Summer nights are the perfect time to be looking up at the stars, and humans have been mesmerized by the view for centuries. Not so long ago, the possibility of photographing successful images of the night sky was not as accessible to pro and enthusiast night photographers – this was often left to the scientific community and imagers with specialized astrophotograhpy cameras using telescopes. That's changed and capturing the celestial beauty of the night sky with ease and clarity is now in reach for most photographers. This week we're featuring a group of photographers who are putting the modern tech in their Sony Alpha mirrorless cameras to capture the Milky Way as it stretches above the terrestrial landscape. With cameras like the Sony Alpha 7S III, Sony Alpha 7 III and Sony Alpha 7R series, these star shooters are creating truly awe-inspiring images of our galaxy from all over the world. Are you're capturing surreal moments with your Sony camera? Tag your photos on Instagram with #BeAlpha. We keep a close eye on that hashtag for photos and photographers to feature on AlphaUniverse.com. Also, be sure to give @sonyalpha a follow for your daily dose of creative inspiration.

See how these photographers from around the world capture the Milky Way with their Sony Alpha gear.

Mike Meyers – @mmeyers76

Mike Meyers is a Chicago-based photographer, creative director, writer and member of the Alpha Collective. His feed is full of vibrant city and landscape images full of city lights and starlight. The selected image is a great representation of the elements that he is he is capturing and bridges the gap between earth and sky. Like most of his photos, you find layers of color and texture created from parts of the land or weather. This creates a layer of depth and narrative to his images. He took this incredible image of the Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii with his Sony Alpha 7R II and Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master lens.

Jess Santos – @missjessbess

It seems that anytime we're talking about photographing the night, Jess Santos' name somes up. She is one of the most inspiring astro-landscape phtoographers working today. Santos is a member of the Alpha Imaging Collective and she frequently composites her images to create a vaguely eerie look. The image featured here is a composite that was shot using her Sony Alpha 7R IV and the 12-24mm f/2.8 G Master lens. Bot the sky and foreground series were shot at 14mm and each set of images were stacked for focus and/or noise. See Jess Santos' guide How To Shoot And Composite Milky Way Landscapes HERE.

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Giulio Cobianchi – @giulio_cobianchi_photo

Giulio Cobianchi is an Italian photographer based in Norway. His focus is landscape and adventure photography and he has a passion for photographing landscapes in some of the coldest parts of the world. His love for the landscape in the Northern Hemisphere is shown with beautiful photos of snow-capped mountains and the enchanting green glow of the Aurora. The panorama below not only shows the Aurora, but he was able to get the Milky Way in the frame too. He comments in his caption, "While I was making this pano, I admired the sky with emotion, it was something incredibly exciting."

Nick Page - @nickpagephotography

Nick Page is a Washington-based landscape photographer and host of "The Landscape Photography" Podcast. You will find everything on his feed from images of lush green forests with waterfalls and rivers to desert scapes and astrolandscapes much like the one below. By using the amber lights of the city behind him, he was able to get a warm glow in the foreground that really emphasizes the rich dark blue hues of the night sky, making the stars pop. You will notice throughout Page's work he is very thoughtful with his compositions and his images are minimal in subject but full of life and movement of the land. His feed is one that will keep you scrolling for awhile.



Rachel Jones Ross- @rachel_jones_ross

Rachel Jones Ross is another night sky landscape photographer who consistently pops up in our feeds. She's an Alpha Imaging Collective member living in the Canadian Rockies and she made this astro timelapse with her Sony Alpha 7S III and her 12-24mm f/2.8 G Master lens. Ross teaches workshops around the world and she is a frequent contributor to AlphaUniverse.com. Check out her most recent What's In My Bag article where she takes us through the essential cameras, lenses and other gear she uses for astro photography HERE and listen to our interview with Ross on the Alpha Universe Podcast HERE. Also, she'll be teaching a live virtual workshop on Astro Photography at the #BeAlpha Live event on August 15th. You can see all the details and sign up for #BeAlpha Live HERE. 

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Diego Rangel- @diego.r.photography

Diego Rangel is based in the Pacific Northwest, so it is fitting that you will find an abundance of seascapes throughout his feed. This stunning photo of the Milky Way over the Oregan coastline with a small figure at the bottom center of the picture is a wonderful reflection of the awe and wonder we feel when looking up at the sky and a reminder of how much of the world there is to explore. 

Will Godward - @godwardphotography

As a South Australian landscape astrophotographer, Will captures the night sky and gives you a perspective of the Australian landscape that you may not have seen before. Often highlighting the Milky Way over vast open spaces or on a shoreline with rolling cliffs, his images will inspire you to discover new and familiar landscapes under the night sky. He created the image below using his Sony Alpha 7S III and Sony 20mm f/1.8 G lens. Learn more about his complete kit for astrophotography in his What's In My Bag article HERE.

Anthony Castro – @anthonys.adventure

Anthony Castro is another member of the Alpha Collective and is based in Oahu, Hawaii. Castro has an Instagram feed filled with adventure and the vibrant life you find in Hawaii as well as other parts of the world, such as New Zealand, where he took this beautiful deep blue image of the Milky Way between two mountain peaks surrounded by an icy alpine lake. The blue monotone of the image helps to separate the night sky from the icy waters and brings us to the realization of how separate and beautiful the two worlds are. He created this image with his Sony Alpha 7R III and Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master lens.