10 Examples of Spectacular Astrophotography from Joe Scott & Jack Scott-Gardner

©Jo Scott & Jake Scott-Garder

Anyone who had the good fortune of traveling to New Zealand knows that it’s a spectacular place to photograph, with dramatic mountains, a stunning coastline, and beautiful landscapes in between. Locals Jo Scott and Jake Scott-Gardner spent last winter capturing some astonishing images of the night sky, as you can see below.

Jo and Jake are avid astrophotographers and when conditions are right they are known for shooting from dusk until dawn—even during New Zealand’s frigid winter nighttime temperatures.

In addition to photographing New Zealand’s typically crystal-clear nights and abundance of gorgeous locations, the photo duo’s imagery regularly captures shooting stars, the Aurora Australis (the Southern version of the Aurora Borealis), the milky way, and even passing satellites.

Despite the stunning quality of their work, Jo and Jake are photography newbies who developed a passion for photography less than two years ago. After learning about astrophotography, they decided that would be their niche.

Because they lived in an area of Australia with noticeable light pollution (anathema to astrophotographers), they decided to relocate to a more peaceful, remote area in New Zealand to optimize their possibilities for photographing the night skies.

They often hike into remote areas and are constantly tracking the position of the Milky Way to determine the best time to shoot. The duo typically spends months chasing the optimum situations and conditions for the shots they’re after.

Jo and Jake frequently employ automated panoramic heads to create sweeping panorama images comprised of up to 133 shots, which are then stitched together for a final image.

You can view more of Jo and Jake's work on their Instagram page and on the South of Home Photography Facebook page.

If you want to give astrophotography a try, be sure to read our tutorial on taking stellar shots of stars.

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