Celestial Lights: An Ethereal Journey

Celestial Lights: An Ethereal Journey

When Rochester was gearing up for the 2024 Eclipse, Image City Gallery Partner Dick Bennett thought that images from the eclipse might be a timely theme for his 2024 Featured Show.  However, when the sky was covered in clouds, and the changing views of the eclipse were not visible in Rochester, he shifted gears a bit and came up with the idea of Celestial Nights.  Dick invited the following photographers, who enjoy night sky photography, to join him in his featured exhibit: Joe Altieri, Image City Partner Marie Costanza, Robert Crumrine, Mike Dorofy, Cindy El-Gaaly, Tom Knauss, Margy Meath, Martha Price, Sue Rossi and Patty Singer. Dick says, “Though Celestial Lights may have an origin in the mystics and ancient beliefs, in this sense it stands for lights in the night sky such as the Aurora Borealis, the Milky Way or an Eclipse of the sun.” Celestial Nights is a captivating exhibition that illuminates the visceral connection we share with the cosmos.  The collection manifests an ethereal journey through the nocturnal heavens, showcasing an array of phenomena from the golden hues of the sunset to the enigmatic glow of the Aurora Borealis.  

For this exhibit several of the photographers chose to display their journey through images of the Milky Way, which stretch across the canvas of space, revealing intricate dust lanes and vibrant star clusters within our galactic home. The colors are vibrant yet nuanced, bringing out the natural beauty of our universe in ways that feel new and profound. Sue Rossi, who photographed the Milky Way over a covered bridge in Vermont, says that she likes the final result of this image because “it gives a vivid picture of how beautiful the Milky Way is.”  Sue enjoys going with friends on her photography journeys because of the “life-long memories” that are created.

The moon, another intriguing part of the night sky, and our closest celestial neighbor, is often depicted in a variety of settings, from the serene to the dramatic. Marie Costanza, who has enjoyed observing the moon and the stars since she was a child, decided to combine her love of the sky with her love of birds. Her photo entitled “Lunar Soar,” is an image of a Short-eared owl with the full moon in the background. Marie says “Since it was December when I shot this image, the sun set early, and the sky darkened quickly, so I had to move fast when taking several photos of the owls.” Later when the moon was visible in the sky, Marie took photos of it and merged the two images together to create her composite image.

Another photographer who enjoys the moon is Cindy El-Gaaly. The “Yosemite Moonbow” was one of dozens of images captured by Cindy, during a spring visit to Yosemite National Park, which she says “is a magical time of year.”  She says “the light is amplified at night when the light of a full moon strikes Yosemite Falls at just the right angle, creating a nighttime lunar rainbow, also referred to as a Moonbow.”  Cindy encourages viewers to “go out and look at a starry sky, or a field of fireflies dancing in the fields. Enjoy the magic.”

Photographing star trails is a stunning way to capture night shots that illustrate stars moving in the sky. Martha Price and Joe Altieri chose to exhibit this type of image. Martha’s “Star Trails at Arches National Park,” is a compilation of about 70 stacked photos centered around Polaris, the North Star.  The rock formation is Balanced Rock.  Martha says, “As we were taking our photos, the weather was cool, and we could hear coyotes howling in the distance.    The moon behind us provided some light for the rocky foreground.” Joe stayed closer to home when he captured his image by Lake Ontario, “Star Trails at Sodus.”  Joe explains, “This was a project that was planned for some time, playing a tug of war with weather and timing. The goal was to catch the sunset and trailing stars in a composite showing a transition from day into night. Our home star, the Sun, mixed in with its local community of neighbors. These trails are very beautiful and can create some dynamic imagery. The lighthouse was a perfect component to add into this type of composition providing a cool central light source connecting to    the stars.”

In July, 2020, many photographers also flocked to Lake Ontario to watch Comet Neowise make an appearance.  Patty Singer says, “A few of us were watching it over Lake Ontario with other people.  I decided to back up a bit and capture the comet with some people that were sitting on a bench in the foreground. Lo and behold, I was surpised and pleased to see that my 10 second capture included a firefly that flew over the people in my foreground. It was a pleasant surprise that I think really added to the photo.” 

When the Aurora Borealis was visible in Rochester, many photographers, including Dick Bennett, Robert Crumrine, Mike Dorofy and Margy Meath spent time photographing this phenomenon over Lake Ontario. Mike says, “There were two nights during May that were good for viewing the Auroras.” Mike took his photo “Braddock Bay Lighthouse” on the second night.  He says “I enjoy visiting this location for sunrises, and when there was a second night of Auroras, I was pleased to have the opportunity to capture it from there.”  Robert Crumine, who took his image along the lakeshore at Webster Park says “I wanted to preserve my memory of this display, and it was the best I’ve seen in 20 years.” Whether they were in a foreign country or in the Rochester area, the photographers managed to capture the dynamic, dancing lights with a clarity and vibrancy that is breathtaking.  The colors seem to leap from the images creating a visceral experience for the viewer.  The photos not only showcase the phenomenon itself but also convey the emotional impact of witnessing such a natural wonder.  Margy Meath, who was on the shore of Lake Ontario in Greece, also observing the incredible light show, says that her image “was one of the first images I took on the night of the Aurora show, and it represents a night I will never forget. All day long I was getting text alerts about the potential show, which was visible just as it was getting dark.  At first it seemed subtle, but very quickly this image emerged, and it looked like a curtain—starting high in the sky and flowing down toward the horizon.  I’ve never seen anything like this and to see such incredible northern lights and color in Rochester is very rare.”

Tom Knauss, like Dick Bennett, was anticipating several images of the Solar Eclipse on April 8.  Since Rochester was under heavy cloud coverage, Tom created “Rochester Broken Glass.” He says, he created the image “as a spoof of the Eclipse.” He took a photo of cloud-covered Rochester, which he merged with a sketch of cracked glass.  He had previously taken an image of totality with a diamond ring during the August 2017 Solar Eclipse, when he was visiting Wyoming.  He layered all of his images together in order to create this fascinating, creative image.

Beyond the technical mastery and artistic beauty of the photographs, Celestial Nights offers a profound narrative on the interplay of light and darkness, the vastness of our universe and the intimate moments when we pause to look up at the night sky.  It is a celebration of the natural world, an invitation to contemplation and a reminder of the fragile beauty that surrounds us, often unseen in our rushed lives. 

This exhibition is a must see for anyone who looks up at the night sky with curiosity and amazement. Celestial Lights is at Image City from July 9-August 4, 2024.  The opening reception is on July 12, 5-8:30, and the First Friday opening is on August 2, 5-9.

What are your thoughts or questions about the photographs in Celestial Lights? Please respond in the comment box below.