Meet photographer Christopher Timothy, a senior Geography major at JMU. He is excited to display his collection of work capturing the beauty of celestial bodies, taken across the course of his many travels. Welcome to “Nature’s Atmospheric Dances of Light”, a collection showcasing the sublimeness of what lies beyond Earth’s atmosphere.

Christopher grew up traveling to many places, and always wanted to capture the beauty of it. For as long as he can remember, he has been taking photos. However, Christopher believes his journey really took a turn once he started using a real camera during a trip to Europe in 2019. For Christopher, photography is an artform that is representative of what you see in the world. It is his way of sharing his artistic eye without constructing something completely new.

Having always been interested in stargazing and photography, experiencing the solar eclipse and the northern lights in the Spring was truly life changing for Christopher. The subject matter really interests him because the subliminal feeling that comes with the experience of viewing a celestial event really puts everything into scale. The world is huge, and we are very small in comparison, when experiencing something as big as the eclipse or Northern lights, we feel how small we actually are, and see how big our world is.

At JMU, it is possible to drive for just forty minutes and be without any light pollution. Christopher wants others to be inspired by his photography and go out and experience the same things he has. He wants others to look up and be open to seeing the beauty our sky holds. Christopher says that once you see stars and you feel as if you are on another planet, that is when you have reached the sublime feeling, it begins to recontextualize everything.

Having driven twelve hours to Vermont on a Monday just to take the shot, Christopher’s favorite piece in this collection is “Nature’s Atmospheric Dances of Light” because of the process that was taken to get it. In addition to the drive, he had hiked three miles up a hill in two feet of snow to reach the summit where the photo was taken. While viewing the eclipse, he was surrounded by many others who also appreciated the celestial beauty.

View the full collection here