112. Babak Tafreshi, National Geographic Photographer: Solar Eclipses on All Seven Continents, Art of the Night Sky, and a World United Under One Roof
23 March 2026

112. Babak Tafreshi, National Geographic Photographer: Solar Eclipses on All Seven Continents, Art of the Night Sky, and a World United Under One Roof

Beyond The Lens with Richard Bernabe

About

Babak Tafreshi, National Geographic Photographer on Solar Eclipses on All Seven Continents, Art of the Night Sky, and a World United Under One Roof. 

Babak Tafreshi is a National Geographic photographer, science communicator, and founder of The World at Night, an international project dedicated to documenting and protecting the night sky. 

In this episode, Babak shares what it was like growing up in post-revolution Iran and how a feeling of isolation drove him toward the stars. We talk about the four elements of a great photograph and which two most photographers consistently get wrong, the meticulous planning behind a single night sky image, and why light pollution is far more than an inconvenience for photographers. It's a public health crisis and an ecological emergency. We also get into the alarming and largely unregulated rise of commercial satellite constellations and what they mean for the future of the night sky as a shared human heritage.

Notable Links:

Babak Tafreshi Website
Babak Tafreshi Instagram
The World at Night
National Geographic

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This episode is brought to you by:

•  National Geographic Museum of Exploration - Discovery begins here.

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