SUMMARY
New Zealand astrophotographer Tom Rae won first place in the Capture the Dark photo contest's "Creatures of the Night" category. His winning image, a blend of tracked sky and long exposure foreground, depicts a cave illuminated by glow worms beneath the Southern Cross constellation. To capture this shot, Rae rappelled approximately 330 feet into the cave, facing challenges like dense humidity and low light. He used a Nikon Z8, Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 lens, Sigma 28mm f/1.4 Art lens, and an iOptron SkyGuider Pro star tracker to create composite panoramas.
TAKEAWAYS
Tom Rae won the Capture the Dark photo contest with an image taken inside a cave.
The photo required Rae to rappel 330 feet into the cave.
He used a Nikon Z8 and other specialized gear for the shot.
The image features glow worms and the Southern Cross constellation.