“Perhaps the locals were
right and I was being
watched, but if I was, it
was not by something of
this Earth.”
M
any photographers
experience that
one moment—
the one where they capture
the image that changes
everything. For photographer
and astrophotographer Mike
Kukucska, that moment was
on a warm spring evening
in May 2014, the day he
captured the Milky Way.
Growing up, Kukucska was
a huge science fiction movie
fan, and in early 2014, he
stumbled onto a website
that featured photos of
Mike Kukucska - mkimage.ca
astrophotography. Seeing the
night sky taken with ordinary
DSLR cameras illuminated
Kukucska’s inspiration. He
purchased some gear, hopped
into his truck and headed
towards Lake Erie for his
first Milky Way adventure.
Finding instant and exciting
success with his first try,
Kukucska was hooked—not
just with the photography, but
also with the absolute pleasure
of venturing out into the
night, exploring, unwinding
and taking in a whole new
world. He never looked back.
On cloudy nights or
nights with a bright moon,
Kukucska found himself
staying closer to his Canadian
hometown of Hamilton,
Ontario. Through long
exposure techniques learned
through astrophotography, he
discovered an incredible world
right in his own city.
Over the past four years,
Kukucska has been
making solo trips down
to Southwestern United
States in search of dark skies
and new inspiration, and
continues to venture farther as
long as he is able.
One of the most rewarding
aspects of these adventures
have been the involvement
of Kukucska’s children.
This 49-year-old father of
three is also the owner of
Hamilton Scenic Specialty
Inc., a creative company
that develops and delivers
innovative fabrication
solutions for the themed and
entertainment communities,
and so he endeavours to keep