Meet Jack Fusco, Astrophotographer, Night Sky Chaser, and Coffee Aficionado

Have you ever wondered about the stars in the sky?

When I was a kid I wanted to be an astronomer, but my path obviously went in a different way. Over the years I've explored the genre of astrophotography, just a bit.

In my time with Glazer's I have had the opportunity to host and assist with a couple of in-person workshops with Sigma Ambassador Jack Fusco.

ABOUT JACK FUSCO

Jack Fusco is a professional landscape astrophotographer, who also create time-lapses. What began as a way purely to document his travels as a touring musician, photography has become his main form of creative expression.

On his often-sleepless journey, he strives to share the wonder of the night sky with as many people as possible.

Whether chasing the Milky Way along coastlines or capturing the Northern lights in unforgiving remote locations you’re sure to find him coffee in hand, smiling up at the stars.

His work has been featured by National Geographic, TEDx, LA Times, NASA APOD, BBC, Forbes, and many more.

INTERVIEW

Jack's work leaves me with a great sense of wonder, and joy and grounds me a bit too. Glazer's is hosting another workshop with him, later this month. I reached out to Jack to do a little Q&A about him, so you can get to know him a bit too!

KH: Hi Jack, let's start with the essentials, can you tell our readers a bit about how you got your start in Astro and Night Sky Photography?

JF: Hi Kate! Super excited to be heading back to Washington for another workshop with you, Glazer's, and SIGMA! I was just getting into photography and learning about light and different times to take photos.

When I started shooting at the beach during the evening blue hour, I stayed out late enough that I caught a few stars in one of my images. I was really excited and couldn’t wait to head back out.

Astrophotography wasn’t really very popular at the time, so I just ended up experimenting and kept staying out later and later. The more stars I could capture the more I couldn’t wait to head back to try again.

I used sites like EarthSky.org to learn about different things in the night sky and then would head out to try and photograph them. It was a really fun learning experience that I still try to keep up to this day.

KH: What location (in the world) has been your favorite to photograph?

JF: Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada will always have a special place in my heart. The town sits right in the middle of the Canadian Rockies and is one of the largest International Dark Sky Preserves in the world. They also hold an annual dark-sky festival that should be on every stargazer's list!

KH: What essential tip would you share with those brand new to Astro Photography?

JF: On the photography side, definitely to keep experimenting. Think about the image you’re hoping to capture and then break down how you need to go about each step. It’s a lot more fun and rewarding when you’re focused on producing results that you’re excited about and not really worried about comparing your work to someone else’s.

Outside of that, I would say it’s really important to take the time to appreciate your time under the stars. When you can slow yourself down, even between your long exposures, and look up, it’s a pretty amazing feeling. To me, that's something that makes this genre of photography so special.

KH: Let's chat about gear, what is in your gear bag for these outdoor, evening adventures?

JF: I normally change things up a little bit depending on the location that I’m heading out to photograph. These days, I’m almost always shooting with a Sony A7SIII, the SIGMA 14mm f1.8 ART and the SIGMA 35mm f1.4 DG DN | ART with a lens or two swapped out to suit the location.

Aside from that, I try to always have an extra headlamp, and extra batteries for both my headlamp and camera. I’ve been using PNY X-Pro 90 memory cards and try to always have a backup in my bag. I find that super useful for when I forget the main card in my laptop : )

A multi-use tool in case my tripod or L-bracket needs to be tightened in the field.

I recently picked up a Gitzo Traveler tripod, but before that I pretty much looked for something sturdy but lightweight.

I save a lens spot in my bag for my Fellow Carter coffee mug and then try to have a few granola or protein bars hidden somewhere in my bag in case I need them in the middle of the night.

And importantly, I’ll bring along different safety tools depending on what the location calls for. It might be a GPS device beyond what my phone can provide or bear spray. I try to do research and be as prepared as possible.

KH: What is your fave Sigma lens and why?!!

JF: That’s a really tough one. I think if I had to pick, I would choose the 35mm f1.4 DG DN | ART. It’s a super sharp, lightweight lens and a really versatile focal length. I also love shooting panos at night with the 35 when I need a slightly wider field of view.

Who's ready to seek out dark skies, stars, and the Milky Way??

We are!

Check out our upcoming workshop with Jack. This is a 3-part, hybrid experience that includes two online sessions, and the opportunity to work with Jack, in the field!

Astro Photography with Jack Fusco, in Partnership with Sigma

Workshop Schedule

July 26, 2022 | 6 PM - 7 PM | Presentation on Astro Photography 

July 29, 2022 | 8 PM - 12 AM | Astro Photography on Location

July 30, 2022 | 8 PM - 12 AM | Astro Photography on Location

August 3, 2022 | 6 PM - 7 PM | Post Production Session - Online

There are limited spaces for the in-person experience, with just a few tickets remaining!

SAVE $50!

Save $50 on your ticket, for 1 night or both nights, with Promotion Code: "NIGHTSKY2022". Apply this coupon in the Promotion Code Link (Field) before you enter your payment information, during check out.

The promotion Code expires July 17th, 2022.

About the Author

Kate Hailey is a freelance portrait photographer and photo educator based in Seattle, WA. Kate also runs Glazer's event programming.