Montanans among stars: Butte photographers shed light on the night sky

BUTTE — According to photographer Arron Booth, nighttime photography presents an entirely different perspective of the world in more ways than one.

Since 2008 the Butte native has been traveling throughout Montana and Wyoming capturing detailed images of the night sky, where he has had encounters not only with nebulae and swaths of stars from the Milky Way, but also with the sights and sounds of the wilderness.

"Go out and stand in the mountains right now in the pitch dark, [and] your mind plays tricks on you," said Booth, noting that spending hours alone in the woods can lead to some out-of-this world experiences, replete with coyote cries and bumps in the night.

Today Booth exhibits his nighttime images at the Uptown Butte Art Walk, Montana galleries and "mom-and-pop" establishments. His photos capture things like wilderness landscapes, old barns and isolated country churches beneath images of our galaxy, the northern lights and other light phenomena.

Aside from capturing images of the cosmos, Booth said what he enjoys most about nighttime photography is mastering the skills required.

To create his photos, Booth said, he uses long shutter speeds and high ISOs and sometimes layers multiple exposures to get the effect he wants. The process also involves using photo-enhancing software, which allows Booth to increase the saturation of his images, among other adjustments.

"Pretty much you're just pushing your camera to the limit," said Booth.

Butte resident Hayes Novich — who goes by the moniker Hazer Live — says he started dabbling in nighttime photography because he likes the peacefulness of the world at night.

Hazer has been taking photos of festivals and other events in Butte for several years and said he started taking photos of the night sky because it was something to do after crowds started to dwindle.

Hazer added that the Big Sky State boasts some of the most star-saturated skies with its wide-open spaces and sparse population.

"Montana has some of the darkest skies in the country," he said.

In one of Hazer's images, a lone figure with a headlamp looks over a barn and is met by an immensity of stars. In another, the Mountain Con headframe, backed by the nighttime sky, is illuminated by signage proclaiming the mine is both a mile high and a mile deep.

To some viewers it may seem amazing that detailed images of the Milky Way can appear through the aid of a simple digital camera.

But perhaps more amazing are the implications behind those images.

To find out what those implications are, The Montana Standard spoke with Daniel Reisenfeld, professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Montana.

Reisenfeld, who heads a space group at the university that has been involved in several NASA missions, including the Cassini mission to Saturn, said images of the night sky have long been captivating to scientists and artists alike.

He said his own interest in stars and galaxies began in early childhood when he was fascinated by the idea of space exploration and colonization of far-off worlds.

"I think that it's so vast and so majestic, it challenges our imagination," said Reisenfeld when asked why people find images of space so captivating.

He added that space imagery "speaks to the possibilities beyond" and "all the questions that come up" including, of course, the quintessential question: are we alone?

Hazer concurred, noting that many people are unaware of the size and scope of the Milky Way.

Plus, he said, "the stars have always been awesome."

As for Booth, he said he's learned a lot about astronomy from his nighttime photography adventures.

"That's looking toward the center of our galaxy," said Booth flipping through a set of images on his phone. "(But) when you get toward the outer ring here, that's looking away into deep space."

Booth showed The Standard a photo of St. John the Evangelist, a small white church on Montana Highway 69 near Boulder. The church is framed by an arch of the Milky Way, and Booth pointed to what appears to be a very bright star to the left of the steeple.

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"That's the Andromeda galaxy," said Booth "That's the galaxy that's going to collide with us in (a few billion years)."

A sobering thought indeed.

And while nighttime photography conjures up questions about the cosmos for some, for others it raises questions about whether the images are "real."

The Standard asked both Booth and Reisenfeld if the photos are less authentic because they use photo-enhancing software and capture what the naked eye can't see.

Reisenfeld said scientists used image-enhancing techniques all the time to visualize their discoveries.

He said things exist in space that can't be perceived by the human eye, including in the infrared and ultra violet spectrum. Scientists use software to bring these images into the visual spectrum so that they can study them.

Booth, meanwhile, didn't seem concerned whether viewers think of his images as more or less authentic.

"I like just to be a storyteller," he said.

Booth's interest in telling stories comes through in one particular photograph.

It depicts a lone figure wearing a cowboy hat who looks out at the night sky.

With the Highlands in the background, the figure hoists what seems to be a lantern over his head, as though he's just illuminated the underbelly of the Milky Way.

He looks a bit like an explorer peering out into a very large world.

Source: Montanans among stars: Butte photographers shed light on the night sky