THE STARMAN

Kim Bunermann meets Josh Dury to discuss the preparation for his astronomical shoots and how he overcomes challenges including flight cancellations, bad weather and light pollution

- Kim Bunermann

While it might seem as though every inch of the planet has already been photographed, the universe is one subject that remains underexplored and full of mystery. Ever since he was a child, astro photographer Josh Dury has been interested in astronomy and celestial events.

“I was inspired by children’s science fiction programs, dreaming of life on other planets and I wanted to be closer to them,” he says. “So I pursued astrophotography during my education and then took a degree in it, documenting our place within the universe.”

Dury graduated with a first-class honors degree from the University of the West of England (UWE) and, today, is an established award-winning landscape astro photographer, displaying his work and sharing advice across many outlets, from magazines (including Digital Photographer) to TV and radio programs as well as lectures and podcasts.

Dury is also a delegate for the International Dark Skies Association, representing Bristol and southwest England.

“I use my photography as a platform to inspire audiences and to visualize the impact light pollution has on our environment,” he says. “I’m also a fellow of The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), which allows me to engage with parliamentary activities to support these initiatives. That’s where my voice becomes reality.”

I meet Josh at the DP offices in Bath to discuss the thrilling life of an astrophotographer, especially in light of two recent major astronomical events – the solar eclipse in the USA and the aurora borealis over the UK. Josh was there to capture both.

Before diving into these subjects, I ask Josh about the particular challenges that come with this genre of photography.

"Astrophotography can be one of the more challenging practices.