Filmmaker Ben Canales of Uncage The Soul Productions is no stranger to producing incredible photos and time-lapse films of the night sky. But this year, during the Perseids Meteor Shower, Canales decided to test out the low light film capabilities of the Sony A7s, all while teaching 23 High School students how to capture the dark night sky of Oregon. The students, participating in the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry astronomy camp, were treated to a dazzling display of the meteor shower, all while learning how to properly capture it on DSLRs provided by Pro Photo Supply.
Over the week long camp, the team slept outside under the stars to enhance the experience of the dazzling summer sky. Along the way, the students and their instructors joined the Oregon Star Party, a group of almost 600 night enthusiasts who gathered to witness the meteor shower.
Canales, on his Vimeo Description, details the experience.
We saw tons of shooting stars, oooh’d and ahhh’d at fireballs bursting across the sky; looked through dozens of specialized telescopes brought to the field by local astronomers; and enjoyed a full week of being out under the stars. Good times were had by all.
The film would not have been possible to make just a couple years ago, as Canales needed to push the limits of the Sony A7s, a camera known for it’s incredible high ISO performance. The entire film was captured at an ISO range between 60,000 and 100,000.
While missing some of the nights biggest meteors, the short story captures the joy and excitement the students felt while seeing the dark sky in action like they had never witnessed before.
