I will always appreciate and admire photographers who love to get technical.

The time and effort it takes to capture the perfect moment is just too much for me, so I would rather hand the camera over and let the enthusiasts get the job done properly.

A self-described landscape photographer and long exposure enthusiast, Cape Town-based Kyle Goetsch is someone who I just might trust.

You see, Goetsch has a thing for astrophotography, and sets out on adventures during each new moon to capture the night’s sky.

Included in these shots are some epic representations of the Milky Way and other earthly features, and you might have found yourself getting lost in his latest accomplishment.

Shot from somewhere up Table Mountain, Goetsch described the mission:

This is a 12 image panorama of the milky way body over the iconic Lions Head in Cape Town, South Africa. I have been wanting to get this photo for a while now, but is only possible when the conditions are perfect due to the extreme light pollution from the city centre and surrounding suburbs.

The perfect conditions require a new moon and low fog rolling over the city from the atlantic ocean to help reduce the light pollution so that the milky way is visible.

I have attempted this shot several times which includes hiking part way up Table Mountain and more often then not just sitting in the fog. I finally managed to capture this photo at 5am yesterday morning just as the fog was starting to roll back out over the ocean. Bucket list photo for me 🙂

And the image? An absolute stunner:

If gorgeous nighttime photographs are your thing, below are a few more taken by Goetsch:

Went on an Astro mission out near Touwsrivier. It was an awesome adventure and got some nice snaps.

Had some fun playing around in the karoo last night.

[Y]ou can’t see the main body of the Milky Way yet as it hadn’t risen (and moon was sitting right in the middle of it) so this is just part of the Milky Way arm starting to rise.

Oooph, gives you all the feels.

For more shots, you can check out his Instagram here.

[source:facebook]