Richard Tatti: Creating Stories with Light Beneath the Stars

Some of the most stunning photographs can be made at night, and I had an opportunity to discuss this topic with an incredible nightscape photographer, Australian, Richard Tatti.

Richard Tatti holding two tripods, with a star tracker attached to one

We began our conversation talking about how Richard got his start in photography and his lifelong interest in photographing the stars. After some general photography, and without any formal photography education, he began to teach himself how to photograph the stars and began to include interesting foreground objects.

A lone tree creates some foreground interest in this dramatic view of the Milky Way

Richard continued to refine his techniques and his photos have a definite style which draws the viewer in and fills them with wonder.

The Milky Way soaring above an old church, full of character

He is able to use light in creative ways to illuminate a subject and highlight the textures present. At times, Richard will bring a subject to life with some warm light inside. The background of the stars, often dramatic, stands in support of the subject, but also provides an interesting contrast.

Richard is a master of lighting a subject to draw interest, while simultaneously displaying an amazing sky

He has been educating photographers for years through workshops and his long running Nightscape Images YouTube channel, where he has over 300 informative videos. All photos in this blog post are by Richard Tatti and more examples of his work, along with additional content, workshops, etc., can be found on his website: Nightscape Images