About Silvana Della Camera – New England Astrolandscape Photography

Welcome to my world of New England Astrolandscape Photography! I’m Silvana Della Camera, a passionate photographer and instructor dedicated to capturing the magic of starry skies and rugged landscapes. Based in New England, I’ve spent years chasing the Milky Way over Maine’s and Cape Cod’s coastlines and Vermont’s rolling hills, turning fleeting celestial moments into timeless art. My journey began with a love for photography and astronomy, later inspired by New England’s areas of dark skies, and has grown into a mission to teach others how to create stunning astrolandscape images. Whether through my book, Night Shades: A Guide to Photography After Dark, or hands-on workshops, I empower aspiring photographers to master the art of low-light shooting. Join me to explore the beauty of the cosmos and New England’s landscapes!

As a New England Astrolandscape Photography instructor, I’m passionate about teaching others to capture the night sky’s beauty. My workshops across New England— from coastal Maine to Cape Cod’s dark-sky havens—blend hands-on practice with expert guidance on camera settings, composition, and post-processing. Whether you’re a beginner learning to use a camera or an advanced photographer mastering long-exposure techniques, my classes are designed to inspire and empower. My book, Night Shades: A Guide to Photography After Dark, offers practical tips for astrolandscape success, while my webinars on smart telescopes make night photography accessible to all. I believe everyone can create stunning starry images with the right tools and knowledge. Join my upcoming New England photography workshops to start your astrolandscape journey!

New England’s landscapes are my canvas, from the rugged cliffs of Acadia National Park to the quiet forests of New Hampshire. As a New England Astrolandscape Photography expert, I specialize in capturing the region’s pristine night skies, where stars shine brightly away from city lights. My photography celebrates the interplay of celestial wonders and earthly beauty—think star trails over lighthouses or the Milky Way above rolling hills. Each image tells a story of patience, precision, and awe. Through my work, I aim to inspire others to explore New England’s dark-sky locations and create their own astrolandscape masterpieces. Check out my portfolio to see the magic of New England’s nightscapes.

For me, New England Astrolandscape Photography is more than a craft—it’s a way to connect with the universe and share its beauty. Teaching others to capture starry skies brings me immense joy, whether it’s guiding a student to their first Milky Way shot or helping them master their camera. I love seeing the spark in someone’s eyes when they create a stunning nightscape. My mission is to make astrolandscape photography accessible to everyone, from beginners to seasoned pros, through hands-on workshops, my book Night Shades, and online webinars. Based in New England, I’m proud to share the region’s dark skies with a global community of learners. Let’s capture the cosmos together.

Ready to dive into New England Astrolandscape Photography? Join me, Silvana Della Camera, for a workshop, explore my book Night Shades: A Guide to Photography After Dark, or attend a webinar on smart telescopes. Connect with me to start your starry journey! Follow me on Instagram for photography inspiration, or contact me to book a session or inquire about custom classes. Let’s capture the beauty of New England’s night skies together!

Want to learn more about me? Below is an introduction to my background and passion for photography.

Keats wrote,

“A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness;”.

For me, this pretty much sums up photography. A photograph freezes – permanently – an instant in time. Its beauty can be forever enjoyed. A digital image is equivalent to a film negative – when printed, the moment it seized takes on not only a physical but also an emotional dimension.

Award-winning photographer serving New England and beyond.

Author of books on infrared, night photography, and a lighthouse photo essay.

Breakers of Darkness – The Majesty of Lighthouses

Night Shades – A Guide to Photography after Dark

Sights Beyond the Spectrum – An Infrared Photography Handbook

Master the Benro Polaris: The Ultimate Handbook for Photographers and Astrophotographers

Master Member of the New England Camera C lub Council (MNEC)

Member of the Professional Photographers Association (PPA)

Member of the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA)

Member of the Massachusetts Camera Naturalists (CAMNATS)

A Bit About Me

I have been holding a camera for as long as I can remember. One of my earliest memories is of my father’s camera, a Kodak Sterling. I remember my father holding the viewfinder up to my eye as he held me in his arms and walked around. It is the camera that ignited my passion for photography. To keep my mitts off his camera, he bought me my own, a little Brownie. When I was 13, he got me a second-hand, fully manual 35mm Fujica camera, an ST-701. I remember blowing through 3 rolls of black and white film on a trip to Nova Scotia. Out of 3 rolls, 3 images registered something. After years of creating successful images on the little Brownie, my confidence went down the toilet. I cried.

But I was determined. I read the manual. I studied every word of it. Actually, I became obsessed. I needed to understand what the various knobs did and how these numbers, called ISO, aperture, and shutter speed, all related to each other. That camera taught me about light. It forced me to think about what I was seeing and how to capture the light. I was no longer just looking to capture an interesting scene, but I was now looking at the light and dark in the frame. As a teen, I became very aware of time passing. Freezing a moment with a camera and the ability to manipulate what the camera captured by altering the shutter speed gave time a tangible existence.

Using infrared film was fascinating and, at times, incredibly frustrating. It added complexity to achieve the proper exposure due to the highly sensitive film. I was entranced by infrared. I still am.

Like most kids who love photography, I wanted to become a National Geographic photographer. I looked forward to the monthly editions and would spend hours poring over the beautiful images and captivating stories. I, too, wanted to photograph the beautiful far-off places and exquisite animals. I dreamed of documenting the beauty of this planet we call home. Although I never became a National Geographic photographer, I do get to travel and photograph places and animals. In a way, my dream did come true. I am traveling this beautiful planet and documenting it with my camera. My images have appeared in Lighthouse Digest, Yankee Magazine, and the Boston Globe, and were featured in Nikon’s 100th birthday celebration.

Decades later, my passion has never faltered, but my view of the world has evolved. My camera’s ability to see in the dark of night, compress time with time-lapse, and see infrared makes it a portal to a world outside our field of vision. Photographing what the eye can’t perceive is what I love best to capture.

As a lifelong astronomy lover, I tried for many years to photograph the heavens with my film camera. With the onset of digital cameras, the range of photography expanded. These sensors can see more than what film can. My love for New England Astrolandscape Photography began under the clear, star-filled skies of Cape Cod, where I successfully photographed the galactic core of the Milky Way on my Nikon D810. It was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had to see the magnificence of the heavens through the back of my camera.

As a long-time New Englander, I was captivated by the region’s dramatic landscapes—from the sandy beaches of Cape Cod, to Acadia’s rocky shores, to the White Mountains’ serene vistas. Armed with my camera, I started extensively exploring night photography, learning to capture the Milky Way and constellations in breathtaking detail. Over time, my passion evolved into expertise, fueled by countless nights spent perfecting techniques like long-exposure and star-stacking. Today, as an astrolandscape photography instructor, I draw on my experiences to guide students through the technical and creative challenges of low-light shooting. My work, including Night Shades: A Guide to Photography After Dark and webinars on smart telescopes, reflects my commitment to sharing the wonder of the cosmos with others.

I enjoy helping others see their world through a viewfinder and expand their own photographic vision through photography workshops, photo walks, photo tours, private instruction, and camera club presentations on various photography topics, including infrared, Milky Way, black & white, nightscapes, deep space photography, and time-lapse. Thanks to these amazing digital cameras, I challenge photographers to consider that there is much more in a scene than what is visible to the human eye and to tap into the power of their cameras to discover it.

For me, this quote summarizes life and is always at the forefront of my mind:

“Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death.” – from the 1958 film “Auntie Mame”.