This year’s list includes images that were taken around the world, in 12 countries like the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Iran, Turkey, Brazil, Spain, Italy, Slovenia, Switzerland, and Greece, by 25 photographers of 14 different nationalities.
‘The Watchman’ by Brandt Ryder was taken at Zion National Park, Utah in the USA.
“Utah’s dark skies are a mecca for astrophotographers from around the world,” the photographer said.
“Zion National Park is one of the premier locations and, for as long as I can remember, nightscapes from this park have captured my imagination.
“When I finally traveled to Zion, I knew I wanted to capture something unique, something different from the traditional shot, but one that still featured the iconic and austere ‘Watchman’.
“I had seen some photos from a closer angle and after some exploring, I came across this twisted skeleton of an old juniper framing ‘The Watchman’.
“As a photographer, I am always looking for interesting foreground subjects.
“Foregrounds that have features that can in some way recapitulate or accentuate the background are rare but always the most compelling.”
This content first appear on 9news