Photography Tutorial · 2021-10-10

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography!

Thomas Chu Photo

At the recently concluded 2021 top world astrophotography event - the Royal Observatory Greenwich's annual photo competition, young Chinese photographer Dong Shuchang won the Astronomy Photographer of the Year award with "The Golden Ring," a photo of an annular solar eclipse taken in Ali, Tibet in 2020!

In today's photography tutorial, let's appreciate the wonderful astrophotography works of Dong Shuchang together!

Video tutorial

▶ Watch the video tutorial on Bilibili

This article is the illustrated companion to the video above: Thomas continues recommending outstanding young photographers from the Star Cluster Project — today's featured astrophotographer is Dong Shuchang, freshly crowned overall champion of the 2021 Astronomy Photographer of the Year, the competition known as the Oscars of astrophotography for its authority and influence.

First, a look back at the two previously featured young photographers: Randis Fang, who chases storms, and Oscar, who has photographed China's most beautiful seascapes (at 0:31).

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 1

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 2

01 The Champion's Work: Simple but Not Simple

The first time Thomas saw the winning image, his feeling was "simple but not simple" (at 1:04). Simple: a centered composition presenting the finest side of the 2020 annular eclipse in Ngari, Tibet, with a clean contrast of cool and warm tones. Not simple: the patches of light and dark are traces of clouds drifting through a long exposure — had the clouds been a little thicker, the ring would never have shown.

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 3

An outstanding astrophotograph demands meticulous planning and preparation, a journey of a thousand miles to the shooting location, an artistic presentation and composition — and finally a flash of fleeting inspiration, or simply fortune's favor, to produce such a remarkable image (at 1:38).

02 More Works Under the Stars

Beyond the eclipse, Dong Shuchang has many more fine astronomical works, many of them pairing celestial sights with striking landscapes and human elements (at 2:02). Let's enjoy them together.

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 4

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 5

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 6

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 7

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 8

03 About the Star Cluster Project

Thomas and Ye Ziyi started the Star Cluster Project precisely to spotlight young photographers and enthusiasts whose passion keeps producing great work, and to bring their images to a wider audience (at 3:54). If you'd like more people to see your work, submissions are open — this round closes on October 25.

1. Simple is not simplistic: beneath the centered frame and clean warm-cool contrast lie cloud trails of a long exposure and the luck of the skies; 2. A great astrophotograph = meticulous planning + a thousand-mile journey + artistic composition + a spark of inspiration; 3. The stars can be woven into landscape and humanity — beyond the celestial, there is human warmth; 4. Keep the passion — young creators deserve to be seen.

HD video:

https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1GU4y1w7qR/

Works Appreciation

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 9

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 10

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 11

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 12

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 13

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 14

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 15

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 16

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 17

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 18

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 19

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 20

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 21

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 22

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 23

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 24

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 25

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 26

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 27

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 28

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 29

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 30

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 31

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 32

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 33

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 34

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 35

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 36

Photographer's Weibo: Paulownia Dong Shuchang (Paulownia董书畅)

During the #Star Cluster Project# collection period, many excellent young creators and works have emerged. So my co-founder Ye Ziyi and I have decided to extend the #Star Cluster Project# deadline to October 25. Everyone is welcome to submit enthusiastically!

So Powerful! This Post-95 Photographer Won the 'Oscar' of Astrophotography! · Fig. 37

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