How this photographer captured an image so stunning, people thought it was AI
How this photographer captured an image so stunning, people thought it was AI
https://www.cnn.com/world/africa/south-africa-night-photography-kyle-goetsch-spc
Publish Date: 2026-02-17 04:08:00
Source Domain: www.cnn.com
- Kyle Goetsch, a South African nature photographer with a background in biochemistry, captured a stunning image of a giraffe silhouetted against the backdrop of a pink moon over a sand dune in the Namib desert.
- Although artificial intelligence was not used in the creation of this image, the photograph’s unique composition has led some viewers to question whether it has been manipulated.
- Goetsch transitioned from his career in biochemistry to photography after discovering his talent for capturing breathtaking landscapes and astronomical phenomena during a 2018 trip.
- His photograph of the Milky Way over the Lion’s Head mountain in Cape Town became a viral hit, kick-starting his career in astrophotography.
- Goetsch has an ongoing mission to promote southern Africa’s pristine dark skies and minimal light pollution as prime destinations for night and astrophotography.
- The South African government has embraced this aim, with a national strategy to become a global leader in astro-tourism, including the designation of the Lapalala Wilderness Nature Reserve as the country’s first International Dark Sky Park.
- Goetsch frequently collaborates with observatories, like the Southern Africa Large Telescope, to explore the field of astrophotography.