Earth & Sky Ltd., P.O. Box 112, Lake Tekapo 7945, New Zealand.   E-mail: info@earthandsky.co.nz
Phone: +64 (0)3 6806960   Fax: +64 (0)3 6806950
Astrophotography at Mount John
Once you've seen the stunning night sky over Lake Tekapo you'll be wanting to take a photographic souvenir to show your friends back home just what it was like. If you've tried to capture the stars, chances are that your results weren't quite what you'd hoped — but don't be discouraged, help is at hand!

A new feature of our Mt John Stargazing Night Tour is the chance to have your camera/lens mounted on a high-tech tracking mount enabling you to take your own wide-angle astrophotographs. Don't worry if you've never done this before as world-renowned astroimager Fraser Gunn will be available to assist you set your camera and focus, plus explain some of the mysteries of astrophotography.

To participate, your camera needs to have a "bulb" (timed exposure) function and the ability to be manually focused, so most SLR and DSLR designs will work. Our special tracking mount can accommodate five cameras simultaneously, plus we have shutter release cables for Canon, Nikon and Sony models.

If you'd like to use this service then we'd appreciate an idea of the numbers likely to take part, so please register your interest when booking at our Earth & Sky office (number above) or, when booking online, please mention astrophotography in the 'Note' field at the bottom of the booking page. Please note: owing to research commitments, Fraser will occasionally be unavailable. We will inform you at the time of booking if this likely to be the case. We humbly apologise if these times coincide with your visit to Mt John.

As part of the tour you'll also have an opportunity to purchase a special astrophotography CD packed with the best night images taken from Mount John or close by. It features photos of galaxies, star clusters, nebulae, the aurora, Comet McNaught and many other beautiful night scenes for just $10.

See small-scale versions of recent images in our Gallery.

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