There is nothing quite like looking up and seeing a crystal-clear night sky. You pause, take a breath and let your mind wander into the infinite expanse of time and space. Translating that feeling into a photograph takes some special skills and techniques and once you nail the basics, the cosmos and the terrestrial landscape offer up limitless photographic possibilities. From timelapses to capturing the Milky Way to nightscapes – you can let your creativity fly. We’ve curated a list of some of the most creative astro-photographers on Instagram images. Once you’ve been inspired by their technique and make some epic images of your own, be sure to tag your Instagram posts with #SonyAlpha, for your chance to be featured. And for more inspiration on your feed, follow @SonyAlpha on Instagram.

Jess Santos – @missjessbess

Sony Alpha Ambassador Jess Santos creates truly incredible astroscapes.  She composes her images of the night sky, usually including a perspective that includes the landscape in the foreground, leading the eye to a beautiful backdrop of the Milky way or an immense sky of stars. The colors of her images are bold, with prominent hues of blues, purples and pinks, yet they have warm undertones that add another layer of depth to them and help create truly magical images. She used the Sony Alpha 7R IV, Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master and Sony 20mm f/1.8 G to create the composite below. Learn more about how Jess creates her images HERE. 

Rachel Jones Ross – @Rachel_jones_ross

Rachel Jones Ross is a Sony Alpha Ambassador that will inspire you to head out for a midnight adventure to photograph the night sky. She features beautiful sweeping landscapes but at times adds another layer to them by featuring a person or two, which creates a deeper narrative, giving it a fairytale-esque feel to her work. If you want to add something new to how you approach astrophotography, this is the account you should be following. This image was shot with the Sony Alpha 1 and the Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master. 

Cath Simard – @cathsimard

Cath Simard is a photographer, composite artist and NFT artist. She is known for her surreal, cold, blue, mountain night aesthetic - as can clearly be seen in this image below. More and more she has delved into the world of digital art. She made the image below in Scotland, it’s a vertical panorama comprising of two images shot on the Sony Alpha 7R III and the Sony 16-35mm 2.8 G Master. We love the framing of the cliff and the city lights in the background of the frame. This is a true astroscape, showing off the starry sky as well as the place. 

Ty Newcomb – @eye.of.ty

Ty Newcomb is a 31-year-old professional travel and brand photographer based out of Boulder, Colorado. He’s been working as a professional photographer for over eight years now and has made a living working with tourism boards, travel agencies, hotels, and other travel companies on location around the World. Though it looks like something that could only be seen from a telescope, he photographed this galaxy with the Sony Alpha 7R IV and Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master. This photo reminds us of why it is so exciting to photograph with Sony’s cutting edge technology and gear – it allows you to make images that used to never be possible! 

Nate Dodge – @Nate_Dodge

Nate Dodge is a commercial photographer and filmmaker with a niche in the outdoor and adventure industries. His Instagram feed is filled with aesthetically pleasing images including landscapes, shots of fly fishing, and general adventure images. He shoots with the Sony Alpha 7 III and Sony Alpha 7 IV. He particularly likes the Sony Alpha 7 III for its low light capabilities for still images. We love the contrast between warm and cool colors here. 

Burak Esenbey – @BurakEsenbey

Burak Esenbey is a professional landscape and astrophotographer who frequently travels to places like Chile, Argentina, Jordan, Egypt, Namibia and Iceland to photograph the natural world. Among his accolades, Esenbey has been honored in competitions including Capture The Atlas: The Milky Way Photographer of the Year '22 + '23, Top 101 at the International Landscape Photographer of the Year, and 2nd place at the 35 Awards in Night Photography. If you’re looking for an inspirational night sky photographer – look no further! He shoots with the Sony Alpha 7 IV and the Sony Alpha 7 III. Check out more of his gear in What’s In My Bag: A Modified Sony Alpha Kit For Capturing Landscapes and Starscapes. 

Autumn Schrock – @autpops

Autumn Schrock is a photographer and designer specializing in outdoor lifestyle, travel and landscape photography. The Sony Alpha Ambassador's photography is known for its bright colors and tranquil landscapes and astroscapes, and she goes on one adventure after another to capture such special scenes. The Sony 20mm f/1.8 G tends to be her pick for astrophotography, including in the image below, along with the Sony Alpha 7R III. We absolutely love the colors and composition of this image. Learn more about Autumn’s gear and settings for astrophotography HERE.

Scott Kranz  – @scott_kranz

Scott Kranz is based in Seattle and a Sony Alpha Ambassador. His Instagram bio says, “sharing moments from the mountains,” and that’s exactly what you’ll see on his account. Mountaintops peaking through layers of clouds, beautiful lakes tucked in valleys, and views from high above after long treks to get there. We love this alpine astroscape below. The image has an extra layer of story with the camper included in the frame – not only does the person add to the story, it also adds a dimension of the scale of the scene. Scott captured this with his Sony Alpha 1 and Sony 50mm f/1.2 G Master, which he describes as “an ultra-fast prime and the perfect lens to fill the frame with stars and galaxies.”

Nate Luebbe – @nateinthewild

Nate Luebbe is a Sony Alpha Ambassador and a travel and adventure photographer whose feed is full of wildlife, landscapes, and astroscapes that are vivid and exciting. The northern lights will often make an appearance in his feed, adding another element to astrophotography that will inspire you. He has a talent for creating an image that is colorful, fluid and full of life. We were mesmerized by the time lapse video below. 

Ryan Ditch – @ryanditchphoto

Ryan Ditch is a landscape and commercial photographer whose style is a mix of urban and nature. Growing up in and around Seattle, he was inspired by the picturesque Pacific Northwest, but he's a city aficionado at heart. You're likely to pass by him on a trail deep within a National Park and the next week see him composing frames on the streets of Los Angeles. Diversity has always been a huge part of Ditch’s portfolio as he believes there is beauty in all things. As you scroll through his Instagram account, you’ll see sweeping landscapes, both natural and urban. He shot the image below with the Sony Alpha 7R V and the Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master. Check out more of his kit HERE.