Italian Landscapes illuminated at Night, as Skilfully Photographed by Andrea Curzi
Landscape Astrophotographer Andrea Curzi Overcomes Light Pollution Challenges in Marche Region
Andrea Curzi, a renowned landscape astrophotographer based in the Marche region of Italy, has found a way to capture stunning celestial images despite the area's high level of light pollution. Known for his captivating shots of the Milky Way, Curzi employs a unique approach to planning his compositions and utilizes a variety of affordable star trackers and software to bring his visions to life.
In an effort to plan his shots, Curzi makes use of "blue dots" in Google Street View to help visualize potential locations, and he verifies the Milky Way's visibility using Google Earth. For his post-processing work, Curzi conducts long stacking sessions in RGB and H-alpha using Pixinsight software.
When it comes to equipment, Curzi favours simple and inexpensive star trackers such as the Omegon Minitrack LX2, Omegon Minitrack LX3, Omegon Minitrack LX Quattro, and Move Shoot Move Nomad. He also uses a Canon EOS R for foregrounds and star trails, a Canon EOS 6D (astromodified) for the sky, a Tamron 17-35 F2.8-4 lens for his main work, and a Canon 50mm F1.8 lens for mosaics.
Recently, Curzi implemented Astronomik filters, including a CLS filter for light pollution and a 12nm H-alpha filter for hydrogen, which have significantly improved the quality of his photographs. As a result, he was a finalist for the Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2024 competition and won the Milky Way Photographer of the Year 2024 award from Capture The Atlas.
Curzi's passion for astrophotography is evident in his dedication to teaching others, offering workshops both privately and in groups, and leading trips abroad. You can follow Andrea Curzi on Instagram, Facebook, and his website to learn more about his astrophotography adventures and upcoming workshops.
While it is not explicitly documented, it is likely that Curzi uses common professional-grade apps for planning and scouting, such as Stellarium, Photopills, SkySafari, and The Photographer’s Ephemeris, to aid in his astrophotography endeavours. If you're interested in diving deeper into the world of astrophotography, you can find more astrophotography case studies, gear analyses, courses on capturing star trails and photographing deep sky objects, and best cameras, lenses, and star trackers for landscape astrophotography on various platforms.
Curzi also has a video tutorial for sale on his website, suitable for both beginners and intermediate astrophotographers. For those looking to learn more about amateur astronomy and astrophotography, Anthony Robinson, the founder and owner of Skies & Scopes, offers a publication and community dedicated to the topic.
- Andrea Curzi, a landscape astrophotographer, captures stunning celestial images in the light polluted Marche region of Italy.
- He employs a unique approach, using Google Street View "blue dots" and Google Earth to plan his compositions and verify the Milky Way's visibility.
- For his post-processing work, Curzi uses Pixinsight software for long stacking sessions in RGB and H-alpha.
- He prefers affordable star trackers like the Omegon Minitrack LX2, Omegon Minitrack LX3, Omegon Minitrack LX Quattro, and Move Shoot Move Nomad.
- Curzi uses a mixture of Canon cameras, lenses, and Astronomik filters for his photography, which significantly improved the quality of his photographs.
- His dedication to teaching others led him to offer workshops and trips abroad, and he can be followed on Instagram, Facebook, and his website.
- Common professional-grade apps such as Stellarium, Photopills, SkySafari, and The Photographer’s Ephemeris might aid Curzi in his astrophotography endeavors, although this is not explicitly documented.
- For those keen on learning more about astrophotography, there are numerous astrophotography case studies, gear analyses, and courses available online.
- Anthony Robinson's Skies & Scopes publication and community is a valuable resource for amateur astronomy and astrophotography enthusiasts.
