

But the most difficult part is control, he says. Debugging and even modifying parts of the facility are sometimes necessary. He has also learned to manage his pictures in postproduction, to present his work to others more effectively.

"The starry sky is fascinating. It's breathtaking even if you don't take any pictures and just look in a place without light pollution," he says. "I just want to be a fan of the stars."

Photos and Text by Bai Shi

Tian Shiyu and his friends must drive 70 to 80 kilometers from the city to photograph the starry night sky. After getting clear of the light pollution, they must brave temperatures as low as -30 C for 10 hours at a stretch.

The Rosette Nebula, photographed by Tian Shiyu.

(China Daily European Weekly 03/31/2017 page4)