Artist
EMERGING
KEELY RALF STORY BY JENNY DUNBAR PHOTOGRAPHY BY ARDEN GILL
THERE IS SOMETHING INHERENTLY CAPTIVATING ABOUT THE NIGHT SKY. It is at once beautiful and enigmatic, immeasurably vast and yet incredibly familiar. Over the centuries, people around the world have valued the stars as navigational aids, objects of light and beauty, and inspiration for poems and works of art. Shawnigan student and accomplished astrophotographer Keely Ralf would certainly count herself among those who have found themselves drawn to the power of the night sky. “I’ve always had a fascination with the stars,” Keely shares. “I got my first telescope when I was in Grade 6 and that is when I fell in love with astronomy.” Astronomy is not the most common pastime for the average young person, but perhaps some of Keely’s interest can be credited to her upbringing – and more specifically to her hometown. Keely grew up in Jasper, Alberta, and recalls spending most of her childhood outdoors, finding her entertainment in the dramatic landscape and big skies of the Rocky Mountain region. Jasper also happens to be one of 21 designated Dark Sky Preserves in Canada, the second-largest Dark Sky Preserve in the world, and home to the annual Jasper Dark Sky Festival. Growing up in an area committed to reducing or eliminating light pollution for astronomy purposes – and having access to leading professionals at the annual festival – certainly helped to nurture and inspire this budding astronomer. When she came to Shawnigan in Grade 10, Keely was delighted to learn that her first unit in science was astronomy. At the end of that unit, her class was given the opportunity of a lifetime: hands-on learning in our on-campus observatory.
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Recognizing her skill and passion immediately, science teacher Nigel Mayes proposed she try her hand at astrophotography, the complex art of photographing the night sky. Keely readily accepted and before long was processing an image of the Orion Nebula. She was immediately hooked. “During that time, I completely fell in love with astrophotography,” shares Keely. “I enjoyed how it was both science and art, and that I could combine these two things that I love and be creative.” A new spark had been ignited. Keely spent the next few months learning all she could, supported enthusiastically by Nigel Mayes. She poured herself into the science and art of astrophotography, working with the equipment in the observatory, learning the software PixInsight (which she describes as Photoshop for mathematicians), and honing her artistic skills. She quickly learned that astrophotography is a very personal form of art, telling the story of the photographer as much as the object in focus. “I love that everyone starts with the exact same data, but depending on how you choose to process it means that every image is different and unique to you,” explains Keely. “The observatory is my creative outlet, where I get to explore deep space and create visual representations of objects that aren’t easy to picture in your mind.” In her time at Shawnigan, she has processed around two dozen images, each one unique to her. When asked if she has any favourites, Keely shares that two in particular stand out. The first is that initial image of the Orion Nebula. “It has a sentimental value to me because it was the first image I ever processed,” she says. “This is when I got the chance to learn the
