You know what they say: dark skies at night, photographer’s delight! Well, that should be the saying for Eastbourne astrophotographer Giles Embleton-Smith who took these incredible pictures of some of his favourite locations after dark.
‘Astrophotography is a huge passion of mine, which all began at an early age with a fascination for both Sci Fi and star gazing,’ he says. Now I’m hooked on taking images of the local landscapes at night. It has become quite a meditative process for me, under the canvas of stars, or the ethereal light of the moon. It’s like a secret world that is only revealed to me, that only I can see for a few hours.’
Giles’ favourite coastal spots in East Sussex are Birling Gap and the Cuckmere Haven. ‘As part of the South Downs Dark Sky Reserve, there is a distinct lack of light pollution so unsurprisingly they offer great opportunities to capture the dark starry skies,’ he explains.
Giles’ spellbinding image Galactic Bay, of Cuckmere Haven and the Seven Sisters, won the prestigious South Downs National Park astrophotography competition in the South Downs Starry Skyscapes category. He also came second in the Magnificent Moon category with his snap of the full moon behind Beachy Head lighthouse. ‘I was delighted,’ he says. ‘It’s a wonderful personal achievement and only encourages me to continue pursuing my passion.’
