The administration allowed a night expedition for a photography group for the first time. Images by Victor Lima showcase the Milky Way at one of the Seven Natural Wonders in Foz do Iguaçu.
By Mari Kateivas, G1 PR — Foz do Iguaçu
For the first time, Iguazu National Park authorized a group of photographers to enter for a night expedition at Iguazu Falls, in Foz do Iguaçu, in western Paraná.
The initiative was led by Victor Lima, a professional working in astrophotography. Alongside him, 11 students participated in the expedition. Check out the results in the report’s photos.
To make the captures, Lima used long exposure photography, where the sensor is exposed for several seconds to capture the image, typically used in low-light environments.
“It was fantastic to do the photographic work at the Falls. During the day, the place is already wonderful, but at night I dare say it is even more beautiful. At least through the lenses and capture techniques, it is possible to reveal many things you wouldn’t imagine would be in the sky, alongside the wonder of this scenery.”
There was no type of manipulation in the photographs, according to the professional. All images underwent only normal processing, such as shadow adjustment, white balance, contrast, and saturation.
The photographer told G1 that making the captures required a lot of planning, aided by technology, to know exactly where the stars would be positioned in relation to Iguazu Falls during the three nights of the expedition.
“Within the planning, I study the movement of the stars; all of this is astrophysics, a precise subject. That’s why it needs to be at a certain time of year, at a specific hour. In the second half of 2021, for example, the Milky Way starts to descend on the Argentina side, so the photos would need to be taken differently.”
According to Victor, the farther you are from the light pollution of cities, the easier it is to observe the stars in the sky.
In Iguazu National Park, in Foz do Iguaçu, for instance, it is possible to identify the beam of the Milky Way with the naked eye as a region with a cluster of stars. However, photography reveals the details.
“You can see it, but you can’t see it with the clarity of the image, because the camera accumulates light and provides sharpness,” he explained.
The photographer from Salvador (BA) has been working professionally since 2018. He conducts photographic expeditions throughout Brazil and the world.
According to Lima, the aesthetic beauty of the images and the study of the constellations fascinate him. Since 2020, he has left his work as a civil engineer to dedicate himself to art.
“First and foremost, I photograph for beauty. There’s a fascination with the unexplored, that feeling you get as a kid watching space movies, which generates a natural curiosity. Capturing the landscape and revealing the beauty of the universe is incredible. The aesthetic result is fantastic, in addition to the scientific outcome of the work.”
