An astrophotographer from Brisbane, Australia, has seen his work reach a global audience when his deep space images appeared in the credits of Project Hail Mary. The film stars Ryan Gosling as Dr. Ryland Grace.
Photographer Rod Prazeres’ images of galaxies and nebulae have been used in several cinemas around the world. The collaboration started when a Los Angeles production company found his photos on Instagram. They then contacted him to feature his photos in the final scene of the film.
From backyard to Project Hail Mary
Brisbane-based astrophotographer Prazeres told the story PetaPixel that the possibility should not exist because it seems too unreal to be possible. After learning astrophotography in 2023, he spent several years capturing space images from his suburban backyard. The Hollywood message marked a turning point in his journey.
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According to Prazeres, the filmmakers planned to use his footage elsewhere in the film. However, due to some creative changes, they used his images in the end credits. Prazeres described it as a proud moment, especially considering they used real data.
Prazeares takes photos in space using a motorized mount that tracks the night sky as the Earth rotates. He takes many long exposures, sometimes up to ten minutes, over several nights. Special narrowband filters such as hydrogen alpha and oxygen III are used to emphasize weak structures in space.
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The photos are then processed through calibration, alignment and stacking of the images. He also provided starless versions of the stills for the film. Moreover, he confirmed that he does not use generative AI.
