Archiving the Night Sky: In Conversation with Astrophotographer Ajay Talwar

Astrophotography―or astronomical imaging―is a time-bound lens art associated with amateur astronomy. It is defined by the pursuit of taking aesthetically pleasing images, rather than collecting scientific data. Astrophotography includes—among other avocations—eclipse-chasing, tracking occultations, dedicated stargazing, deep-sky imaging, charting star trails through long-exposure shots and making time-lapse movies of said phenomena. In this conversation, Ajay Talwar—who has photographed the night sky for twenty-five years—talks about his experiences on the field, including its logistical challenges. He emphasises that astrophotography is essentially low-light photography. Thus, the equipment has to be optimised to gather the available light to the effect that it clears any visual noise from the frame. This genre of photography necessitates dark locations, low temperatures and minimal light pollution (i.e., artificial light sources directed at the sky)—all of which render high-altitude areas favourable for the purpose of photographing the night sky. As an analogue process, astrophotography was more labour-intensive and contingent on the elements, without the promise of quick results or error-corrections―possibilities that are readily offered by digital equipment today.

Astrophotography involves meticulous planning as well as long periods of waiting, anticipation and on-site preparation for the concerned phenomenon to be captured in its constituent details. This purported mimesis is often accomplished fully in the post-production phase, when extraneous elements can be subtracted from the frame. In specific instances, shots are stacked or layered on each other with the resultant effect taking shape cumulatively. Case in point: the Indian Tutulemma, as captured by Talwar and his partner, Neelam. The image is a repository of data accumulated over time, making visible what could not have otherwise been gauged by the naked eye in isolation. In such cases, the image bears in its ontology sutured temporalities, creating an alternative economy of perception. The field of vision in astrophotography is a conjunction of technologies, bodies and sites that are mobilised to create a specific experience around a celestial object, defined by a perennial urge to seek media that can extend one’s gaze further into space.

^{(Featured Image: Tutulemma―Analemma of the Sun and Indian Solstice Annular Eclipse at Chilla Sahib Gurudwara, Sirsa, India.}

^{The image―which is not singular, but a composite of many shots―depicts the motion of the sun in the sky at the same point of time every day over one year, which forms an "analemma." This particular analemma is distinctive, with an annular eclipse [the solstice eclipse on June 21, 2020 in India] visible right on top of the shape of "8." This makes the image a "tutulemma"―only the second in the world. Photograph by Ajay and Neelam Talwar. Sirsa and Gurugram, India, 10 February 2020–10 February 2021. Image courtesy of the artists.)}  

Interview taken on 17 May 2021.