Hi Nightscapers,
Today we are featuring Tasmanian Nightscape photographer Benjamin Alldridge. Benjamin has quite an epic portfolio of Aurora, Astrophotography, Storm and landscape photography, he has a list of honourable mentions and awards from the likes of the Epson Pano Awards, and CWAS “David Malin Awards” he’s also a very switched on amateur space weather forecaster (Aurora).
This feature is a long time coming, this year has been extremely hard to plan for and get work done but I’m glad to finally get some time to share this feature with you all, apologies for taking so long to publish this Benjamin, anyway let’s dive right on in!
Benjamin Alldridge
Tell us a little about your work Benjamin
Most of my work explores significant features of Tasmania and juxtaposes them in a way most don’t get to see them – at night.
We are afforded an abundance of Excellent dark skies across the island, with something in excess of 50% being Bortle 1 classification. Seeing things like a snowy Southwest wilderness, bioluminescent fungi or ancient old-growth forests under such incredible conditions is a huge draw-card.
I prefer to illuminate my work using available light as I feel a scene special enough to encourage me to shoot it is ‘complete’, although occasionally I resort to using the screen of my phone on low brightness for fill light if I absolutely have to (great tip!). I am usually not worried by the Moon interfering in that regard, and have shot even on 100% nights.
Most of my shots are taken on expeditions with a group of regular shooting buddies, notably Luke Tscharke and Andrew Phipps, who somehow always end up being as crazy as I am when it comes to nightscapades.
What gear do you use for your photography?
- Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
- Canon EOS 5D Mark II
- SIGMA ART 24mm f/1.4
- SAMYANG 14mm f/2.8 UMC ED
- Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II
- NiSi Natural Night (x2)
- NiSi V5 Pro Landscape CPL
- SkyWatcher Star Adventurer Mini
- iPhone 11
Where are you located?
I’m originally from Brisbane, Queensland, but I moved to Hobart, Tasmania, at the end of 2017. No points for guessing how much night photography played a role in that decision.
How long have you been photographing the night sky?
I took my first actual astro shot in 2013 after which point I promptly ignored my camera for years. I’ve been seriously shooting Nightscapes for maybe 18 months. It’s been an interesting journey.
Aurora over Tasmanian Midlands – Benjamin Alldridge
Why night photography?
Standing in the middle of nowhere and having a glimpse into the universe isn’t enough of a reason?
I’ve always been fascinated with the night, even from a young age on camps with Scouts I spent a lot of time staring up. I couldn’t sleep, so the next best alternative was to make peace with what I could observe. Eventually I found a love of the photos of the northern lights I would see from the Arctic, and I knew that I had to experience it first-hand.
I moved to Tasmania after a frustrating experience repeatedly barely missing the southern lights on my various visits. I finally got to fulfil *seeing* my first proper aurora on April 20 last year (‘Aurora over Tasmanian Midlands’ is from that night – a night many can remember, yourself included!), and can honestly say every time I see it, my heart flutters the same way. it’s a humbling experience.
It centres me to know that there’s much more than the follies of man to this universe – the comings and goings of everyone we know or will know, the rise and fall of empires, the chaos we embrace as everyday life. Knowing that there’s infinite splendour that is sitting there hidden from most of the inhabitants on Earth and that we are so utterly insignificant is calming.
Plus… I suck at being on location at times when the Sun is in the right spot, so I found a way to totally avoid worrying about all that.
Portal – Benjamin Alldridge
What is the most common settings you use? and for what conditions?
If I’m shooting a Milky Way scene, my usual starting settings (for non-tracked shots) tend to hover around f/1.4, ISO 4000, and 8-13 s when I’m using my 24mm. When I use my 14mm, I need to add more ISO and exposure, so I’ll typically be in the ~ ISO 5000 and 25 s range.
For tracked shots, that’s a whoooooooole different kettle of fish. I’m usually too lazy for proper polar alignment (by which I mean the South Celestial Pole is usually clouded out!), but I find I can typically get reliably tracked pinpoint stars in excess of 80 s with my 24mm. That allows me to stop down to f/1.8 and drop my ISO a lot, both of which have huge benefits. I can do about 120 s with my 14mm, so the settings follow a similar pattern.
