Asserting that “ the best photographers are storytellers ,” it ’ s what Demeter “ like [ s ] to do with science education .” He is not only interested in passing on the lineage of our atoms and celestial bodies , but he ’ s also vested in opening doors for other Floridians to experience dark skies .
Light pollution is defi ned as having more than 14 micro candelas per meter ². According to the International Dark-Sky Association ( IDA ), data shows light pollution spreading at a rate of 6 % per year and affecting a staggering 80 % of the globe .
“ I want to really tell the story that light pollution is an issue in Florida , and at the same time help people reconnect with the wonders of the universe : the history of nebulas , galaxies , planets , and stars . My main thesis is using my camera to capture the beauty of our universe and who we are in connection to all that . With modest equipment , you can do the same .
“ These photos are not taken using the biggest , baddest telescopes and cameras . For the amount of money you ’ d spend on a small boat , you can buy the equipment for astrophotography . That was a $ 1000 telescope , and my day camera — and I ’ m taking pictures of galaxies with patience and work .”
Deep in Jasper National Park ’ s wilderness , Demeter saw the heavens begin to glow and breathtakingly fl uoresce . “ It was a very spiritual experience with the curtains of light . I think I fell on my knees and was crying because it was so emotional .”
Folks have told him he was lucky to see such a thing , even though he ’ d spent months strategically planning his trip to coincide with peak solar and terrestrial conditions for the highest probability of borealis activity . I reminded him of the axiom that , “ The harder one works , the luckier one is .” Demeter responds , “ I don ’ t take seeing phenomena for granted .” Going out and encountering overcast skies , or not being able to see the event is just part of the process .
Demeter ’ s palms might get sweaty when he thinks about the annual meteorological and astronomical events by which space cases set their calendars . “ New Moon Week ” is a monthly event for him , when night photography will be at its clearest , and considerations are made during the entire week in the event of meteorological phenomena . August is punctuated by the Perseid Meteor Shower , and aurora season is the perfect time to rent a cabin in rural Minnesota .
He ’ s becoming a regular guest speaker at national parks and planetaria across the country . With foresight , he schedules strategically , even checking weather trends for which regions of the country will be clearest and when .
“ Our observation season is wintertime ; it ’ s better for deep space and astrophotography . Springtime is galaxy season . We can look deeper into the universe because of the astral landscape .” While his beloved nightscapes featuring the Milky Way were snapped in the summers . “ My big prize this year is the solar eclipse in August , that ’ s in Oregon . I ’ m planning a trip to the fossil bed at John Day National Monument .”
You can see more at : 500px . com / DemeterDerek
Aurora Over Mirror Lake , Jasper National Park , Alberta , Canada , photograph
Orlando Arts & Culture , v . 2.3
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