Ayrshire student unveils stunning images of space taken from garden
Bryan Shaw took the pictures with a makeshift telescope in New Cumnock
Last updated 28th Apr 2022
An Ayrshire student is showcasing detailed images of space taken from his back garden.
Bryan Shaw has spent hours stargazing, taking inspiring, detailed images of space which would not normally be seen through the naked human eye.
The 28-year-old from New Cummnock studies Broadcast Production at U.W.S Ayr and decided to look outside the box and outside the planet for his final year project.
The images are captured on a makeshift telescope which he uses out in his garden, and so far he has managed to take detailed pictures of star clusters and nebulas located light years away, such as Pleiades, Andromeda Galaxy and the Orion Nebula.
He told West FM that the location of his house in Ayrshire is the best place to take the photographs due to the lack of light pollution usually found in busy cities and towns.
He said: “There’s a big advantage to doing something like this in Ayrshire, because it’s quite rural.
“When you go towards bigger towns you sometimes get a bit of light pollution off of streetlights and buildings, but outside of them it’s pretty great sky conditions that you can see across a lot of the UK.
“My own garden is great, and specifically in Ayrshire, there is great conditions by Loch Doon, and I’d say that’s one of the best places in Scotland and probably the UK.
Only beginning his venture in April 2021, Bryan’s project started out for educational means to complete his degree, but what started as work has now turned into a hobby.
The student had some knowledge of the night sky, and knew how to pick out consolations and the north star, but for the purposes of his project, he knew he had to learn more.
Also included in his work is a timelapse of the famous Northern Lights captured throughout a clear night sky in Scotland.
Now that his course is near completed, Bryan is intending on continuing his work of capturing the detail of space objects.
He added: “I always had the stars on my doorstep; and I know I’m incredibly fortunate that light pollution here is minimal.
“This inspired the project. I wanted to bring the stars to people who don’t get to see what I see. Even for people living where I live, I wanted to capture – or try to capture – a vision of space that they don’t see.
“The camera, due to its technical capabilities, is able to pick up things in the night sky that the naked eye cannot – colours, formations – details that are hidden to most.”
“It’s time-consuming, but I really do love this. I’m planning to get a bigger telescope to advance my knowledge and let me capture things that I can’t at the moment.
“I want to take photos of individual planets, and craters on the moon – that’s what I’m planning. My ultimate ambition is to take a photo of a nebula known as Thor’s Helmet. It’s absolutely stunning, and it really does look like the helmet that belongs to Thor in the Marvel movies.
“As a big Marvel fan, that has to be my big goal”.
Bryan’s work has made him a fan-favourite of University bosses in Ayrshire who insist his project demonstrates true skill and original thinking.
BA Broadcast Production: TV & Radio Programme Leader Paul Tucker said: “Bryan is a great example of the innovative thinking and ambition shown by students who study Broadcast Production at UWS.
“The photographs he has managed to take from an ordinary garden really are incredible, and he should be proud of what he has managed to achieve.”
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