If I’m trying to shoot an aurora I try to keep as short a shutter as possible, aiming for around 5-6 s as an ideal range as this tends to keep distinct structure. It also allows for benefits when it comes to timelapse, which is what most of my auroral work tends to be. I have shot it right down to a fraction of a second however.
When it comes to foreground, it’s not uncommon to shoot 10 or more minutes of bulb exposure just to satisfy the exposure requirements with a much narrower aperture. One of the curses of shooting everything with a f/1.4 lens is you get kind of impatient when you have to come back to “reasonable” settings…
‘Aurora at The Hazards’ – Benjamin Alldridge
Do you have a favourite location are that you shoot?
Many, all across the state.
I do tend to find myself at Coles Bay overlooking the Hazards on especially good aurora nights (just as the lead image here was). Another one is the so-called ‘Secret Daffodils’, a shot that I identified as being possible late last year – it’s now been done by quite a lot of folks which is pretty cool. There’s also a boat shed out on the Tasman Peninsula that I go back to when I’m stuck for somewhere to head, because it is such an iconic view with a perfect alignment for early-season core and aurora.
I try to avoid going back to places too regularly as I feel it somewhat robs you of the push to try something newly creative. There’s also distinct time periods where stuff works here, so it keeps you honest with your shot possibilities.
Do you have any photography related plans in the next year, e.g. big trips, projects etc
Yes and no. I’ve got a lot of ‘plans’ for things I want to improve on or get right, but a lot of stuff is more dictated by weather than any real plans.
Probably the biggest plans for the next 12 months are upgrading my body, getting a few more lenses, and astro-modding one of my bodies. I want to be able to bring Ha and OIII data into my work, so I may even look at getting a second setup so I can shoot narrow-band in tandem with my usual stuff. I also want to try to forge more into new areas (like DSO and wide-field), so watch this space.
2021 is a more interesting year travel-wise. I’m planning on going to the US after 12 years of not visiting, and no doubt I’ll be doing as much astro as humanly possible there.
Do you have any favourite photographers that inspire you?
One of my biggest influences is a person I’m lucky to call a good mate, Luke Tscharke. His dedication to his work is insane, and the results never fail to impress me.
I was also hugely influenced by another friend who we sadly lost on my birthday last year, Dale Sharpe. He was the first ‘good’ photographer who really reached out and gave me encouragement, and that left a lasting impression. Miss ya, baldy.
Aside from those two, there’s so many others. Anybody doing what they can to push the boundaries and create honest work has my respect.
‘Galactic Ghost’ – Benjamin Alldridge
Anything else that you would like to share?
I was pretty lucky to get an Honourable Mention in the first competition I ever entered, the David Malin Awards, for my image ‘Galactic Ghost’ (above). To come from being totally inexperienced with the artform to being awarded something so prestigious and having my work on display at The Dish in Parkes amongst some of the best astrophotographers anywhere on earth was wild. I guess the take-home here is, you never know who will be taken with your work, and even if you think it isn’t perfect, there’s a good chance it’s better than you think.
A few more words From Benjamin
- Shooting astro isn’t especially hard if you follow a few rules and are willing to improvise.
- You’ll often arrive and conditions won’t be optimal, so always have a backup plan.
- Learn how to process your shots and your work will immediately become like 91% better. (This is so true, great tip!)
- There are tools which will make your life immensely easier, get to know them for your own sake.
- And finally, always be willing to give credit to those who deserve it if they’ve helped you achieve a shot – you’re standing aloft of giants, don’t forget to acknowledge them. (Love this Benjamin! be humble, give credit where it’s due)
Where can you see more from Benjamin?
Facebook – Benjamin Alldridge Photography
Instagram – @benjaminalldridge
Website/Prints – benjaminalldridge.com
I’d like to say a big thanks to Benjamin Alldridge for sharing his incredible Nightscape images from Tasmania, it was great to get a closer look at his work and get to know a little more about him. I’d also like to thank him for sharing his tips and knowledge, this info is so good for helping others also enjoy, learn more and improve their own Nightscape photography, thanks mate!
Please make sure you head over and check out more of his work, give his social a follow, maybe even buy a print from his website here and show your support. Hope you all enjoyed this feature as much as I did.
Cheers Daniel Gangur
Some further reading you might be interested in
Basic Nightsky Photography – How to
Aurora Australis As seen by naked eye in Victoria Australia
Post Process Ghost Fungus Images
