“Sky Fire”
For Tom Rae, patience is key. Every time the astrophotographer sets out to capture the night sky, he accepts that the setup will be long and that weather conditions are as unpredictable as the universe itself. And yet his portfolio is abundant in horizons that explode with crimson reds and jade greens; snowy mountains that frame constellations blooming in the night; and skies that fill with shooting stars and enchanting nebulae.
“Astrophotography has forced me to slow down and be patient, waiting for the right sky conditions, and sometimes leaving empty-handed,” Rae tells My Modern Met. “That discipline shaped how I approach all of my photography now, but I can’t get away from those roots of curiosity and awe that still get me when I’m out.”
Aside from patience, curiosity is clearly another key in Rae’s astrophotography practice. In fact, he first gravitated toward the medium because he was fascinated with the night sky—and because of his unending appetite for understanding it.
“I realized that cameras could see so much more than what the eye could,” Rae explains. “Many of my first astro nights I simply spent using the camera as a tool to see what wasn’t entirely visible to me. That was crucial in my journey of dedication to this craft.”
His dedication is palpable across his images, all of which reward an attentive eye. In these photographs, the universe becomes more familiar, more detailed, encouraging us to carefully trace every star, mountain range, and stream. That feeling of exploration is exactly what Rae hopes to inspire, considering his own relationship with the natural world.
“I’ve always been drawn to wide, open environments: mountains, coastlines, remote back roads, and places where you can physically feel space and scale,” he recalls. “I hope people feel a sense of awe, curiosity, and certainly a pull toward exploration when they see my work. If someone sees one of my photos and feels inspired to go outside, slow down, or experience a place for themselves, even in just their local surroundings, that’s a win for me.”
Being from and living in New Zealand, Rae has undoubtedly followed his own advice, taking advantage of the dramatic landscapes that the country has to offer. That’s precisely why site-specificity matters so much to the photographer, and why he values personal as well as artistic exchanges with his surroundings.
“I see these environments as places I spend time in, return to, and build familiarity with,” he says. “The more time I spend in a place, the more layers I notice and ideas I come up with: how the light moves, how the landscape changes with weather, how it feels at different times of year or different times of night. Every environment is different and my favorite thing to do is to pick up on those differences and capture them uniquely.”
Above all, though, Rae credits the connection with the night sky, earth, and the universe as a “very important stage of being human.”
“It hands you a moment to step back,” he concludes, “and appreciate life on our little rock in space.”
In New Zealand, astrophotographer Tom Rae is capturing dramatic landscapes and night skies alike.
“Cosmic Flow”
“Comet Thrower”
“Remarkables”
“The Ridge”
Rae achieves astounding detail in his photographs, which showcase nebulas, comets, and shooting stars framed by New Zealand’s dramatic landscape.
“Orion Sefton”
“Aurora Lakeside”
“Starlight Highway”
“Horseshoe Comet”
“The Chasm”
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Tom Rae.
Related Articles:
Hazy Dreamlike Photos Reflect Humankind’s Complicated Relationship With Nature
Aerial Photos Highlight Surreal Beauty of Kazakhstan’s Mangystau Plateau
Iceland’s Diverse Landscapes Captured in Incredible 4K Aerial Videos
