Landscape Astrophotography – Diane Ramthun

Diane Ramthun is a Wisconsin-based photographer who enjoys doing night sky landscapes. Her talk will focus primarily on viewing and photographing the dark skies over Lake Superior.

Diane: Years ago, while sailing into the remote reaches of Lake Superior, I saw the brilliant stars and Milky Way in the dark night skies for the first time. I wanted to capture what I saw and so began my interest in night sky photography. Capturing the connection of light between sky and earth has been my objective. At night over Lake Superior, the stars, Milky Way and planetary bodies cast vibrant and glowing reflections on the waters. By photographing these scenes, I hope to create a connection for the viewer to experience this exchange of light and see the beauty of a dark sky.

Because my night sky photography takes place on remote islands reached by sailboat, I encounter many challenges in getting to a location and setting up a camera. The logistics of simply getting ashore for a shoot and then later returning by dinghy to the sailboat require much advance planning. And even then, surprises happen. I will talk about the challenges and adventures of night photography in a remote marine environment.

About Diane Ramthun:
Diane has studied with Brad Goldpaint, the 2018 Royal Museums of Greenwich Astronomy Photographer of the Year. She has attended his night photography workshops for years, most recently in Mt Shasta, CA and Utah. Her photography education started with a night photography class at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. She has continued to take general photography and editing classes at MIAD over the years. Diane shoots with a Sony Alpha a7R III digital camera and a G Master 16-35 lens for nighttime work and uses large format film for daytime photography. Diane and her husband live in Middleton, WI.