Starry Night

“Starry Night” by Vincent van Gogh is one of the most recognized piece of art in the world. The night sky hanging out above the small village is an iconic symbol that many across the world know.

The starry night pictured above is similar in recognition, but for different reasons. The picture isn’t as widely known, seeing as it is one of Austin’s original pieces and we are just getting started, but the scene that is captured is known by many who live in the state of North Dakota. It is the night sky that consistently shows up every single time the sun sets in order to capture the attention of any who stop to take a look.

The stars, which shine ever so brightly, can only be seen when you step away from the city lights (not that there are many cities in North Dakota that have an extreme amount of city lights anyways). Regardless of where you are at, a clear sky with no objects in the way of viewing is required. The silhouette of the building with the fence and the hills behind it add to the naturalistic feel and make it seem like this picture was almost too perfect. How could a dark night sky be so clear? How does an old building just magically fall into your path in order to capture the perfect picture? Some may call it luck and yet others may call it magic, but neither would be correct. That’s just another part of the scenery here in North Dakota. Scenery that can only be accessed when you take the time to notice.

Having grown up in North Dakota his whole life, Austin has come to appreciate the night sky, not only for the beauty it brings, but for the opportunity it presents for him to be a creative photographer. It’s easy to just go out and capture an image of the night sky with your iPhone camera, and only capture the blackness, but it takes patience and wisdom to accurately make the scene show up as you see it, like in the night sky above. For Austin, the starry night gives him the opportunity to take something that is spectacular in nature and bottle it up (so to speak) in order for him to show the world what the night looks like from his perspective.

Looking up at the sky from the city and from the country it seems that you are in two completely different worlds; worlds that seem to clash yet exist in harmony together, much like the cultures that are found in the two different environments. If you’ve never seen a night sky that looks like this, I encourage you to get away from the city, get away from the lights, and take an adventure out into the countryside and let the stars consume you.