Astrophotography Exhibition: October 31st - February 2024

A new astrophotography exhibition will feature on the first-floor viewing space at The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre from October 31st until February 2024, coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the Northumberland Dark Sky Park, and highlighting the brilliant works of Julie Smith and Mike Ridley.

Julie is an amateur photographer based in Henshaw, just two miles away from The Sill, and the most recent winner of the North-East England Photography Award. She’s passionate about capturing the raw beauty of Northumberland’s nocturnal wildlife and night sky wonders, using her camera to unwind and decompress from a mentally taxing day.

Her “Dancing Trees” image which was picked to win the Northern Photography Prize was taken at Walltown, set against the beautiful backdrop of the Milky Way.

Julie says: “Knowing other people are taking some joy from what I manage to capture is what drives me because I want my photos to elicit an emotion in people.“

"Dancing Trees" photo showcasing the Northumberland dark skies

Discover the beauty of dark skies

Mike is a Durham-based amateur photographer, specialising in low-light, landscape, and astrophotography. Starting young with his first digital SLR camera, he quickly went on to discover the beauty of landscapes, as well as the lustrous dark skies. Mike is keen to promote the natural beauty of Northumberland’s dark skies and enjoys the challenge of photographing them for a wider audience.

He hopes you enjoy the images in this exhibition as much as he enjoyed taking them.

All photographs are for sale and can be taken away on the day. There are mounted prints and cards also available in The Sill Shop.

Julie’s “Dancing Trees” photograph will be for sale as a limited edition.

 

To see more of Julie Smith and Mike Ridley’s photography, see their social media below:

-Instagram: @julieandmichaelsmith

-Facebook: Mike Ridley Photography