The first thought I had was “This can’t be possible!”

I walked out of the tiny house we had, which had no power in it’s single room and bathroom. Outside, the size of the house didn’t matter. The universe lay before us, our galaxy clear as I’d ever seen it. I was so excited I couldn’t sit still. I rushed inside to grab my camera, asking Corné questions and soaking up his advice as much as I could. We tramped around in the dark, setting up frames and waiting. A lot of astrophotography is waiting. When the camera finally clicked back and the screen came back to life, the images that emerged made my heart race. What I could see with my bare eyes was on the screen. A feeling that doesn’t often happen. We raced around taking photos yet I could not understand the rush, but Corné warned that we didn’t have time. I saw no reason to rush yet I kept my eyes on the horizon, seeing only one light from what must be a stadium or hotel. After 45 min I realized that giant light over the hill was actually the full moon rising. The city boy in me had rationalized it as a stadium or club light because nothing seems this bright in the city. The light pollution dulls the night sky in a way that is impossible to explain until you see it. Since arriving back, the night skies of Joburg seem empty and bare, blurred as if my glasses have been removed. The trip was worth every pixel, each kilometer drawing closer to the pictures of my dreams.

While this trip was short, 48 hours of which 24 was dedicated to travel itself, I learnt a great deal and thought I would share;

First of all, travel tips for Sutherland:

1. Prepare for the cold: Winter is the best time to visit Sutherland but it is the coldest town in South Africa. With temperatures yearly averaging in just 11 degrees Celsius, the cold is not to be taken lightly. Bring extra blankets and a flask is a must! Learn how to make a fire, the place we stayed in had no power so fire is how we cooked and stayed warm.

2. Eat smart: When you’re working so hard to make a meal (Corné made all the meals lol), it takes time. There are no places to get take out, so don’t bank on that either. Simple town = simple living.

3. Get a good travel buddy: The drive is long and straight. Boring to most. Find someone who isn’t like me, sleeping in the car for most of the journey. In my defense, that road is so straight it was hypnotic to watch. I’m impressed by how Corné drove with basically no breaks and a sleeping passenger. I need to get better in future!

4. Charge your batteries: No power = no charging.

5. Bring an extra fuel can: Some of the stretches between gas stations are long and not every car will make it. Don’t get stuck in the dust!

6. Beat the darkness: Without ambient light from other buildings and people, the night sky is amazing. It is, however, really dark on the ground. Be ready for total darkness before sunset. Start your fires, get your torches close to you and don’t get caught stumbling around in the dark.

7. There are animals: We found small footprints near the accommodation, and it was pretty clear that they were fresh. I did my research though and there’s nothing even remotely dangerous so don’t worry ;)

8. Try catch snow: Unfortunately we missed the snow but it was the only thing missing from the aesthetic of the whole place. Some pictures of the small house covered in snow with stars above would just complete the whole photoset. Plus who doesn’t love snow!?!

Photography tips:

1. Try get your shutter-speed to 30 sec and adjust your settings around that. Lowest ISO/ASA/EI possible for cleaner images. Keep in mind that this means you need your camera to remain still when you take the pictures. A tripod is a must! A remote trigger also helps but Canon has an app that lets you do that from your phone. (Comment if you need the link)

2. Spend time on focus. It is extremely hard to find focus, especially with long exposures because on most cameras the preview looks grainy and is inaccurate. If you can find a well exposed object in your image, focus on that and test. Another place to start would be on infinity and adjust from there if you need to. This will be difficult for beginners as a lot of beginner gear does not indicate your focus numerically.

3. Avoid the moon! The moon might sound light a great subject for your shots BUT it’s way brighter than the stars and overtakes the shot. Basically, you lose all your stars in the shot if the moon is there. Beat scenario is a new moon or shooting before the moon rises.

4. Use small lights to light your foreground. Remember long exposure = you don’t need big lights. A small fire or LED’s will do. I suggest the fire, a warm look + stars = sexy mixed lighting.

I hope this post was helpful or interesting. I’ll write one every time I make a travel vlog, especially for South African destinations. I plan on seeing more of Africa and the World soon and I’ll report back to you along the way!

Fishcat Zombie