'Out with the camera, my senses are heightened'

As night falls over East Anglia, you'll often find photographer Paul Haworth heading out to capture some of the region's distinctive landscapes, from pebble beaches to tidal mudflats – with the vast night sky as a glittering backdrop.

Four years after starting astrophotography, Paul's image of star trails over Snettisham Beach in Norfolk, titled Serpentine, was shortlisted in the Skyscapes category of Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2024. The photo is one of more than 100 stunning images now on display at the National Maritime Museum.

Learn more about Paul's evocative image, what he loves most about a night spent under the stars, and the advice he would give to someone keen to get started in astronomy photography.

I love coastal and mountainous locations – anything that creates the experience of being out in the wild under the night sky.

But I live on the edge of the Cambridgeshire Fens so we have no hills to speak of – but I’ve also found a beauty in the unique landscape of the Fens and the huge skies we have in this part of the world.

When night falls, the air in the fens becomes heavy with dew. Gathering mists betray the shallowest of depressions in the fields. The honks of the ubiquitous geese, the excited whinny of little grebes, the shriek of muntjacs, the bark of foxes, the clumsy shuffling of a badger, all provide a reminder that under the enveloping darkness, the landscape teems with life.

Out with the camera, my senses are heightened. The magical sounds seem amplified in the darkness while the thick dew-filled, earthy air fills and cools my lungs. And above my head, the familiar constellations continue their nightly march across the sky, stretching infinitely from horizon to horizon.

For me, it’s all about this experience. To be able to capture images and video as well simply enables me to share that experience. 

How did you take your image Serpentine?

I’d first visited the location at night about four months earlier and it definitely had potential – reasonably dark, remote enough that it was free of other people after dark, and good foreground interest. But I lacked the time I needed that night, so a return visit was always on the cards.

I knew I wanted to make an extended star trails image, but it wasn’t until I’d arrived that night that I saw the wonderful curve of the drainage channel in the mud that seemed to mirror the arc that the star trails would make in the sky.

So I had a reasonably good feeling about the image when I set it up, and all I would need was a night that was free from cloud, which thankfully is exactly what I got.

How did you feel when you saw the final result?   

Chuffed to bits. It was exactly what I had in mind when I shot it, and from a technical point of view everything came together as I’d hoped (by no means a given in nightscape photography!). 

The image transported me back to the long night under the stars with the constant accompanying sounds of the birdlife out on the mudflats. It immediately became one of my favourite images.

How did you feel when you found out that you were shortlisted in the competition?   

I couldn’t quite believe it! I entered the competition in the same way that I’d enter the lottery – not expecting anything from it, but enjoying being part of something fun. 

I’m always blown away by the technical standard and level of creativity in the competition, so to have been shortlisted with others whose work I greatly admire was a real privilege.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of getting started in astrophotography?  

Just give it a go. The experience of being out in the landscape at night under the stars is hard to beat and you’ll quickly find it quite addictive. 

It’s possible to get some great results with relatively modest equipment, and YouTube has so many outstanding channels from which you can learn almost the entire craft for nothing but an investment of time. 

Make images that you enjoy making and looking at, create your own style, and just enjoy the journey!

Want to keep up with Paul? Watch Paul's astrophotography vlogs on YouTube or follow him on Instagram.