Discovering: Astrophotography in the Yorkshire Dales
-
Date posted: 29/07/2021
-
Time to read: 4 minutes
Sam Cage
I’m Sam, Creative Content Assistant at the Yorkshire Dales National Authority as part of a Junior Content Producer apprenticeship. My role is to create content for the Authority’s social media and website, whether it’s blogs, videos, photography, or infographics. I’ve been working at the Authority for 6 months and am really enjoying it. Being able to do part of my job outside in the countryside is an amazing experience and makes the job special.
Astrophotography at Semerwater
During the pandemic my long love for stargazing grew, with more time to read and study my interest further. As lockdown went on, I spent every chance I could outside looking at the calm, clear, starry sky, memorising the shapes and reading about the myths behind the constellations. Last year the Yorkshire Dales National Park was designated an International Dark Sky Reserve, and I’ve been helping the Authority pick out great astrophotography to showcase on its social media. My interest in astrophotography has grown, but I never felt I could pull it off. I’d done a lot of photography before but always saw astrophotography as something completely new that would be hard for me to do. After reading more about it and how to set up a camera to pick out the stars I finally decided to give it a go. Going into it I thought, if I could just get one clear star that’d be a good achievement, and if I could get more than that then I’d be incredibly happy.
I waited for the perfect night and headed to Semerwater, a beautiful lake in Raydale which is one of the side valleys from Wensleydale. Most winter nights are clear, but this night was particularly beautiful. Without a single star hidden by the clouds it was the perfect night for trying to take some pictures. I set up my camera on the rocky shore and aimed it at the hills. The first shot came out blurry. The process went on for a while but I didn’t mind, in between changing the settings of the camera, I could look at the stars and spot the shapes of the beautiful constellations as I waited. Although it was a dark winter night it wasn’t too cold, with a slight breeze in the air just enough of a chill to keep hands stuffed in pockets and faint enough to keep the water incredibly still, like a mirror for the stars.
Although I never got any usable photos, I still enjoyed the experience and look forward to trying again. The quiet night and the peaceful sky is something that I will remember forever as it inspired me to try even more astrophotography in the hopes that one day my photography will be popular and good enough for use on social media or even to enter in photography competitions.
Autumn brings some unusual visitors to the @newforestnpa 🐷🍂
As the leaves turn and acorns begin to carpet the Forest floor, you might spot a few more snouts among the trees.
Each autumn, New Forest Commoners exercise an ancient right known as pannage – turning their pigs out to forage for fallen acorns, beech mast and other natural foods that might be harmful to other grazing animals.
It’s a tradition that has been part of life in the New Forest for many years. Just like many of our Parks, it shows how these landscapes are shaped by history and the unique ways of working that protect the environment.
📸This beautiful photograph was captured by @hang_ross76.
#NewForestPigs #Autumn #NewForest
🍂 Autumn is creeping in, and the nights are slowly drawing in around us. But darkness isn’t just something we notice. For countless bugs, it’s essential.
Two-thirds of invertebrates are partially or wholly nocturnal, relying on the natural rhythm of night and day to feed, move, reproduce and survive. Yet increasing light pollution is disrupting this vital nighttime world. 🐜
September is an active time for bugs - spiders seek shelter, wasp colonies reach their peak size, and many are migrating or laying overwintering eggs.
Our National Parks are home to some of the UK’s darkest skies and important habitats where we can protect the darkness that bugs depend on.
Together, we can help even the smallest of species to thrive.
Clips via @buglife_ict
1 & 2: Moth © Patrick Chadwick
3: Running Crab Spider © Patrick Chadwick
4: Millipede © Patrick Chadwick
5: Common glow-worm (Lampyris noctiluca) © Kristian Pikner
6 & 7: Ringlet butterfly roosting © Patrick Chadwick
8: Wasp © Patrick Chadwick
#BugLife #DarkSkies #NationalParks
💚 Our National Parks are intertwined in many of our lives, whether it`s on a daily basis or less often. But they don`t just happen by themselves.
They rely on people and communities every single day. From the friendly faces in a visitors centre to the farmer right out in the wilderness, our parks are what they are thanks to the people who give their time to them.
#NationalParksUK #PeopleinAction
🏴We all know Eryri National Park (Snowdonia) for being home to impressive peaks - but this landscape also holds some of the most dramatic scenery in the UK in the form of castles. 🏰
Hidden in the valleys are rugged, secret strongholds. Castle Harlech here, nestled onto a rocky knoll close to the Irish Sea, hosted the longest siege in British history which lasted for seven years.
Our National Parks are known for beautiful views, but they also protect some incredible homes and stories that span across our history. Together we can preserve that.
#HarlechCastle #EryriNationalPark #WelshCastles
Good news for nature August roundup 🌿
This time there’s cats, bugs and birds. There’s so many spectacular sightings, breakthroughs and results for wildlife every single day in our National Parks.
Here are just four pieces of recent good news to make you smile this weekend. Share with someone who loves nature to spread the positivity 💚
#GoodNews #NationalParks #Wildlife
Three years ago, beavers returned to the Cairngorms. 🦫
After more than 400 years away, the first beaver family was released into the National Park in December 2023.
Since then, something special has happened: they’ve settled, spread and started breeding. There are now around 72 beavers in the Cairngorms, including kits born in the wild.
And they’re not just living in the landscape, they’re helping to shape it. By creating wetlands and changing waterways, beavers can help hold and slow water, and create habitats that benefit a whole host of other species. 🌿
It’s a brilliant example of how our National Parks can play a vital role in nature recovery - and what’s possible when people work together to bring species back and create healthier, more resilient landscapes for people and nature.
#NationalParks #Cairngorms #Beavers #NatureRecovery
September is a great time to try nature journaling 📝🍂
A simple form of mindfulness, nature journaling encourages us to slow down and notice what’s happening in the world around us - from the first changing leaves and fungi appearing to the birds we hear and the changing light.
It doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s simply about taking a moment to be present, pay attention and connect with nature.
All you need is a notebook, a pen and somewhere outdoors. Our National Parks are pretty good spots for it, too. 👀
Have you ever tried nature journaling? It’s another way our National Parks are helping people to unwind, everyday.
#NatureJournaling #NationalParks #Mindfulness
🦇When the sun goes down, a whole new world comes to life.
Our National Parks are home to many rare species, including wildlife that can be much harder to spot. The New Forest is home to 14 of the UK’s 18 species of bat, from tiny pipistrelles to some of our rarer woodland species.
Bats depend on a mosaic of habitats to survive, and across the UK’s 15 National Parks, work is happening to protect the places wildlife depends on – even when we don’t always see it.
This International Bat Night, meet just some of the bats our Parks are home to.
📸
1. Soprano Pipistrelle – Russell Wynn / Wild New Forest
2. Soprano Pipistrelle – New Forest National Park
3. Barbastelle – Hugh Clark/Bat Conservation Trust
#BatsOfInstagram #NewForest #InternationalBatNight
