Ladi Svoboda: Capturing Amazing Nightscapes in New Zealand

We spoke to Ladi Svoboda to learn how he captures amazing images like these:

“Every time I capture a new image or help someone else get into astrophotography, it feels like a win.”

Where are you and what’s your astrophotography focus?

I’m based in Wellington, New Zealand, and my astrophotography focuses on wide-field landscape astrophotography.

I enjoy blending stunning landscapes with the cosmos, and I love sharing my journey and technical details through my website.

I use a combination of planning tools to ensure the best conditions for my shots. Some of my go-to apps include:

PhotoPills – For planning compositions, tracking the Milky Way, and moon phases.
Stellarium – To visualize the night sky and constellations.
Windy – For weather forecasts and cloud cover predictions.
Google Earth & NZ Topo Maps – To scout locations ahead of time.

“A tripod and a basic DSLR/Mirrorless camera with a wide lens can produce great results.”

Sony 24mm f1.4 GM – My main ‘sky’ lens.
Sony 14mm f1.8 GM – My main foreground lens
Sony 50mm f1.4 GM – For detailed sky shots and my Giga-Pixel Milky Way Project (I am attempting to capture an ultra-high-resolution mosaic of the Milky Way core using a 50mm lens, an astro-modified camera, and a hydrogen-alpha (Ha) filter. The goal is to create an exceptionally detailed and deep image that reveals the intricate structures of our galaxy, including emission nebulae that glow in Ha wavelengths)
Sony 70-200 f2.8 GM II – For even more close up shots and panorama.
Sony 200-600 f5.6-6.3 – Mainly for wildlife – but I’ve also used this lens for deep space.

In the future I would like to get a dedicated Deep Space Mount and Telescope.

Post-processing is a huge part of astrophotography! I primarily use:

Adobe Photoshop & Lightroom – For global adjustments, color correction, and fine-tuning.
PixInsight – For processing, stacking, star correction, gradient correction and noise removal.
Sequator – A great free tool for stacking wide-field shots

Start simple – A tripod and a basic DSLR/Mirrorless camera with a wide lens can produce great results.
Learn the sky – Apps like Stellarium help a lot.
Use a star tracker – It’s a game changer for capturing more detail.
Shoot in RAW & stack images – This improves image quality and reduces noise.
Don’t give up on editing – Processing takes time to master, but it’s worth it!
If you have the budget – get an astro-modified camera (like a modified Sony A7 III).

Resources I found helpful:

YouTube channels like AstroBackyard and Nebula Photos
Online communities and Instagram for inspiration and learning.
You can find more inspiration on my website – under portfolio / image gallery where I share technical information about each shot – including location, planning and editing.
Experimenting and learning from mistakes!

Winning second place in a landscape astrophotography competition (2024) hosted by Auckland Camera Store
Being recognized as the third most commented astrophotographer in New Zealand (2024) by New Zealand Astro Competition
Showcased in an Astrophotography exhibition in the WWII War Tunnels on Waiheke Island (New Zealand)

These were huge milestones for me!

But honestly, every time I capture a new image or help someone else get into astrophotography, it feels like a win.

You can check out my work and follow my journey at:

Website: Captured by Ladi – Featuring my photography and technical blog posts.
Instagram: @capturedbyladi – After Instagram changing the Ratio from 1:1 to 2:3 – I am taking a break from IG
Picastro: @capturedbyladi – dedicated Astro App
YouTube (coming soon!): I’m planning to launch a channel focused on astrophotography tutorials, field trips, and cinematic content.